Foundation Magazine 2021-2022 | Mount Kelly

ACADEMICS
YEAR 7
YEAR 8
ACADEMICS
The Year 7 LOTC saw the pupils
head to Ezenridge Farm for what
turned out to be an extremely wet
but enjoyable experience for all.
Day One, the pupils set off by coach
and started with some problem-solving
activities; the infamous bog run and a
final lake jump to round off the day.
The Year 7s combined in their groups
to solve a range of problems from the
‘marble run’ where the pupils had to hold
a range of sizes of guttering to direct
marbles into a bucket; to a bomb removal
activity where they had to remove some
explosives from a zoned off area using
just some ropes and their ingenuity.
They then donned their wetsuits to
head through the ‘bog run’ which saw
the groups fight their way through
the horrendous mud and water mix,
becoming more and more caked in mud
as they progressed through the bog.
This was followed by a short walk to the
disused quarry to jump in and clean off
the mud from the bog run from a variety
of heights and locations around the
quarry.
Heading to Ezenridge, the Year 7s were
excited but also quite tired and after an
evening meal they headed to their tents
which, proceeded to become absolutely
soaked by some horrendous weather
both during the evening and overnight.
The next morning, following some
overnight interventions due to water
heading into tents the pupils got up
for their breakfast in pretty good spirits
despite everything. A slight change of
plan took place and pupils headed back
to school for their Wednesday afternoon
fixtures and some well needed warmth.
After the fixtures everyone headed back
to Ezenridge where tents were still a bit
damp but the pupils continued to be
undeterred and showing some good
old fashioned ‘stiff upper lip’ once again
headed for a good night’s sleep.
Day Three began with much better
weather and although there was a little
drizzle the groups were able to take part
in a Science activity with Mr Buckley;
some camp skills with external instructors
and an Art activity with Ms Tribe. Each
of the 3 groups experienced each of the
activities on a rotation in various location
across the farm, utilizing the beautiful
scenery down by the river for the Art, the
forest for the camp craft and the Science
took place in one of the barns.
The pupils had a great time throughout
and despite the typical Devon weather
they were fully engaged and loved the
experience although returned home a
little damper than they had arrived.
While the rest of the school
headed off for LOTC, Year 8
were preparing to gather the
information that they needed for their
Geography projects to find out about
tourism in Tintagel. In groups of 3 the
children were equipped with clipboards,
transect sheets and questionnaires as
they nervously prepared to interrogate the
residents and tourists who were around
enjoying the sunshine. The children very
quickly relaxed as they discovered how
kind and friendly the local community
was, with many asking if they could do
a few more questionnaires. In one shop,
the generous shopkeeper gave free ice
creams or cold drinks to the children who
came in and that certainly proved to be a
popular stop.
We left town in the glorious sunshine and
headed up the coastal path where we
had our lunch while enjoying the views
of Tintagel Castle and the surrounding
coast. After lunch we started our walk
over to Trebarwith Strand Beach,
stopping along the way to discuss coastal
erosion processes and the history of the
area. Reaching the beach in a record
time, everyone was able to have a quick
paddle and much needed cool off in the
sea before heading home with heads
packed with information for the start of
the write up the following day.
Thursday was a day of orienteering
where mapwork theory skills could be
put to the test. The rain settled in for the
day but to the huge credit of Year 8, their
adventurous spirits were not dampened
and they set about exploring Haldon
Forest with gusto. In small teams the
children searched for and found many of
the different markers. Having initially used
the coach to protect us from the rain, we
managed to base ourselves in a shelter
as it started to dry up a bit. The shelter
was filled with happy chatter and excited
faces as the children enthusiastically
recounted their own experiences as they
found their way around the woods.
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