Classmates’ teamwork, trust and courage made the annual Year 2 Camp Out a fantastic example of the Pocklington School values in action, in a busy, fun-filled 24 hours.

Children arrived at school with their sleeping bags and warm, waterproof clothes, ready to explore their outside environment, discover more about nature and challenge their boundaries.

First, they had some basic first aid training, with School Health and Safety Adviser Mr Clark teaching them how to put on a plaster correctly. He also demonstrated how to put on a bandage and a supportive sling and the children then practised on each other.

Mr and Mrs Kilsby, who have a long association with the school, kindly came in to teach the children how to make an emergency phone call and how to respond initially in an emergency situation. They spoke about how important it is to check for danger and look for a response from anyone who has collapsed, and explained how and why we sometimes choke when eating. Children also learned about the importance of knowing their postcodes to help the emergency services locate them at home.

Then the children moved into the school grounds, where outdoor activity specialists Andrew and Kath from Forest Quest supervised a series of exciting activities aimed at increasing their self-confidence, social skills, language and communication, as well as physical motor skills.

Children worked together to make a den using a mallet and stakes, ropes and knots. They purified water using charcoal, sand and pebbles, and sent each other messages using whistles and Morse code.

The highlight for many was making a fire. The children collected sticks and broke them down, then practised lighting them using cotton wool and a flint and steel, all with success! Over the fire they cooked their own teas of pasta chicken in tomato sauce - and even those who didn't want sauce all had a try.

The inclement weather turned the camp out into a camp in – but bedding down in the Pre Prep classrooms proved to be huge fun and meant the children could get warm and dry and settle down to a bedtime story.

In the morning the children continued their show of independence by packing their bags and striking their classroom camp. All the hard work was celebrated with a delicious, cooked breakfast provided by Mr D'Arcy and his team in the school Dining Hall.

Year 2 class teacher Romney Walton said: “The annual Year 2 Camp is a chance for boundaries to be challenged and high expectations set – and Andrew and Kath from Forest Quest said our pupils’ behaviour and overall willingness to have a go was exceptional.”

She added: “The children loved developing their self-confidence, knowledge and experience by doing things for themselves. They cooperated and collaborated as teams while carrying out small tasks, learning to trust each other and show the courage to try out new things. We saw many examples of perseverance and resilience, all of which are held in high regard through our Pocklington School Values.

“A huge thank you to all the parents for their support in helping their children prepare for this memorable event and also to the staff who volunteered their time to help make it happen.”

Some comments from the children:

Skye: “Climbing trees was really fun and I got really high!”

Molly: “I liked it when we made sparks because it was fun when we burned the cotton wool.”

Claudia, Pollyanna and Oliver enjoyed the hot chocolate and said marshmallows were yummy

Elizabeth: “We learned how to make fire and dens.”

Anika learnt you don’t have to rub two sticks to make fire

Arthur and Tom enjoyed making their own tea.

Tamara: “I liked making the big fire, collecting wood and lighting it.”

Valeria: “I loved hearing the birds singing.”

Johnny really just enjoyed everything!

They all agreed it was the best two days spent in school ever!

To view photographs from the camp, please click here.