canoeing practice for DoE award with Year 10

At the start of the lesson the teacher explained to the pupils that the goal was for them to have a understanding of how to manoeuvre a canoe in various directions, to practice working together by communicating who was going to sit at the back and front as well as who was going to paddle on the left or right, or in a symmetric motion with one another, and then went into further detail about the DoE award expedition where they will be canoeing along the river. 

After the teacher explained that they would be following an instructor' lead for the lesson. The instructor introduced themselves and then demonstrated the correct way to hold their paddle, how far their paddle would need to be in the water which was the whole of the paddle board, which movements they would need to make to go left, right, straight on or to reverse and talked about which way the wind was coming in as the pupils pointed in the direction towards the edge of the lake saying "it is coming towards us".

Then the pupils walked down the shore and stepped onto speedboat which took them to the end of the lake. The instructor explained the perimeter of where the pupils would be canoeing for their session. Next the instructor supported the pupils as they got into their canoe's and gave them a little push to start them off on their independent journey. The pupils began to communicate with each other as one pupil took the leader role of saying "you paddle on the left and I will paddle this side on the right". The pupils began to move in different directions along the lake following the instructor's guidance. 

While the pupils were out on the lake the instructor introduced them to a ball game where the rules was for them to work in their pairs to retrieve the ball which was thrown in a variety directions before their peers in the other canoe. As the pupils retrieved they would need to throw the ball into their peer's canoe from different distances such as up close or a whole canoe foot away. The pupils took it in turns to each have a go at throwing the ball. The instructor then set them a challenge to stand up their seats to throw the ball as the pupil's  started to show more comfort in their emotions with the balance of the canoe. 

As we finished the pupils followed the instructor's lead as they took on a bigger challenge of canoeing all the way back to shore across the whole length of the lake. When we got back to shore the pupils showed an interest in jumping into the lake and swimming back following staff encouragement. 

walk around The Knapp and Paper Mill Reserve with Year 8

The pupils enjoyed walking through the nature reserve looking at the different sights of a water fall, different coloured flowers and a long stream which we talked about what type of animals could be living in the water. While we were walking we noticed various signs. One of the pupils showed an interest in reading the sign out loud to their peers and the staff members which described that the animals that could be found are "kingfishers, otters and fishes". After the pupils had a discussion on how big they thought a kingfisher was, how far in the water the otters might live and what food the animals would like to eat. One of the pupils explained that the otters lives "right at the bottom of the stream but they do like to go for a swim so you might see them near the top too" while another pupil asked a question about the size of a kingfisher saying "do you think a kingfisher will be the same length as me?". 

As we continued to walk one of the pupils showed an interest in picking different coloured flowers where they explained what they were going to be doing with them "I want to give a couple of flowers to each of the different classes when we get back to school". We also talked about what colours the flowers were with one pupil identifying one as "that looks like a pale yellow" when another said "that one is a sun flowers as it has white petals and yellow on the inside".

canoeing with Year 9 getting ready for DoE award

The pupils listened well as the instructor explained which directions to move the paddle to go left, right, backwards or forwards and that they would be canoeing in pairs as the canoe has two seats. The instructor also explained that the pupils would need to communicate between one another with deciding who was going to have their paddle on their left, on their right, who was going push their paddle to reverse the canoe and that they would need to move their paddles left and right at a symmetrical time.

After the instructor had gone through the safety checks and explained what movements the pupils would need to make to help the canoe to move along the lake, the pupils worked together as a group to carry three of the canoe's down to the shore as the instructor then demonstrated how to place their canoe onto the water in the correct way. With staff encouragement the pupils got into pairs. After the pupil's took it in turns to stand into the canoe placing either one of them at the front and one at the back as the teacher gave them a little push to start them off. 

As the pupils were canoeing along the lake following the instructor's lead, they communicated to their pair well by talking through together who was going to place their paddle on what side of the canoe as they also began to float in a variety of directions while moving their paddles in the same motions as one another. While the pupils were away from the shore the instructor showed them a ball game they could play. The aim of the game was for the pupils to compete in the challenge of working in their pair to retrieve the ball before their peers do while paddling in their canoe's. When they had the ball the pupils would need to try and achieve the goal of throwing the ball into the instructor's canoe.

To finish off the session, the next challenge for the pupils was to try a cap size off the canoe that was directed by the instructor. All of the pupils took part and worked together to push themselves from under the canoe and swim back to the shore.

7A blind fold obstacle course at Worcester Woods

The pupils of 7A worked together independently or with staff encouragement in a blind folded challenge where one had to be blind folder when the other guided their peer around a short course. The aim of the activity was for the pupil who was communicating to only guide their peer in a variety of directions using verbal commands. 

skateboards and scooters or climbing walls with Year 7B at Creation

At the start of the lesson the teacher gave the pupils the option of either exploring the skate park with the scooters and skateboards or climbing the rock walls. The pupils put themselves into two groups with half of the group showing an interest in exploring the skate park when three of the pupil's chose to do the climbing walls. The teacher went with the three pupils when two staff members went with the pupils to skate board and scoot along various sized ramps. The pupils enjoyed taking part in seeing who could travel down the ramps to the end of the runway the quickest. The pupils also took it in turns to share the equipment with one pupil demonstrating tricks on the scooters while their peer tried to see how fast they could go on their bottom on the skate board. One of the pupils explained that they have "a skateboard at home but it has broken so I need to buy a new one, it is because one of the four wheels has fallen off so I just keep tipping over onto my left side". 

While the pupil's were exploring the skate park three of the pupils went to climb different size and height rock walls which progressed to more challenging circuits. Later one of the pupils then showed an interest in going on a scooter in the skate park with the other half of the class. As they got a scooter we asked the pupil's feedback on how it was climbing. They explained that the teacher went through "the safety rules of how to climb the walls safely as there was one wall that went uphill, it was like you were on your side so we kept falling off" and then continued to talk about how the teacher began to teach them "how to place our feet and hands on the rock to try and find grip which he said would help us to balance ourselves" and after the pupil said that they took it in turns to try and reach the top of the walls. 

climbing at Creation with Primary 1

The pupils showed an interest in exploring the climbing walls at Creation. The pupils were set a challenge to see how far they could climb along the walls as they took it in turns to achieve their own goal of seeing how high they could reach. After we went over to the more challenging rock walls. The teacher gathered the pupils together and explained to them that their next challenge would include a bottle cork and their aim would be to receive the cork from different heights. If the pupils achieved the object, the teacher continued to place the cork among a harder rock wall. A couple of the pupils needed support to understand that they would need to use their hands and feet at a co-ordinated time to push their bodies upwards. 

Primary 2 taking part in a blind fold obstacle course

The pupils showed an interest in exploring Worcester Woods. When we arrived we walked or ran through and along the various paths. As we got to the middle of the woods the teacher explained to the pupils that they were going to take part in an obstacle course with a catch. The teacher asked the pupils to get themselves into pairs. The teacher then demonstrated what obstacles the pupils would need to work together to achieve the goals of walking along a plank, around a tree, over a bank and to finish off the course to walk around a tree stump twice and then jump over a tree branch which was lying on the ground. As the teacher was demonstrating they explained that the pupils would need to work as a team with one pupil wearing the blind fold as their peer would need to use their voices to communicate different directions such as go to your left, go to your right, one step in front of the other and all the way around.  

After the teacher's demonstration, all of the pupils took it in turns to each have a go at being blind folded as well as communicating commands towards one another to direct their peer in a variety of directions.  

team work activity with Primary 3 at the Malvern Hills

At the start of the lesson the teacher went through what team building activity they were going to be taking part in. Next the teacher asked the pupils to get themselves into pairs. The teacher explained that the plan for the lesson was for the pupils to walk up the Malvern Hills in their pairs as well as in the group with one pupil blind folded while another uses their voice to guide the pupil in various directions. When we got to the Malvern Hills one person from the pairs put on the blind fold when the other began to talk to them using the commands of "to your left", "to your right", "keep walking straight" as we started to make our way up the hills. While we were walking the pupils worked well in their pairs by noticing that when their peer started to veer off they took the responsibility of redirecting them with the commands or using their hands to tap the pupil on the shoulders. One pair had a pupil in front and behind as they instructed their peer by tapping both shoulders saying "if I tap on this shoulder I mean go right and if I tap on the other shoulder that means go left". When another pair had one pupil guiding their peer through a communicative presence of standing beside one another.  

sailing and speed boating with Year 10

At the start of the lesson the teacher explained that the pupils were going to be sailing with an instructor. One of the pupils showed an interest in going out on the boat for them to have a go at operating the sail to move in various directions independently. To begin with one of the pupils enjoyed helping the instructor to set up the sail and lever of the boat. 

After they had finished setting up the pupil and instructor set off in the sail boat as they moved around the lake while their peers travelled in the speed boat with the teacher and other staff members following the pupil and instructor's movements when they sailed in a variety of right, left or around in a circular motions. The pupils also supported their peer by shouting encouraging words of "you need to remember to duck your head when the sail comes across" and "pull the string in tighter or you are going to tip over into the water".

While we were out sailing and speed boating the teacher and the instructor swapped places as the teacher demonstrated to the pupils how to manoeuvre the sail and lever at an independent time. The teacher then showed the pupils what a dry cap size was while the instructor explained step by step how to achieve the movements. The teacher swapped back over with the pupil and instructor as they continued to sail with their final destination being to travel back to shore. 

As we got back all of the pupils helped to unattach the sail and lever and put away the various equipment's as they followed the safety instructions. Then they all went over to the grass area and sat together having a picnic. After two of the pupils went out with the teacher showing an interest in directing the steering wheel and lever to travel quickly with one pupil saying "I want to go really fast".