As winter turns into spring, we’ve taken the opportunity to extend our learning beyond the school gates. Year 3 and 4 pupils from Norwell have started their weekly trips to Forest School, learning bushcraft and teamwork skills. They have, among other things, made shelters and learned to light fires with flint and steel before cooking marshmallows and porridge over the open flames.
Year 5 children from Norwell and St. Matthews have started attending an indoor climbing facility to learn basic climbing skills and complete their NICAS level 1 indoor climbing award. This award teaches them the basics of climbing and
how to safely tie themselves onto ropes.
They also learn how to belay for each other, keeping their fellow climbers safe, before lowering them slowly to the ground after their climbs. In addition to learning to climb, these sessions also develop key trust and teamwork skills that will help the children in numerous other activities.
Year 6 children from Norwell and St. Matthews joined fellow year 6 children from Dunham on Trent primary school to travel into the Peak District and put their climbing skills to the test on natural outdoor rock. As well as giving the children the chance to develop the skills they learnt in year 5, it also gives them the opportunity to work alongside an ever wider cohort of children, ahead of a combined residential trip later in the year and their eventual transition to secondary school in September. More children will be given this opportunity from both years 5 and 6 as the year progresses.