Skip to content

Second Year trip develops confidence and community


Second Year pupils smile during their Outward Bound trip

During the last week of the academic year, 120 Second Year pupils travelled to mid-Wales to take part in an Adventure Challenge and Leadership course at Outward Bound Aberdovey.

The week started with a jog and a dip in the sea to set things up for the days ahead. The girls and boys embraced the cold water and were excited at the prospect of what was to come.

The week was based around a challenging overnight expedition. Some groups went out on the Tuesday, whilst others left on the Wednesday. The expedition was a great opportunity to allow a group to start forming and developing, if at the start of the week, or continue to develop and establish roles and structure if later on.

On the days not spent on expedition, pupils took part in other activities – all with the focus of developing their understanding of their team and their role within it. Learning how to work as part of a group is an important skill, so the ever-changing environment and activities offered a chance for roles to change and for others to step into the limelight.

The final day gave pupils the chance to show how much they had grown and developed within their groups.

For many, the greatest learning experience from the trip came from being placed in groups and dorms with pupils outside their normal friendship group. In the upcoming years, they start to mix more across their year group through subjects, and further into Fourth Year when they choose their options. The week gave them the confidence to move forward with the knowledge they can make new friends and work well with pupils they don’t yet know.

Outdoor Education Co-ordinator Mr Adam Hughes said: “The Outward Bound instructors said our pupils had been fantastic to work with and all of the SGS staff on the trip commented on how impressed they had been with everyone.

“I hope that all of the pupils will take away new skills and special memories from this trip that they can use at school, at home and for the rest of their lives.”