DoE award sailing with Year 9

The pupils showed an interest in each having a go at sailing the boats.

The pupils listened as the teacher went through the safety rules and demonstrated how one pupil was going to steer the boat such as move the pole near to you to go right, pull the pole away to turn left and keep it in the middle to go straight and another was going to put the sail in tight to go quick and leave it loose to go a bit slower. The teacher also showed how the pupil steering the pole should move to the other side of the boat to level the balance when going in different directions with further instruction to keep their head down so they don't get hit by the sail. Then all of the pupils went out together in the speedboat to the destination they were going to sail around. 

When they got to their destination, the pupils got themselves into pairs and had a go at steering the pole and directing the sail as they worked together to sail to a variety of different coloured balls which were floating along the river. One of the pairs started to go really quick, they began to react well with one pulling the string tight towards their body as the other pupil was using their one hand to hold onto the side of the boat saying to their peer "oh my god we are about to fall in, quick turn the sail the other way". 

At the end of the lesson all of the pupils with staff guidance sailed back to shore where one of the pupils supported their peers along with a staff member to attach the rope to a clip which stopped them from drifted off so they could get off one at a time.