Orienteering in P.E.

Over the last two weeks, Years 8 & 9 have taken part in four lessons of orienteering during PE. It has been a fantastic two weeks, with invaluable experience gained and life lessons learned along the way.   Starting with an introduction lesson, pupils had to complete a 10-point star course in pairs, aiming to find the points quickly and efficiently using the map before returning to be checked, this resulted in some intense competition, with pupils completing the half-course task in record times.  Lesson two saw a slight change, still sticking with a half-course, pupils now went to two points before returning. This meant there was a need to consider routes and plan for terrains to see which would be the quickest option.

In the second week, pupils started to tackle the full 20-point course, which at its shortest covered a distance of over 2 kilometres; many of the routes the pupils had, resulted in this being closer to 3! Looking now to find 5 points before returning to check in, pupils started to realise the importance of paired work and planning, knowing that if they worked well together, they would save valuable seconds.

Finally, lesson four was the final race. A full 20-points to reach, with a singular half-way check point. Able to go to the points now in any order, orienteering skills were really starting to be worked. This tested the resilience of pupils, as well as pushing them into scenarios they have previously never been in. It was brilliant to see so many achieving the outcome and being successful.

Hearing quotes such as, ‘I’ve been waiting all year for this’ and ‘I’m so proud of myself right now’ just added to the positive environment that was created by all who took part. Battling through wind, rain (both normal and sideways!), sun, mud, puddles and trees, the pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the last two weeks in PE and as a PE department we have been extremely impressed with how they have thrown themselves into the tasks without hesitation. Resilience, teamwork and determination are just a sample of the life skills achieved by all, coupled with fitness and map-work, it’s been a successful block of learning. 

Please enjoy just a snapshot of the lessons from the pictures included!

Mr Cowen