Ghyll Head Outdoor Education Centre

A residential 2-5 day experience using the outdoor environment as a tool for learning, developing social skills of PSHE and teamwork, etc..

Below are some of the activities we can deliver that have direct links to Key Stage 2 National Curriculum.

They can be sessions in their own right or run as a theme throughout the outdoor residential.

Key skills

Working in teams

Environmental studies - weather, pond dipping, ecosystems, rock classification, food chains.

Science

Healthy living issues

Information Communication Technology

to record data whilst out on activities
to prepare a presentation for use in school
to e-mail information back to school
to study the weather and make comparisons with Manchester
the use of digital cameras and their application

University of the First Age :the Centre has strong links with the UFA and has delivered a number of Super- Learning Days at the Centre. The ethos of the Centre is very much in tune with the aims of the UFA and it is hoped that we will continue to be involved in future developments when more schools opt into the scheme. Two of the Centre teachers are primary and secondary Fellows of the UFA.

Junior Challenge: the main aim of these courses is to raise the attainment of pupils at Key Stage 2 through activities, that give a practical understanding of certain aspects of the academic Curriculum. The courses were organised through Excellence in Cities and it is hoped that more schools will be involved next year.

These programmes are most appropriate for year 5 and 6 pupils. .

A Possible Primary School Programme

A typical Monday to Friday course
	Morning	Afternoon
Monday	Arrive 12.30pm	Team building activities/ walk in the local environment
Tuesday	A day in the mountains - abseiling, gill scrambling
Wednesday	A journey on Lake Windermere in rafted canoes/zip wire in Centre grounds, ropes course and environmental input using the dead shed
Thursday	Underground experience either exploring a cave system in Yorkshire or a disused slate quarry in the Lakes
Friday	Orienteering competition in the grounds.Review of the week	Depart

John Muir Award Programmes

Ghyll head offers John Muir Award programmes

With more schools joining the Eco School scheme and actively promoting environmental conservation, Ghyll Head has linked with the John Muir Award Scheme to provide activity programmes which will broaden and enhance the environmental learning already taking place in schools. Didsbury Primary School took part in the first pilot course this Autumn.

The John Muir Award an environmental award scheme which exists to raise awareness of the need to conserve wild places. The definition of wild places includes the waste land by the canal, the open area on the edge of the school grounds, the moors and the mountain tops. The award encourages the discovery and conservation of wild places, through fun, adventure and exploration.

There are three levels of the award so anyone can take part at any level. Each level concentrates on four main aspects:

Discovery: Get out into a wild place - what’s living there and what we can do in that space

Explore: Find out more about that space by spending time there and using our senses to absorb it all. Collecting data e.g. soil acidity, plant types and water temperatures. What are the wild characteristics of the place?

Conserve: Putting some thing back into the wild area or cleaning it up to regenerate for others to enjoy.

Share: Through pictures or other means share the experience with others.

The young people keep a journal of their discoveries and put together a presentation for their school. Each student will receive a certificate.

Contact Lucy Noble at Ghyll Head for details.

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