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KES Expeditions Award

All boys in the Upper Middle year will have an opportunity to participate in the school’s own new and exciting ‘KES Expeditions Award’, devised to provide middle school students with a valuable and challenging outdoor experience at an affordable price.

The scheme is based on a progression through three stages outlined below:

 

STAGE 1
Session 1
Friday pm

Advanced Mapwork, Navigation Skills. Kit and packing a rucksack. Teamwork

Session 2
Friday pm

Camp Craft. Expedition Food, Cooking & Tents

Session 3
Friday pm

Emergency Procedures when ‘Far from Help’

 

 

 

 

STAGE 2

Session 4
Friday pm
optional

Expedition Equipment Issue and Rucksack Packing
Route Planning, Route Cards.

Session 5

Friday –Saturday

optional

Practice Expedition & Overnight Camp
based @ Andrew’s Coppice

  • Session 5 will comprise a half day hike from Barnt Green over the Lickey Hills to Alvechurch to the school’s own campsite
  • cooking the evening meal, a review and route planning exercise and an overnight camp on Friday followed by a return hike to Barnt Green following their own routes on Saturday.
  • Session 5 will ensue after period 4 on Friday and end by lunchtime on Saturday
  • Session 5 will act as a ‘two-way’ selection procedure to decide who will take part in the final two Day Full Expedition. This will be available to a maximum of 12 pupils from each form.

 

STAGE 3
Limited
12 boys
From each form

JUNE

Full Expedition & Overnight Camp
@ Church Stretton or Llangollen

  • This will comprise two days hiking supervised by qualified mountain leaders, who will give further training and then assess participants in the above skills
  • On successful completion of the Full Expedition participants will be awarded a ‘KES Expeditions Award’

The KES Expeditions Award scheme has been planned to dovetail with the already extensive programme of extra-curricular outdoor activities available at KES, with the aim of stretching individuals beyond the basic level achieved during Shells camp and Rems week. The KES Award will act as preparation for bigger things to come, such as gold level Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. As such, it will replace bronze & silver level D of E, neither of which will continue to be offered at KES in future. In effect, our scheme is streamlined to provide what the school believe will best suit the needs of our pupils.  Designed by a team of teachers who are also qualified mountain leaders, with a full two day expedition supervised by professionals, we can ensure a quality experience at each stage of the scheme.S.E. Lampard, I.J. Connor & H. Ferguson