LADY Lumley’s School prides itself on its award winning Outdoor Education department and the wide variety of activities it has to offer.

The department is led by David Mann and supported by a dedicated team of staff who are qualified to teach climbing, kayaking and mountain biking, amongst other things. The school also benefits from a great deal of specialist equipment and facilities which enhance and further develop Outdoor Learning at school such as an Outdoor Education Centre in Rosedale, orienteering equipment and a comprehensive selection kit for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.

Recently a group of 16 Year 12s made use of the Duke of Edinburgh equipment as they ventured out onto the Moors to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh training weekend.

After being dropped in an unknown location with only a map and a compass, the group eventually found their way to the school’s Rosedale Outdoor Centre where they ate, recuperated and practiced their night navigation; a challenging but worthwhile task. The next morning they cleaned the site and planned their route for the trek home, and although the weather was dreadful they arrived back at school on time to conclude their journey.

The Sixth Form also have a great opportunity to utilise the facilities and expertise available in school during enrichment on a Wednesday afternoon. The activities currently in offer to students are mountain biking, Duke of Edinburgh preparation and kayaking - which needs two groups due to its popularity. The first group of kayakers paddled out last week in the school’s fleet onto the Millennium Pond in Pickering where they learnt the basic skills they would need before attempting nearby rivers.

The students were very effusive about activity as they thought that it was “a great opportunity for any student who wants to do something more than the average array of sports.”

Ruaraidh McGill meanwhile commented that “kayaking is a good way to meet new people that you might not otherwise have spoken to in the Sixth Form; it is also a great way to get outside and use our enrichment time effectively.”

Lady Lumley’s has also taken teams of student on amazing expeditions to Ecuador, Tanzania, Morocco and the Himalayas and next summer there will be a team of students heading to the jungles of Borneo.

The group will be participating in voluntary work within the Chinese-Malay community while experiencing the huge array of wildlife and diversity found there.

Each participant needs to raise a minimum of £3,500 which is being done through sponsored events, quizzes and scrap metal collecting. A group of the students are currently planning a dinner and dance event at the Downe Arms in Wykeham on November 28 and for more information or tickets email Samantha Bryant at sebryant@hotmail.co.uk

Report by by Emily Barr