Overseas Expeditions
In conjunction with outside providers, the King’s School offers challenging, safe, life changing and environmentally aware expeditions, which provide young people with unique experiences to develop their confidence, global understanding and their ability to manage risk.
Over 18 months the students plan, prepare and execute a foreign trip of 10-20 days to another country with a challenging environment. Everything is organised by the students through the external provider under the guidance of the Kings's School staff. All our expeditions offer students a chance to experience the very best of the places we visit and with tailored schedules in place, we get the most out our time in-country.
Planning
For the 18 months leading up to the expedition students have to prepare for the expedition; improve fitness, investigate their destination, and gather any specialist equipment required. Put into groups with other students, some of whom they know well and others they would not normally work with, we create supportive teams that help to develop confidence and experience through practise expeditions and training sessions ready for their trip. In learning to working as a team, students learn self-reliance and gain bags of confidence.
Expedition
During the expedition students will undertake an adventurous phase of high activity and challenge. There are usually two phases of trekking; one short, but challenging and the other longer, more endurance trekking. As a reward for their hard work they will have a rest and relaxation phase such as stand-up paddle boarding, horse riding or white water rafting. Some excursions to Low Income and Developing Countries will also have some project work supporting a local community. There is always a cultural aspect to the expeditions as we travel through the country and work with in-country guides who offer an opportunity to make friends and cultural connections. We go in small groups of between 12 and 20 students, with a leader from an external provider, two school staff members and up to two in-country guides. All of this happens whilst experiencing a location which they may never visit again and developing their sense of adventure, challenge, responsibility and organisation - it is certainly NOT a holiday!
Activity Link Teacher - Mrs Alison Amps
In July 2017, 52 students from Years 10 and 11 took part in an expedition to the North Atlantic island of Madeira for 10 days. Travelling in three separate teams, with a Leader from the external provider Far Frontiers, two teachers and two in-country guides, each team had an amazing adventure. This included a four-day trekking expedition following the 16th Century levadas, a visit to Encumeada UNESCO World Heritage Site of laurel forest, a summit challenge to Pico Ruivo, the highest point on the island, a paddle boarding morning and a whale and dolphin watching excursion. They stayed in hostels or at campsites, travelled in private transport and were fully catered for.
