Autumn team-building days

20th October 20

Student climbing on a wooden structure

As students move into new year groups, the Autumn term is traditionally a time when we take Year groups off site. This year we’re not able to provide residential camps but we made sure that students got to spend a day away from their desks, learning to work as teams, challenging themselves and preparing for a the year ahead.

Year 7 

“We took the Year 7s to the activity centre at Harlow, run by Essex Outdoors. We were aiming to challenge them, as well as help to form a positive community, and help the new students settle in.”  Adam, Head of Year 7

“For me the trip was amazing, funny, exiting and cold. We did lots of activities like raft building, high ropes, low ropes and paddle boarding. Because it was a cold day, when you went into the lake it was freezing. It was a super-fun day.”   Arielle, Year 7 student

Year 8

Year 8 students headed to Kew Gardens where they took part in a science themed scavenger hunt in the morning using the Goose Chase app. Students searched the gardens in groups looking for answers among the plants.

They spent the afternoon sketching in the Mediterranean garden before heading back to KAS.

Science teacher Laura said, “It’s a great chance for everyone to get to know each other outside the classroom in the wild!  Students were able to bond in their tutor groups and it was an enjoyable day.”

Year 10

To prepare them for the challenge of their GCSE years the Y10s took on an aerial obstacle course, archery, mountain biking and a leap-of-faith on their away day to Essex Outdoors Centre.

Year 12

With new students joining KAS for Sixth Form, the team building day is an important opportunity for students old and new to get to know the peers they’ll be sharing the A level experience with.

By giving them a sense of community and unity as a year group, it means they create vital support networks for themselves.

They took part in a high ropes obstacle course and other co-operative challenges in their tutor groups and they all threw themselves into the activities and embraced the challenge.

Head of Sixth Form, Takako said: “We laughed so much on our away day. It was so nice to see the students having fun and building new friendships. We could forget about Covid, forget about exams and just have a day of fun, it was just lovely.”

“The day was really fun and a great way for new people to get closer with others from KAS. I thought the obstacle course where we all had to work together was very enjoyable as I got to talk to new people.”  Ethan, Year 12 student

 

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