Last Friday, Year 6 at Berkhamsted Prep travelled to our Outdoor Education site at Pre-Prep to experience a day testing their teamwork, communication and leadership skills.
Aptly named ‘Year 6 Leadership Day,’ this is a yearly Berkhamsted Prep tradition focused on skill building and personal reflection. Our Outdoor Education instructors lead a series of teambuilding activities, designed to help Year 6 to begin thinking about how to demonstrate effective leadership qualities at school.
Year 6 quickly discovered that success depended on communication, collaboration and a good dose of enthusiasm. Some activities required clear teamwork, including manoeuvring a ball across a field with nothing but rope, or constructing the tallest flagpole they could. Others were more creative, encouraging pupils to work together to execute a group vision. Forest floor artwork had to be created with nothing but natural materials, and paper scrap fashion required an eye for construction. There was a palpable excitement around the site, and it was fantastic to see groups communicating well and working for each other.
Beyond the obvious fun of teambuilding with friends, this is also a chance for staff to get to know Year 6, and better understand the way they operate. With learning through play an essential part of the Berkhamsted Prep curriculum, this will help teachers to design games and activities that benefit each child uniquely, and help them to grow and flourish.
With a wide range of leadership roles at Prep (including everything from House Captains to Music leaders, who visit Berkhamsted Pre-Prep for musical moral support), we help our Year 6s to feel not only comfortable, but capable and excited to move onto senior school with ease.
This is the first of a series of events focused on character development for our eldest Prep pupils. Look out for more in the future: workshops with Sixth on oracy and self-expression, alongside big opportunities like the Year 6 play still lie ahead!
