As part of a new school-wide initiative, Form 2 children at Cranleigh Prep donned their outdoor gear and ventured south to Cobnor Activities Centre, near Chichester. There was a mixture of emotions from some children as it was the first time that they had stayed away from home, but all seemed raring to go on Sunday 20th October and were excited to spend three days and two nights with their friends.
Following a relaxed journey watching the beautiful Surrey and Sussex scenery go by, the coach arrived at the outdoor centre. Bags were unloaded and the children finally found out who they would be sharing a dorm with. There were lots of eager and excited faces as they unpacked their belongings, laid out their sleeping bags and got changed ready for the activities to commence.
The 34 children were split into three groups for these and, over the course of the three days, participated in a range of group activities including; Aeroball, archery, problem solving, raft building and sailing, climbing, low ropes and cycling skills. It was a fascinating experience for both staff and children as boundaries were pushed and leadership and collaborative skills came to the forefront.
With all the energy the children were expending, it was key that they charged their batteries at meal times and the children were fed hearty home-cooked meals of shepherds pie and roast chicken to keep them going. Although tired by the evening, the children still had the energy to take part in From 2’s Got Talent, which they had been busy preparing in their spare time and absolutely loved!
It was a delight to see the children pushing their personal boundaries in an environment other than school and Mrs Seward and Mrs Smith, the Form 2 class teachers, were impressed and proud to see the mature way the children managed themselves emotionally and challenged themselves in sessions.
A wonderful time was had by all and we look forward to building on some of the collaboration, resilience and leadership skills in the classroom for the remainder of the school year. Well done Form 2!
