The S3 Camp is an important staging post for middle school life.  Taking the students out together at the beginning of a year that leads them towards some of their first big life decisions; which GCSE's to choose.  Not only are there big decisions but there are also friendships to bond and a step up in maturity levels, expected of S3 students.  being away from school and home provides the space for these developments steps to take place.

The camp activities are not your typical activity centre pursuits, they are created by Birkdale teachers, bringing their academic interests away from the classroom.  Past activities of haiku poetry on the moors; silent discos in the woods; water pressure towers above millponds; landscape paintings of Stanage Edge and many more.  Not only enjoyable this type of activities become informative for the choices to come.

A residential, camping outdoors in Birkdale tents, students will have to learn to live together in whatever the weather brings.  Hope and a few good stories bring the smiles and resilience we like to see in our students.

S4 Camp is set at the brilliant Thornbridge Outdoors  https://www.thornbridgeoutdoors.co.uk/ , Sheffield's main outdoor education centre.  Taking advantage of the close proximity between Birkdale and Thornbridge means that travel time and nights away are reduced, maximising the time we have to develop our students.

During the residential the students will be working together in groups of between ten and twelve, with a member of the specialist instructional staff, activities that they will be undertaking may include; caving, canoeing, sky ropes and some of Thornbridge Outdoors exceptional team building activities.  The activities and the experience of working together through challenging conditions, helps to bond new friendships and develop the ability to work with others, the core life skills for their future aspirations.

Similar to S3 Camp where Birkdale staff led a wide range of activities intended to inspire and enthuse our students, we again aim to take advantage of our staffs wider skills sets.  Developing our students well rounded nature there will be a baking component aimed at producing food for all and also advanced first aid, with the use of a training defibrillator.  All students will be able to return home from this trip having been challenged in ways that the indoor classroom environment cant always fascilitate.