Fettes College
The great outdoors
AFettes education is so much more than excellent exam results. With nearly 100 co-curricular options, students at Fettes also uncover talents, develop skills and engage with activities they are passionate about. Being in the heart of Edinburgh but close to everything the great Scottish outdoors has to offer, they make the most of the beautiful beaches, mountains and lochs on their doorstep. Whether an exhilarating white-water rafting trip or a bracing walk in the Pentlands, being outdoors has huge benefits for both mental and physical health too. ‘The release of endorphins during exercise is well-known and this has really helped boarders to thrive during the uncertainty of Covid-19,’ says Iain Loudon, Teacher of English and DofE Award Manager at Fettes College.
Once back in school after the lockdown terms, they thought creatively and utilised their wooded 100-acre campus to full effect including; outdoor teaching days; creating new campus-based mountain biking courses; installing disc golf across their campus and learning bush craft skills too. For a few intrepid sixth formers, training for the Scottish Islands Peaks Race provided excellent
fitness, incredible views of Edinburgh from the Pentlands and time for mental solitude and reflection too.
‘Training for future events like the Scottish Islands Peaks Race was hugely inspiring,’ says Iain. ‘Not just because it took young people out of school and running up hills. It focused on the future, to a time of freedom when lockdowns and restrictions will be over; it told the runners that the pandemic was temporary; and it was so
inspiring for them to get fitter and faster as they ran.’
The 3rd Form Field Week was curtailed so the school accessed water sports on the union canal, camped on campus and trekked in the Pentlands. It built bonds, taught new skills and gave students the opportunity to make new friends through common experience.
‘You don’t need to be top of the class; anyone can make it to the top of the hill,’ says Iain. ‘Being outside in the real world reminds young people that life skills are more than just exams.’ As restrictions continue they recently opened a challenging low ropes course with 14 obstacles including monkey bars, wobbly bridges, tight ropes and free-swinging boards with off-ground heights varying between 30cm to 2.5metres. This new facility has the added bonus of providing new leadership opportunities for the Senior Cadets within the CCF being trained as Low Ropes Course Assistants. With this qualification, they support the Head of Outdoor Education assisting younger students to correctly wear all safety devices.
The great outdoors whether in the UK or internationally, broadens horizons and shows students the incredible opportunities available to them at Fettes and beyond.