With Lower School pupils away on their residential trips, our Year 11 and 13 pupils completing their public examinations, and Year 12 pupils on their work experience week, only our Year 9 and 10 were in College for the penultimate week of the Summer Term. During this time, the pupils enjoyed three days of activities including walks, sailing, smoothie making and more!
For our Year 9 pupils, as in previous years, the activities were adventurous in their nature. Split into groups, the pupils rotated through a carousel of activities that included sailing, canoeing, kayaking, low ropes, bushcraft, mountain biking and roller-skiing. The groups also participated in a walk from Marlow which was definitely made more enjoyable thanks to the dry and warm weather!
The bushcraft activity was led by Miss Russell and Ms Davies and took place on the College’s very own Lynch Island. Each group began their session by canoeing to the island where upon disembarking, the pupils were shown how to make shelters with limited resources. The pupils were then let loose on the island to make their own shelters in small groups to varying degrees of success. Some shelters were impressive in their nature, particularly where groups had joined forces to come up with bigger creations. In the second part of their activity session, the pupils were shown how to safely create a fire, toast marshmallows, and then safely put out a fire.
The low ropes activity was brilliantly run by The Great Big Gree Climbing Company who have previously visited the College in the past. They are the largest provider of recreational tree climbing in the country and despite the activity name being ‘low ropes’, there was nothing low about the height of the trees being climbed!
For our Year 10 pupils, their activities days included a smoothie making day, a day with the One Day Film School - where they were taught the essentials of filmmaking and had to produce their own short films – and a one-day tutor group walk from Pangbourne to Shiplake.
In smoothie making, the pupils had to develop their own smoothies as well as a marketing campaign to show off their creations. With only a few hours to concoct their smoothies, press releases, posters, and video promotions, it was incredible to see the end products. Congratulations to the winning group – Harry Taphouse, Logan White, Aidan Wise, Zac Wood, and Ben Woodbridge – for their smoothie, Berry Blast!
Speaking after smoothie making day, Teacher of Business Mr Gower said:
‘Our Executive Chef, Mr Thompson, kicked off the day with a chopping and safety masterclass, while I emphasised the importance of brand and marketing. Students ordered ingredients before perfecting their recipes and coming up with a whole range of new brands. They had to pitch their products to staff and students in the Great Hall and we saw every marketing trick from samples, packaging, posters, sponsorship, celebrity endorsement, advertising videos, and even Nate Thornber dressed as a blueberry.
But it was Berry Blast that won the most votes with a tasty smoothie and a professional range of promotional material. Well done to all for excellent participation throughout the day, fabulous creativity, and a lot of fun too.’
Flickr album: Year 9/10 Activity Week 2024 |
Height: auto |
Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin
