Activities & Adventure | Private School, Surrey

At Box Hill School, we constantly strive to produce well-rounded young people, capable of communicating with confidence in an adult world. With this in mind, we provide our pupils with a wide range of co-curricular options to develop their interests, increase their confidence and provide them with a wide variety of life skills.

Round Square

‘Preparing young people for life through service, challenge, adventure and international understanding’

All pupils participate in adventures and community service projects which can, and often do, take them half way around the world. Students are not just taking part in adventures, they are learning about themselves – their strengths, how to overcome their fears, how to motivate and help others.

Additionally, the school organises Round Square exchanges where Year 7 and 8 pupils travel to European destinations and Year 9+ pupils spend up to 8 weeks in South Africa, Australia, America, Canada, India or Peru, studying and working at one of our sister schools.

Discover more information about Round Square

Expeditions

Expeditions are an integral and popular part of the curriculum in the first three years at our school. We are keen to ensure that our pupils leave us having learnt to take responsibility for themselves and others, and to meet challenges head on. As well as the two statutory expeditions per year, others are available throughout the year at weekends and during the school holidays.

YEAR 7

In year 7 students go on a residential week to the New Forest, staying in a lodge but with the opportunity to do some camping for all or part of the week. Activities vary from mountain biking to team building activities such as raft building. Students are encouraged to take part and are fully supported by a team of school staff throughout the week. Year 7 finish off the Summer term with a similar week of different challenging activities but this time camp for all of the time.

YEAR 8

In year 8 students undertake some team building days, involving outdoor activities such as navigation, camp craft skills and hiking and then spend the last week of term learning a new water based skill at Aquasports at Mercers Park, Redhill. There is also the opportunity for year 8s to go on an optional residential camping weekend in the Spring term.

YEAR 9

Year 9 is geared towards students achieving their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Students are trained throughout the year in all of the skills necessary to complete a 2-day backpacking expedition in the nearby area. The training schedule involves such topics as camp craft, tent pitching, first aid and emergency procedures, navigation and route planning and how to pack a large ruck sack! As well as a training day students complete a practice expedition as well as a qualifying expedition, each involving 2 days walking and a night’s camping where they are fully sufficient, carrying all of their own equipment and cooking for themselves in teams. Year 9 also have a team building away day in the Spring term.

KEY STAGE 4

In Key Stage 4 students have the opportunity to take part in the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as well as the Round Square Adventure Race which takes place in May each year. The Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award involves a 3-day practice and a 3-day qualifying expedition which are both mentally and physically more demanding than the bronze expedition. Finally, in the sixth form, students are given the opportunity to achieve the highest Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold award.

Students undertake their expeditions in a variety of places at this level including Brecon Beacons and the Lake district and occasionally further afield as well as completing the volunteering, skill, physical and residential sections of the award over an 18-month period. The Gold award is a huge achievement, showing that students have the skills, determination and mentality to really succeed. It is highly regarded by Universities and employers alike and students have the opportunity to be presented with their award at one of the Royal Palaces.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Bronze DofE expedition is compulsory for Year 9 pupils and a large number of those pupils then continue on to complete the Bronze award. The scheme is very popular amongst our pupils, with over 75 pupils currently engaged in the Bronze award, over 62 completing their Silver award and 18 working towards their Gold award.

2012 was the 50th year of the association between Box Hill School and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The scheme itself is in its 56th year and goes from strength to strength, valued by universities and employers alike.

Box Hill School is now a directly licensed centre. The number of students currently participating is excellent with 75 students engaged in the Bronze award and 62 completing their Silver expedition in June. There are 50 silver awardees this year which is no mean achievement, and we have 10 Gold awardees and 18 students currently undertaking the award at this highest level.

It is clear that Box Hill School students today are committed to the award which exemplifies the values of the school itself in its challenges and success.

Box Hill Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme Brochure