Hilltop School pupils’ adventure on the water

The 11 students from Hilltop School in Maltby, which caters for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), visited The Lake District Calvert Trust outdoor centre.

The students, aged 16 to 19, enjoyed outdoor activities including ghyll scrambling, canoeing, horse riding and archery.  

Chris Hodgkinson, Hilltop’s deputy headteacher, said the four-day trip had challenged students, helped build stronger relationships between them and encouraged communication and teamwork.

“The students most definitely get advantages from the trip in terms of self-confidence and empathy with their peers, but what really develops is our understanding of the children as individuals,” he said.

“Seeing them in a challenging external environment and a domestic setting, means that you can learn more about them in a week than you do in a year in the school.   

“Often for our students this is the first time they have experienced being away from home and this is a huge learning curve in being good self-managers and looking after their things, as well as dealing with being away from family and their home environment.  

“Back in the classroom, you can also refer back to that shared experience and often make changes to students’ routines at home, helping both the student and family.”

Justin Farnan, business manager at The Lake District Calvert Trust, added: “We know that experiences of learning outside the classroom in a residential setting can really make a difference in building childrens’ confidence, independence and social skills.”