Third and Fourth Form get out and about for Outdoor Week

It’s been a week full of serious fun for our Third and Fourth formers as they enjoyed all the activities that this year’s Outdoor Week had to offer.

Outdoor Week is a major part of the Salopian calendar and takes both these year groups out of the classroom on a combined expedition and multi-activity programme. Pupils spend half the week in the Shropshire countryside undertaking an independent walking expedition and three varied days of group work, such as community projects, a conservation day and an activity competition day.

This year has seen our pupils travel across the county, with two-day, 35km expeditions starting in Habberley in South Shropshire, assault courses being conquered at Condover Activity Centre and creative bush craft enjoyed in Crickheath with Shropshire Wildlife Trust members, where they added to a stone wall that has been constructed by generations of Salopians.

Back at the school site, our Eco-Committee created a Pollinators Garden to provide an environment for bees, pupils enjoyed willow weaving and spent time preparing for their expedition, ensuring their tents were in-tact and routes were organised.

Our Salopians also assisted Shropshire Council with installing a user-friendly gate for the community along a footpath in the town, students visited the Barnabus Community Centre to help spruce it up prior to the Bell Vue Arts Festival Open Day and a number of pupils visited The Shewsy as part of the Outdoor Week programme.

Stuart Cowper, Head of Partnership and Community Engagement, said: “We’ve seen our pupils actively engaged in a range of worthy volunteering projects, both on site and in the community more widely this week. 

Students have been working hard down at the Barnabas Centre and Food Bank+, where we tend to help annually as part of Outdoor Week with this or similar work – it’s just one of many threads in the work we do together in partnership.

Along with many of our other activities, this meaningful partnership work and wider volunteering for the community in and around school is all part of the Salopian experience.

Director of Activities, Nick David, added:

What I’m really pleased about is the sense of fun the boys and girls are getting out of this - I think they need some fun in these times.

We’ve been really pleased with how Outdoor Week has gone and I think we’ve succeeded in providing some really strong memories for the Third and Fourth formers who have taken part this year.