St Mary’s Year 11s at Hindleap Warren, 2024

For the fourth consecutive year, St Mary’s Year 11 pupils participated in the school’s annual Residential Revision and Activity Weekend at Hindleap Warren Outdoor Centre, nestled in the heart of Ashdown Forest. Taking place from Friday, 13th to Sunday, 15th September 2024, this unique setting provided the perfect backdrop for students to grow in resilience, forge stronger friendships, and build confidence as they tackled various challenges.

The weekend combined exciting physical activities with revision workshops in core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, and Religious Education, all led by St Mary’s teaching staff. These sessions offered students the opportunity to engage in focused study, while teachers had a chance to connect with pupils in an unfamiliar and dynamic environment, even taking part in the activities themselves.

Alongside familiar activities such as the climbing wall, leap of faith, catapult building, nighttime orienteering, and a campfire, the weekend introduced some new, exciting challenges. Pupils had the opportunity to try archery and axe throwing for the first time, and the wet conditions led to several water-based activities where students found themselves drenched—whether intentionally or by accident.

Throughout the weekend, Hindleap Warren’s staff supervised all activities, ensuring students were safe and engaged. They also emphasized the importance of following instructions while encouraging students to think creatively and problem-solve as they faced each new task.

We would like to extend our thanks to the staff at Hindleap Warren for their professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication, which ensured that our pupils were well cared for, well-fed, and engaged throughout the weekend. A special thank you also goes to the St Mary’s staff who contributed to the success of the event.