Confidence and Resilience Boosting Packages at Essex Outdoors

Why is there a need?

During the 2021/22 academic year we continued to see the effects of the pandemic on school-aged children.

At Essex Outdoors, our Instructors noticed a visible change in children’s confidence and self-esteem, with the need for the type of mental and physical health boosts we provide becoming ever-more important to our young visitors.

The ‘Education recovery in schools: summer 2022’ government report of 20 July 2022* also stated:
Leaders continued to mention the negative impact of the pandemic on pupils’ well-being and behaviour.
… the pandemic has limited some partnership working between primary and secondary schools that would usually have helped Year 6 pupils transition to Year 7. Schools were starting to offer these opportunities again.

Some Year 7 and Year 8 pupils were still struggling with behaviour expectations, and often displayed less mature behaviour than pupils of this age might previously have done.
Across the academic year, leaders said the pandemic had resulted in poorer behaviour among some pupils. This was commonly characterised by:

• poorer social skills, such as not taking turns or sharing
• not engaging with learning
• inappropriate behaviours, such as bullying and fighting

In the summer term, we continued to hear that the pandemic had negatively affected some pupils’ mental health and well-being. As we have reported in our previous briefings, some leaders had observed greater anxiety and lower self-confidence among some pupils. Schools were continuing to use the approaches we reported in our April 2022 briefing, including expanding their pastoral staff teams.*

What Essex Outdoors can offer your school children

At Essex Outdoors we want to help children recovering from the pandemic, by offering packages to help specifically increase their confidence and resilience by taking part in the activities offered at our centres.
As you’ll be fully aware, pupils who develop resilience are better able to cope with modern-day stresses and can go on to achieve higher grades in their exams. Clear links are also now emerging between outdoor activity and increased self-esteem and improved mental health.
Essex Outdoors is a leading provider of outdoor education and has an outstanding record of delivering safe and enjoyable trips to schools. Our fully trained and professional staff are uniquely placed to ensure that your pupils get the most from their trip. And we are now offering packages that are specifically aimed at filling this need.

Example Confidence and Resilience day trip programme

From £31.50pp:
(undertaken in small groups)
• 09:30-11:00 – Obstacle Course – promotes communication, warm up and social skills
• 11:00-12:30 – Aerial Trekking – stretches comfort zones
Lunch
• 13:00-14:30 – Vertical Challenge – to see what can be achieved as a team

Alternatively, why not consider bringing your pupils for a residential visit?

In addition to the benefits set out above, residential trips can improve a child’s sense of belonging, increase their engagement with learning and help to smooth their transition from primary to secondary education. And on a residential trip at Essex Outdoors, your pupils will create positive memories that will stay with them forever.
From £143.50pp for 3 days/2 nights, fully catered.

Danbury (Chelmsford), East Mersea and Bradwell-on-sea all offer residential stays, whilst our Harlow centre (a paddle sports and climbing specialist site) offers day trips only.

*Read the full report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recovery-in-schools-summer-2022/education-recovery-in-schools-summer-2022
**The findings in this briefing are based on evidence collected during routine inspections of 19 primary schools, 21 secondary schools and 23 special schools in England between 18 April and 13 May 2022.
We held discussions and collected insights from 59 school inspectors: 48 Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and 11 Senior HMI. Those who took part in discussions had personal experience of inspecting schools in the 2021/22 academic year and/or had overseen the work of HMI in their region. They had a range of inspection experience, including of primary, secondary and special schools. There was representation from all 8 Ofsted regions.
We cannot assume that the findings are representative of the whole sector. They record the challenges that some pupils and schools continued to experience, and the approaches schools used to help pupils catch up.