Service Weekend was exceptionally busy this year with an array of broad and diverse expeditions, activities and trips on offer.
The long weekend saw 199 pupils embarking on their Duke of Edinburgh (DofE), 139 were camping with CCF, and 44 were working on their Voluntary Action tasks and challenges.
DofE
Oakhamians working towards their Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE awards enjoyed a variety of expeditions including canoeing down the River Great Ouse, cycling through Thetford Forest, the Peak District and Matlock and Edale, and walking around Rutland, the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales (Swaledale) and sailing across Rutland Water.
Bronze cyclists managed an impressive 100km over the three days with Silver cyclists pushing through their first acclimatisation cycle in heavy rain before completing 130km over the four days. Gold cyclists successfully navigated a new location in Matlock and Edale.
On the water, our canoeists focused on rivercraft and paddling skills, enabling them to canoe 17km unaccompanied successfully and our Gold sailors spent their time at Rutland Water developing their skills and nautical theory prior to a race around the lake.
Walkers, spread across the country, tested their resilience and map reading skills before successful unaccompanied walks leading them to their respective finishing points.
Voluntary Action
Over 100 pupils involved in Voluntary Action spent Service Weekend helping in a number of different areas within the local community. Activities included clearing the footpaths of the Oakham Canal, sanding and painting locomotives at Rocks by Rail Living Ironstone Museum, weeding for Oakham in Bloom and collecting and sorting Harvest donations for the Rutland Foodbank.
Form 6 pupils entertained members of PHAB with a movie afternoon on the Saturday and on the Monday of Service Weekend, the annual Harvest Party saw VA pupils host nearly 150 members of Oakham’s elderly community for afternoon tea, with musical entertainment and games.
CCF
139 pupils took a trip to Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland for the first Service Weekend of the Academic Year. Form 4 recruits got their first proper taste of CCF Lide with four days of training which included CAM and concealment, air rifle shooting, command tasks and basic fieldcraft. Within this training, they were introduced to the history of our three cap badges. The trip concluded with a fantastic formal parade where they ‘passed off’ the square.
Form 6
Form 6 students had a visit from the Matt Hampson Foundation who focused on leadership and teamwork. The day started with leadership sessions, which led to some games and challenges to put these skills to the test. These sessions were followed by an inspiring talk from Sophie before reflecting on the day and thinking about the skills they had used or gained. Finally, the day concluded with a captivating talk from Alex Hibbert, a record holding polar explorer, about his trips and how he persevered in times of struggle.
Form 7
Form 7 participated in a Graduate Recruitment Day in which they delved into the current state of the graduate market before fine-tuning skills that will aid their employability. This included looking into sourcing jobs and transferable skills in the morning before having some useful interview practice in the afternoon.
Form 2:
Form 2 had an exciting trip rich in history to Stamford’s Burghley House for a Tudor History Day. Pupils were told about the secrets of the house through this expert-guided tour and learned about the role of William Cecil, Elizabeth I’s key advisor. Pupils then experienced a workshop on the Tudor portraits the house owns, including portraits of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I feeding into a key area of the Form 2 Syllabus. A favourite workshop was on Tudor food, where they learned about class distinctions in eating habits and the luxury of a Tudor banquet at Burghley. The outdoor tour, led by Mr Roberts, Head of History, explored the architecture of the house as well as the hidden features of the building, looking for clues around the exterior site.
Form 1:
Form 1 pupils’ Service Weekend started on Friday 6th October where they were provided an opportunity to wonder, be curious and develop their international-mindedness through a visit to the award-winning National Space Centre in Leicester. Students marvelled at a live show entitled It IS Rocket Science where they sat down for a presenter-led ‘journey through the solar system’ before enjoying numerous galleries and exhibitions all whilst considering how these demonstrate the examples of the IB Leaner Profile Attributes in action.
On Monday 6th October, as part of the World’s Largest Lesson initiative, Form 1 pupils were introduced to the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. They explored a range of global issues that many communities face worldwide whilst considering how some of those issues may also apply to their local communities.
