Pupils learn life skills at outdoor leadership week
What makes a good leader? A big question for anyone, let alone a group of 13 to 14 year-olds.
But this is exactly the question that was posed to S3 pupils from Arran High School during a week of leadership training at Arran Outdoor Education Centre, Lamlash.
The week was varied, with activities designed to challenge the pupils physically, mentally and emotionally.
This was a week of challenges that would develop the youngsters’ understanding of team dynamics, how to support one another and how to recognise their own individual strengths and build up resilience in the face of adversity.
The week began with exercises designed to test problem solving and team work. Whether it be transporting barrels of ‘toxic waste’ using only ropes, building bridges or creating rope stretchers, there was nothing the young minds couldn’t conquer together.
From there the group went on to climb at Largybeg - especially daunting for those in the group with a fear of heights.
Hill day
Tuesday, aka the infamous ‘hill day’, saw the pupils tackle Arran’s second highest peak Caisteal Abhail. The day started in fair conditions but as the group ascended to the peak the cloud descended, resulting in a challenging day with plenty navigation practice for everyone.
As the week reached its midpoint, the pupils found themselves faced with more endurance and vertigo inducing challenges with a combination of mountain biking from Brodick to Sannox via the Merkland Wood trails and abseiling at Blue Rocks ensuring momentum was maintained into the end of the week.
Thursday brought a return to teamwork exercises in and around the forestry behind Whiting Bay.
Tasks ranged from building freestanding structures capable of holding nine teenagers to transporting one of their peers on an A-Frame.
Communication and clear thinking was required by all the pupils.
As Friday dawned and the week was drawing to a close, one final task waited on the pupils - create a raft and race it around a course at the outdoor centre moorings.
With both vessels completing the course, the only thing left to do was jump in for a ‘refreshing’ dip before working towards the end of the week.
This gives the picture of an eventful week, which it was, however, the activities the pupils participated in throughout the day acted only as a vehicle for the main purpose of the week.
Every evening throughout the week, the pupils worked on a variety of reflective tasks which had them evaluating their team’s performance, their own personal performance as part of the team and their performance as a leader.
Successes
This was achieved by examining successes and failures and charting the highs and lows each day brought.
The pupils also created presentations that were delivered to parents, teachers and centre staff at the end of the week to round off a week well spent.
The most important point to consider for these S3s and their leadership ‘week’ is that it wasn’t really a week at all as the pupils will take their experiences and the skills they have begun to hone to better themselves, their school and their local community.