Splash Day
Over the course of the academic year , Avon Valley School runs its Splash Days . These days provide students the opportunity to take part in activities outside of their normal timetable .
Last term we held a whole school Splash Day on Monday 9 th October . It was a highly successful day , with lots of different activities happening across the school . Students in Year 7 took part in ‘ The Space Day ’ where they worked together to build and launch a rocket , used their maths skills to track objects lost in space and visited the planetarium brought into school by Warwick University . Year 8 began their Journey on the Pixl Edge , a new initiative in school aimed at rewarding students for their work outside of the curriculum through the strands of Leadership , Organisation , Resilience , Initiative and Communication skills . In Year 9 the spotlight was centred on ‘ Stigma ’ mental well being and health . Students worked in groups during the morning sessions looking at different health issues and devising how to combat the stigma associated with them . In the afternoon they got the opportunity to view the film ‘ The S-Word ’ centred around suicide awareness ; it was a thought provoking piece and students had the chance to talk with the writer of the film who was in attendance at the school . Employability skills was the focus for Year 10 , with the students researching careers , completing application forms and receiving a talk from Warwick University Aim Higher representatives . Year 11 , started the day out with a mock exam and then had the opportunity to work with the Science faculty , enhancing their core knowledge in preparation for their summer GCSEs .
Forest School Activities
AVS is very proud of its broad curriculum offer which , for a small group of students , includes Forest School activities in Years 7 and 8 .
This term , the students in Year 7 and 8 who attend Forest Schools have had a very busy time and have completed and enjoyed a wide range of activities including : den building at Salcey Forest , mountain biking at Sherwood Pines , taking part in an 8km ramble around Pitsford Reservoir , climbing on the high ropes course at Rutland Water and completing the ‘ Adventure Service Challenge *’ at a local wood .
Within school they have been busy designing the school garden , preparing the ground and planting vegetables and flowers for the spring .
Additionally , the Year 8 students have followed the Nicas Level 1 indoor climbing scheme and have also taken part in kayaking and raft building at Rutland Water , which is part of their John Muir Award to Discover , Explore , Conserve and share their experiences .
Students have learnt many new skills on these days such as how to ride a bike and how to overcome their fear of heights whilst climbing . They are learning to work as a team and how to communicate together , invaluable skills that can be transferred back to the classroom and ultimately into the workplace .
* The Adventure Service Challenge scheme is a flexible , organised , progressive scheme of activity for young people between the ages of 8 and 14 +. It is made up of 4 stages . This qualification is used as a direct preparation for entry into the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme . Students take part in leisure pursuits such as canoeing , exploring an area using map and navigation skills , learn about road craft , volunteer , look at different ways people choose to lead their lives and the reasons for their choice , first aid , carry out an expedition and take part in a lot of outdoor activities .