Bedales students sleep rough as school celebrates 20 years in the Lakes

Bedales students sleep rough as school celebrates 20 years in the Lakes

28/09/2009

Settling into senior school and making new friends can be a daunting experience, especially if you are boarding for the first time.

At Bedales, the process of settling in is accelerated for new pupils by a two week induction which involves a week getting to know the school and how it works, followed by a second week of outdoor activities and overnight camping in Ullswater in the Lake District.    

Bedales Headmaster Keith Budge explains:

“Our students enjoy a very busy action-packed week with the Outward Bound Trust. Spending time together on activities like rock-climbing, raft-building and camping is a great way to speed up the process of relationship-building, working as a team, and learning to take responsibility for their actions.”

“20 years of new entrants to Bedales have benefitted from the Ullswater experience.  We feel it is the best way to encourage our students to throw themselves wholeheartedly into a Bedales education, to experience the excitement of learning through doing and making, and to prepare themselves to be independent learners.”

“The quality of relationships is important to us at Bedales - both amongst students and between students and staff. By the end of their second week at the school, our new students are starting to experience the Bedales difference, and in the glorious setting of the Lake District, to appreciate our beautiful environment.” 

13 year-old Imo explains:

“The Ullswater visit is artistically inspiring. I want to return with my sketch pad.”

Olivia added: “It is stunningly beautiful here, and I have enjoyed getting to know the other students. The rest of my team gave me lots of encouragement on the trapeze and I’m glad I had a go.”

The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity that uses outdoor experiences and challenges to help and develop young people. This year, activities at Ullswater  included: climbing, abseiling, kayaking, sailing, hill-walking; an overnight expedition sleeping in a bivouac; and gorge-walking. The Trust encourages students to reflect and discuss their experiences and introduces them to concepts of communication, team-building, fear, empathy and celebrating the successful completion of a challenging task.

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