Outdoor Education at King Henry VIII School
King Henry VIII School is fortunate in having a unique Outdoor Education Department. It is believed that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development. Outdoor education helps young people to become more motivated and independent. It develops practical life skills and lasting physical and mental well-being.
A whole host of activities, challenges, trips and expeditions are available for all students, ranging from Adventure Safaris in the local countryside for Year 7 through to Eco-Challenge Safaris in South Africa for Years 12 and 13. In between, the vast majority of students rise to the challenges of Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, which include community volunteering, skills and physical sections, as well as self-reliant expeditions in the UK and abroad. Many students also undertake John Muir Awards: these involve discovering wild places, exploring them, taking part in conservation activities and sharing experiences.
The Head of Department, Mrs Anne Wade, says that the scope for the development of Outdoor Education at King Henry VIII School is huge and it is hoped that the department can expand to provide even more exciting and adventurous opportunities; for example, the involvement of younger students in a pre-D of E scheme called Adventure Service Challenge; as well as Bushcraft, Navigation and First Aid courses. Cycling and watersports opportunities are also planned for the future.
In short, King Henry VIII School is firmly committed to outdoor learning as part of its extremely wide range of academic and extra-curricular provision for its students.
2012-2013 programmes can be found using the following links:
The programmes for Years 10, 11, 12/13 are available on the Duke of Edinburgh page (see menu on the left).
Adventure Service Challenge
This is a voluntary national scheme for young people in the early years of secondary education. It is a structured, yet flexible programme which can stand alone or act as preparation for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Further information and enrolment forms are available via the following links:
