Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education The exciting and challenging co-curricular programme of events at Downside includes a wide range of adventure-based activities.

We believe that adventure activities, especially those based outdoors, can make a significant contribution to the personal development of children and young people. Benefits such as increased confidence, self-esteem and social awareness, improved teamwork, problem-solving skills, fitness and health, all result in a positive influence on academic studies and mental health.

Adventure activities at Downside include The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, paddle sports, sailing, air rifle shooting, archery, caving, rock climbing, and mountain biking around our extensive grounds. Weekend adventure trips include the Ten Tors challenge and Skern Lodge in Devon.

Most adventure activities take place in the School’s safe and spacious 500 acre rural campus. Sailing and paddle sports usually take place at Cheddar Reservoir and on the river Avon. Younger pupils also learn kayaking skills in the Downside pool.

These activities, along with a wide range of other co-curriculum options, are open to boarders and day pupils alike. There is no cost to parents for any co-curricular activity organised on site, meaning pupils are free to choose as many school-based options as they like.

Comined cadet force

The Combined Cadet Force is offered to pupils from Year 9 at Downside School and is an organisation of which the officers and cadets are immensely proud. We are honoured to be affiliated to the Irish Guards.

Pupils who have found the classroom environment challenging have often discovered other skills and abilities through the CCF. Consequently, their confidence has grown, leading to a positive impact on their wider success in the school.

The focus of the CCF is very much on fun activities which build confidence and leadership. Cadets choose whether to join the CCF Band, Navy or Army sections and follow the relevant core training syllabus.

Senior cadets complete the method of instruction course which is rigorously assessed by contingent officers and members of the regular forces. This instils in the seniors the confidence to instruct younger cadets in the basic syllabus with the support of the officers. There are many opportunities to attend other leadership courses and a summer camp at the end of the year which cadets from any year group can attend.

Activities on summer camp include military skills, survival training, adventure training, and a multitude of sports.

CCF band section

Downside School has a full CCF Marching Band along with a Pipe Band and the newly formed Corps of Drums. Our CCF Band take pride of place leading the annual Bath Remembrance Parade.

downside school sailing club

Pupils have an opportunity to either learn to sail or to develop their sailing skills further.

Downside is a full member of the RYA accredited sailing centre located at Axbridge Reservoir, near Cheddar. Downside has a large fleet of sailing dinghies including nine Topaz Argos. Pupils get the opportunity to join the Downside School Sailing Society when they enrol; for pupils in the Fourth Form and above, sailing takes place weekly.

For those who wish to take their sailing further, pupils have the option of becoming part of the School Dinghy Racing Squad with several opportunities to race against other schools, or CCFs.

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ten tors challenge

Ten Tors is an annual weekend hike in early May, on Dartmoor, Southwest England.

Organised by the British Army, it brings together teams of six young people each, with 2,400 young participants hiking to checkpoints on ten specified tors. Downside has a fantastic completion rate in this annual event.

scuba diving

Downside School has its own indoor swimming pool which is ideal for our introductory PADI scuba dives. These are organised on a termly basis during the summer and is a very popular activity with pupils.

caving and rock climbing

Enjoying an enviable location on the Mendip Hills, pupils from Downside have access to a wide range of caving and climbing opportunities. Goatchurch Cavern is a favourite amongst pupils and is a 'fossil cave' formed by the action of water over many thousands of years - with its choice of chambers, passages, mazes, squeezes and features to explore and wonder at - it offers experiences for cautious beginners to intrepid explorers. Caving is a popular weekend activity.

During the summer months, climbing takes place at Burrington Combe, which is wellsuited for beginners and for those looking to advance their rock skills. During the colder months, we arrange numerous visits to an indoor climbing wall, where fitness and skills can be finessed in a safe environment.

shooting

The School is a member of the Mendip Shooting Ground, which hosts our weekly Clay Target Shooting Club, every Sunday.

This is open to all pupils and is coached by a high-level national body coach.

There is a fully licensed 25m rim fire rifle shooting range on site for cadets, under constant supervision. Throughout all stages of our shooting programme pupils are taught the importance of safe handling and markmanship principles. This is followed by regular testing of weapon handling skills.

off-road cycling

We have recently invested in a fleet of eight mountain bikes which are very much in demand by our pupils. Club training sessions are organised each week depending on interest. For those who prefer a more extreme challenge then regular weekend ‘ride-outs’ can be organised.

CCF Cadets also have the opportunity of attending a week-long residential mountain bike course in Snowdonia National Park along with opportunities to attend Royal Navy cadet-led mountain bike trips and courses.

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paddle sports

Downside has joined forces with Canoe Avon, a paddle sport club located at Salford on the river Avon. Canoe Avon is a fullyfledged member of the British Canoe Union (BCU) and is affiliated to Canoe England. As an affiliated member, our school has full access to a wide range of kayaks and canoes along with the use of a fantastic clubhouse and its facilities.

Alongside weekly indoor pool kayaking sessions, cadets can take part in regular training in kayaks, canoes or paddleboards.

Downside School CCF also runs annual multi-day open canoeing expeditions, generally held over the summer in various locations around the UK. Several groups choose canoeing as their mode of travel for their Gold DofE Award.

duke of edinburgh award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) is internationally recognised and held in high esteem by employers and universities alike for the benefits that young people gain from completing a self-imposed schedule of challenging activities. The DofE is designed as a progressive personal challenge and as such it is recommended that participants complete each level before moving onto the next stage.

Here at Downside, pupils are encouraged to take part in all three sections of the award bronze, silver and gold. We have a very high success rate with almost all pupils in the Third Form taking the Bronze Award. We are fortunate to have a large staff body qualified and experienced to run all our expeditions in-house. We have also invested a great deal of money into our Outdoor Education equipment store which pupils can access free of charge.

archery Downside School has a 6-lane indoor archery range within the Old Gymnasium and sessions are organised for pupils as part of the co-curricular offering.

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For more information, on Downside’s extensive Outdoor Education provision, please contact our Head of Outdoor Education via email dpollard@downside.co.uk

DOWNSIDE SCHOOL | StrattON-ON-tHE-fOSSE | batH | SOmErSEt ba3 4rj reception@downside.co.uk | www.downside.co.uk | tel: +44 (0)1761 235100