“Morale grows in the community” at school’s half term camp – West Buckland School
02 Dec 2020
Morale amongst boarders at West Buckland School has been lifted thanks to the success of their half term camp, which provided a safe, fun and relaxed environment for over 70 boarders during the two week break.
Morale amongst boarders at West Buckland School has been lifted thanks to the success of their half term camp, which provided a safe, fun and relaxed environment for over 70 boarders during the two week break. The North Devon-based school decided to provide a half term camp for its international boarding community who could not return to their own countries due to the COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine rules.
The programme of activities was carefully designed to bring a sense of fun and energy to help the students to forget the anxieties of the outside world and dispel any feelings of homesickness. The activities were balanced with enough downtime to allow them to rest and refresh themselves for the next half term. Students loved the range and balance of activities, which spanned more physical and quieter pursuits.
Sporting activities ranged from football, night running and tennis through to stand up paddle boarding and baseball. Many of our boarders joined their day student colleagues during the first week to get out and about on their Duke of Edinburgh expeditions on Exmoor. To get those creative juices flowing the students took part in pumpkin carving, made flying contraptions to carry an egg without breaking it and held an afternoon of music. A major highlight for many was the esports League of Legends grand finale, although some might argue that the 7-hour Laser Quest marathon battle were the winning activity. During the quieter moments, boarders chilled out with films, music and a bit of group dancing or a cuddle with the resident dog.
Our student head of boarding, Jonathan, wrote:
“It has been a wonderful fortnight for the boarders this autumn break. We have had the opportunity to try out activities new to boarding including baseball, golf, laser tag, paddle boarding and many friendly internal competitions. I was really happy to see morale grow in the community throughout the holiday, given the restrictions and policies we have to abide to in these uncertain times. Everyone has been very appreciative of what has been made available for them. The range of activities provided helped accommodate the different age groups that stayed over. Football and pumpkin carving were perhaps the most popular options amongst all, as boarders displayed high levels of talent and creativity. The plane building challenge also brought a lot of laughter to the house, seeing some fascinating designs (Joe’s oil-rig shaped vehicle and Dicky’s Millennium Falcon Frisby) and well deserved-wins.”
“As a year 13, along with several of my sixth form friends, with university applications to complete and more tests to sit when school reopens, we were still able to actively take part in a number of events (golf being my favourite), which I think says a lot. The homely environment maintained gave everyone the chance to relax as well as having a good work/life balance.”