Slipping and sliding at Perrywood

 A few of the classes have been enjoying some challenging sessions at the Nature Reserve in Perrywood, right in the heart of town. It's a short hop if the classes want some excitement and due to the kindness of the weather over the summer, conditions underfoot are still really good as it can get very messy in mid-winter.

A sturdy rope was slung from a big oak tree at the top of a very steep bank. I showed the class how to tie a few handholds in the rope using a knot called an overhand loop.

The class was then asked to make their way collectively using the rope, assisting the less confident members of the team and taking care to leave no-one behind. It was fabulous to see them working so closely as a team, offering guidance and shouting encouragement to all their peers.

After repeating this a few times with the more confident ones actively pushing the others to press on in a quicker manner, it was decided to see if they could do it on their own and then as a team, forming a human chain. This proved hilarious as some of the staff couldn't help but get involved in the mayhem.

Activities such as this may at first glance seem like a little light-hearted fun but they have inherently constructive and positive impact. It shows the pupils that staff are more than willing to engage in the challenges and activities that we present them, building trust and reliance between staff and pupils. It also demonstrates the huge benefits to our pupils of just rolling around laughing and messing about.

We don't stop playing because we grow old;         we grow old because we stop playing.

George Bernard Shaw