The June Field Days saw our pupils enjoy a range of activities.

Year 9 CCF

All Year 9 pupils who are enrolled in the CCF were involved in basic expedition & skills training on the summer field days. It involved a skills assessment based at school plus a half day practical navigation assessment on a walk in North Norfolk. The aim was to develop the skills required in the CCF proficiency syllabus as well as complete some of the requirements of the DofE Bronze award for a practice expedition

Services

80 pupils and staff volunteered in the local community, giving their time, energy and enthusiasm to make a difference during the Field days.

Here are some snapshots from the activities:

A great pile of clothes, about the size of a car, needed to be shifted out of storage and then sorted into piles according to age, size and gender. This will become the stock for a new clothes bank in Holt.

Yards of fencing, made up of pallets or panels, located at two different sites, required painting. It took 18 pairs of hands over two days.

Four Year 12 pupils paid some older people a visit and put a smile on their faces as they shared experiences and stories whilst playing Bingo.

An organic vegetable garden and orchard was worked on as shovels and wheel barrows were used to move a mound of woodchip, which was spread thickly as a mulch to suppress weeds. Picture a hay meadow, recently been mown, also undergoing a process of transformation from a daffodil field to a habitat for turtle doves to breed. The hay needed to be raked into piles and then cleared.

An outdoor community space was given a new lease of life by pressure washing jets and brooms. The outdoor furniture that is made of pallets was painted a sky blue. In a nearby churchyard, there was a roar of engines as mowers and strimmers cut back the invasive weeds and long grass. New paths were created and outdoor courtyards were spruced up.

A £20,000 cheque was presented by the school to the Holt Youth Project, our school charity. This represents 10 months of work. It is the fruit of ingenious fundraising ideas and a generous school community who have supported each event.

Every pupil contributed and made a difference. They were warmly praised by those they worked with at Thornage Hall, St Andrew’s church, the Holt Youth Project, the Felbeck Trust, the Treehouse community café and Age Concern in Sheringham.

Absolute Defence

The pupils conducted the final part to the Intelligent Self-Protection course. Following on from the soft skills lectures covering Personal Security Management, Avoidance, Behavioural Analysis and Confrontation Management, they covered the Law of Self-Defence and a comprehensive physical skills component including defensive actions against the most prevalent and current threats.

REME

The BTEC Agriculture group teamed up with REME for a Field Day fence building experience; the new fence around the recently developed Cairns Sixth Form social area adds an outdoor space to this and at the same time provided pupils with a valuable chance to develop their Estate Skills. A great job all round!