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Schools test their limits with Outward Bound

Brave youngsters at two Preston schools scaled new heights when they took part in a life-changing Outward Bound scheme.

The pupils, who attend City of Preston High School and Ashton Community Science College in Preston, forged new friendships during the five day course which took place at the Outward Bound Trust's Ullswater centre near Penrith in Cumbria.

The event was organised by housing specialists Bramall Construction, a Keepmoat company, and Community Gateway Association, to give Year 9 pupils the opportunity to take part in a range of challenging outdoor learning pursuits.

Bramall Construction funded the event through the Keepmoat Foundation which invests a percentage of the company's profit to say thank you and give something back to the communities where improvement works are taking place.

During the week, pupils took part in a series of team building activities which included Ghyll scrambling and mountain climbing, culminating in the pupils preparing a series of presentations about their experience.

Steve Parrington, Bramall Construction's Construction Director, said: "It's clear from watching the pupils give their presentations that they got a lot out of Outward Bound and have definitely benefited from their experience. You could tell that not only did they enjoy the challenging tasks, but they also felt a great sense of team spirit and personal achievement.

"The Keepmoat Foundation was set up to provide valuable educational experiences and to give something back to the communities in which we work."

Bramall Construction has been working with Community Gateway Association for the past four years on a £90 million Decent Homes scheme to refurbish 6000 homes.

Diane Bellinger, Chief Executive of Community Gateway, said: "The young people have obviously learnt a lot from their experience and we're really impressed with how they carried out the presentations. They certainly faced challenges that would be hard for any of us to face during the week.

"From our point of view, we want to work more closely with Ashton Community Science College in future.

"We want to talk to the teachers about creating more training and apprenticeship opportunities, as well as offering our services to the school."

The Outward Bound Trust has been inspiring thousands of young people to meet their potential for over 65 years. The Trust's Ullswater centre is a Georgian Grade 2 listed building situated near the Helvellyn mountain range, making it an ideal location for overnight expeditions and adventurous activities to take place.

Steve Pittock, Lead Instructor at The Outward Bound Trust, said: "At the beginning of the programme, it was all about two schools mixing together but they're seamless now, and that's what we set out to achieve.

"At the beginning, the pupils were sitting separately from each other but they've all made new friends and some of these friendships will last for life. They've had some tough adventures but have really responded well and have learnt a lot about themselves and each other."

The public has recently been consulted about proposals to transfer pupils at City of Preston High School in Ribbleton Hall Drive onto Ashton's school roll.

If the proposals get the go-ahead, teaching would continue at City of Preston High School, but under the management of Ashton Community Science College in Aldwych Drive in Preston.

In addition, City of Preston High School would also be turned into a vocational centre for 14 to 19 year olds in three years time.

Chris Meldrum, headteacher at City of Preston High School, said: "The Outward Bound Trust programme teaches pupils different aspects of life than they would get in school and by the end of it they were confident enough to stand up and do a presentation which they might not have been able to do before."

Louis Crouan, Chair of Governors at City of Preston High School, accompanied the pupils as a volunteer helper. Louis, who has worked as a headteacher, Ofsted Registered Inspector and Principal Advisor for Lancashire County Council, added: "I have over 40 years experience in education and my eyes and ears are well tuned to recognise what's really worthwhile. The Outward Bound experience certainly provided high quality teaching and wonderful outdoor opportunities; but, most of all, through its emphasis on responsibility and self-reliance, it is the gold standard in education for life."