Outdoor Adventurous Activities

GMS’s PE Department is pressing ahead to evolve its curriculum in the light of the surging importance being given to teaching life skills and employability. One way this is going to be fostered is through the expansion of a current curriculum module into a new one called Outdoor Adventurous Activities (OAA). 

 This new module builds upon the map reading skills and teamwork (central to sporting success) already taught by the PE Department. Importantly, OAA boosts the ‘My Personal Best’ initiative, which promotes the six Rs: Resilience, Responsibility, Respect, Resourcefulness, Readiness and Reflection. 

 Much success in sport results from great leadership, OAA aims to pioneer a new skillset designed to promote leadership qualities that are different from, yet complementary to, the traditional PE curriculum. Going forward, this revolutionary new module will elevate the importance of leadership: managing, delegating and communicating effectively. 

 In many ways, the OAA has skills demanded by the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme, which the PE Department actively supports. The roll-out of the new module will start in Year 9, to coincide with the launch of the Bronze DofE in GMS. 

 The PE Department has invested both time and money into the new Bush Craft and Survival enterprise, which endeavours to bring together a skillset placing teamwork at its heart. They have purchased new equipment: tents, tarpaulin and cooking equipment. They have planned by becoming familiar with the pitfalls of camping in the rain, cooking in the open, building shelters and honing the art of tying knots. Perhaps, on the back of this new module a GMS student may become the next Bear Grylls: let’s hope so.