Perth High School: Outdoor education work

Inclusive experiential education at Perth High School

Tony McClelland and Dave Girling, Perth High School’s experienced outdoor education workers, have guided a range of diverse groups through an exciting series of outdoor courses.

These courses involved activities that many pupils may never have dreamed they would try:

• rock climbing
• canoeing
• gorge walking
• mountain biking
• hill walking
• day/night expeditions.         

The idea came from the desire to re-engage the school’s disaffected pupils and has grown to encompass the whole school community. 

Re-engaging young people

In recent years, the problems of disruption in schools and the deterioration of pupil behaviour are featured frequently in the news programmes and in our newspapers. At a conference in 2004 Peter Peacock, the then Education Minister, expressed his view that: 'Pupil disaffection … can lead to truancy, indiscipline, underachievement and general low attainment - limiting the life and career choices available to young people when they leave school. It is therefore vital that we take action to re-engage these young people in learning and ensure they don’t miss out on the education opportunities available to them.'

Young people choose not to engage in learning for a great variety of reasons: problems at home or school; emotional or learning difficulties or just simple boredom. Some start to believe they are 'stupid' and not able to learn like the rest of their peers. Problems may begin with low level disruption in class but can quickly escalate to more aggressive behaviour, truancy and even exclusion. Before long, these young adults start to believe they have no prospects for the future but have no idea how to change.

Interestingly, most disaffected pupils do understand that schoolwork is worthwhile and that they could do it if they tried. But how do we motivate these students to try?

'For years there has been a growing sense of frustration that for some pupils there has been too little time in the formal curriculum for personal and social development of a more active nature. Moves towards curriculum flexibility offer the chance to build in alternative, powerful learning experiences, so why not explore the potential of outdoor education within a pupil support context?' Depute Head, Robin Illsley

In Tony and Dave's experience, everyone responds differently to a challenge. Living together, experiencing new things together and helping each other are all part of learning and growing. Dave explains: 'Some of our approaches are different to those of teachers - we use our first names, written assessment is not a necessity, there is no prescribed curriculum to follow and the children do respond differently. But, without a doubt, we couldn’t do what we do without the commitment, involvement and support we receive from the staff'.

Different courses

Participants in the first course designed by the team were 12 highly disaffected teenagers from S3 and S4. What began as a reluctant, rowdy, uncooperative collection of individuals soon turned into a group that began to listen, work with each other and make responsible choices, and who were motivated to complete the course.

Good news travels fast, it is said, and before long many more pupils were keen to be included. The team were soon devising courses geared at different age groups and with a variety of learning needs. Development and training courses for staff soon followed and, for parents, awareness training and support.

The transition from primary to secondary school can be an especially difficult and worrying time for many young people. The first term following summer holidays probably sees the largest number of referrals for additional support. First Steps is a course for S1 pupils running one day a week for five weeks. They try a range of activities that help to raise self-esteem, build relationships and improve communication skills. Later they attend a follow-on course, Second Steps, to review and reinforce what was learned first time round. 

Tony also feels that 'It’s not what we do, it’s what we do with it that’s important.' The vital component for the pupils is to link the outdoor experience to their schoolwork. They can take back the new skills they have discovered and apply them in the classroom.

One parent, who accompanied her daughter on a course, wrote to thank the team: 'Tony and Dave treat the young people in their care with great respect, and expect and receive the same… I really think that this group has benefited PHS pupils and its feeder schools immensely.'

All who step through the doors at Perth High School can profit from the Outdoor Education Team’s hard work. Prefects are offered teambuilding and leadership courses. Staff taking part in training activities report that not only do they learn new skills, they meet members of staff they may rarely see, despite being in the same building every weekday. Parents too can learn how to help their children become better learners and see how their young adults gain from the knowledge that they have the support of their family.

An additional but significant benefit is that all of these activities have supported the former National Priorities such as Achievement and Attainment, Inclusion and Equality, Values and Citizenship and Learning for Life.

Jamie Andrew

An unexpected bonus has come out of the school’s new love of challenge. Over the course of the coming year the team is to be joined on a regular basis by Jamie Andrew, author, motivational speaker and mountaineer. Jamie has overcome innumerable personal challenges since losing his limbs in a mountain climbing accident in 1999.

Following a series of presentations to the school and discussions about his story, Jamie has been asked to join the pupils in a series of physical challenges. 'I don’t know how it’s going to work but it will be different and interesting for me and for the pupils. We’ll be helping each other work around our own strong points and weaknesses.' 

Jamie’s visits have already had a significant impact on the pupils he meets - one group has recently chosen Jamie’s award-winning book, 'Life and Limb', to study as part of their English course. A unique and exciting prospect is unfolding at Perth High School but there is no doubt that they intend to make the most of it.

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