Form 4 visited Wandlebury Country Park, a 110 acre estate in the Gog Magog hills, just south of Cambridge for orienteering based activities and to learn about the history of the park and park management as part of their Geography studies.
The children spent the morning completing a walk around the historic heart of the park, such as the Iron Age fort, the 2,500 year old ditch and the granary. The focus centred on park management issues such as the human impact of visitors, providing sustainable development, preservation, protection and the conservation of wildlife. The children had the opportunity to become slingshot warriors, with a few proving to have incredible skills! They were even able to see some of the wildlife in the park, including the resident cattle.
In the afternoon, the children discovered that orienteering is an adventurous sport. They learned new map reading skills in an exciting and energetic way. They used accurate yet speedy observations to relate features on the ground to symbols on the map. They practised and improved their map reading skills in the beautiful woodland and chalk grassland areas and also increased their self-confidence and independence. The children were encouraged to discuss and plan their routes collaboratively before racing against others and comparing and analysing their tactics and performances. One Form 4 child explained, “We had to run around when we went orienteering so we had exercise and learnt how to use maps and compasses at the same time!”
