The ropes and climbing are incidental. It’s the psychology of the leap that is important."
Lynne Elgy - our outdoor education programme is her brain child

Frensham is rare in that Outdoor Education is not merely an “add on”, but is at the core of the curriculum and plays a major part in communicating the ethos of the school. Thus it sits at the heart of our community life

Outdoor Education at Frensham aims to help develop the leaders of tomorrow. These leaders will not be the product of barking on the parade square, but leaders with compassion in their hearts and the ability to create consensus and co-operation. Our programme aims to develop teamwork and a sense of responsibility to our own community and to the world at large. We seek to develop an appreciation of nature and an understanding of the fragility of our environment.

It’s about “challenge by choice”. No student will ever be forced to do something that makes them feel uncomfortable, rather we aim to develop a desire to extend personal boundaries and to encourage and support others to exceed their self imposed limits.

It’s about building confidence and self-reliance, but with the realisation that we can achieve so much more when cooperating with others than we can on our own.

Frensham was the first school in the UK to be licensed by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority. This is not a statutory requirement, but a declaration of intent; we will offer the most professional provision possible and the safety of our students is paramount. We include amongst out number Mountain Leaders, Dive Masters & Ropes Course Instructors. We are the only school to offer the opportunity for our sixth form students to train and qualify as Assistant Ropes Course Instructors. They can hone their skills helping staff run activities both for our pupils and for disadvantaged groups who come to use our facilities. A number continue to take the full qualification when 18 which they can use at university and beyond to lead groups (and as a good money earner).

I like the feeling of really wanting to do something but at the same time being really worried as to whether I can.”
Twelve year old member of weekend expedition

We have a structured programme that runs from Year 7 onwards, each year adding a different layer of skills and challenges. There are year group expeditions as well as all age groups (as is appropriate to the activity) for activities ranging from rock climbing, to snow-boarding and ski-ing, from mountain-biking to surfing, and from World Challenge to Duke of Edinburgh.

Hugh Robertson, head of outdoor education