The woods situated on our 200 acre site is the perfect place to explore, learn and develop a multitude of new personal and physical skills.
Our outdoor activity centre, features an armed forces style assault course with 21 obstacles; a 220 metre zip wire; a 22 element high ropes course; a 12 element low ropes course for younger children; abseiling facilities; 2 climbing walls; a 20 person intentionally basic bunkhouse for use as a dorm, or teaching facility; and the centrepiece: the 25 metre ‘Bourdillon Tower’.
The woods and activity centre are also used for induction, training and house bonding. At the end of the summer, we utilise the facilities for our ‘Step up to Sixth Form’ event, which aims to welcome new pupils, and give our Sixth Formers a sense of the greater responsibility and challenge that comes with starting Year 12. They take part in team building, leadership and problem-solving activities within their House groups.
OUTDOOR PURSUITS PROGRAMME
Our Head of Adventure created an Outdoor Pursuits Programme for all Year 9 pupils. The programme is designed to not only introduce pupils to a variety of outdoor activities but also to help them develop crucial leadership and communication skills.
There’s a broad range of activities aimed at building confidence, teamwork, and self-reliance. They will tackle the School’s Adventure Woodland obstacle course, work on practical projects and learn essential outdoor skills such as pioneering, navigation and campcraft. In addition they will try archery, air rifle shooting and some cyber skills, as well as a choice from climbing, kayaking and mountain biking. The programme is structured to challenge pupils while offering them the opportunity to explore new interests and build valuable life skills.
The tower is named in honour of former pupil Tom Bourdillon. He was half of the two-man team that came within 300 feet of Everest’s summit, just three days before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to successfully reach the top in 1953. Overcoming this early failure, Bourdillon became England’s greatest mountaineer in the immediate post-war era, and the first President of the Alpine Climbing Group. Tom developed the closed-circuit oxygen apparatus used by himself and Charles Evans on their pioneering climb, and it is only recently that the full potential of his innovation in breathing equipment is realised.