After a week of activities for Years 9 and 10, the boys were exhausted; from sewing and fruit carving, to volunteering and smoothie marketing, the activities were extensive and the pupils were well and truly challenged. So, by Friday, a restful day was definitely on their minds… However, Miss Elizabeth Morgan, organiser extraordinaire of the entire week, had other ideas: the boys arrived at school on Friday 24 June for an action-packed day of Army activities, run by members of the armed forces. Taking place across the entire College site, pupils enjoyed workshops, classes and obstacle courses, designed to inform, educate, test and inspire.
Starting with a talk, members of the army explained the different corps of the forces and the various jobs within them. Making the talk as interactive as possible, each pupil was given an iPad and allowed to ‘vote’ on it, ask questions through it, and type answers during the discussion. Following this were a series of workshops for the boys; spread throughout the stable yard, several different classes were taking place. Pupils enjoyed learning more about the medical jobs available in the Army, positions within the Royal Engineers, and the Intelligence department. There was even the opportunity to try on a Beefeater’s uniform, worn during ceremonial duties (such as the Queen’s birthday!). The talks were informative and entertaining, with real-life situations adding gravitas.
The pupils were then on to arguably the most difficult, but enjoyable, element of the day; the obstacle course. Split into smaller groups, the pupils had several different activities to complete across New Field. These were vast in their range; one group were split into pairs, with one partner then blindfolded, as the other attempted to guide them through a course, from several feet away. Another group had the ground covered with bean bags, which represented explosive devices, and (again blindfolded) had to be guided through the area. There was a heavy focus on teamwork; the group of pupils who had to climb from barrel to barrel, without touching the floor, were quick to learn the value of communication and collaboration. If mistakes were made, a punishment of push ups or running was not uncommon to see; the exercises were designed to imitate Army training and encourage the boys to see the importance of teamwork. After the various activities had been completed, it was time for the inflatable obstacle course; a 20-foot inflatable gym had been pumped up for the occasion, and the boys were timed getting from one end to the other – no mean feat when the plethora of obstacles was taken into consideration!
It was an absolutely fantastic (if exhausting) day, and the pupils finished it all tired but smiling. Miss Morgan said of the event that ‘it went so well, and the boys worked really hard out there. We’re incredibly grateful to the soldiers for coming in and spending the time with us, for what was an informative and entertaining day!’
