Leavers’ Camping Trip – Into the Wild!
Common Entrance is finished and our Year 8’s have been celebrating the end of exams with a wonderful start to their Leavers’ Programme.
The girls enjoyed a trip to a local pizza restaurant on Friday followed by s’mores and songs round the campfire back at Hanford. Then, as David Horton, Deputy Head, explains, it was into the wild…..!
We set off to the New Forest Outdoor Centre, where we were warmly welcomed by Sam, the Centre Manager. The girls were handed bedding and shown to the charming shepherd’s huts scattered around the site.
With great excitement (and no small amount of chatter), they made their beds, unpacked, and settled in — ready for an afternoon of brilliant team-building challenges.
The following morning, the girls headed deep into the woods for a series of adventurous team challenges.
Working together to solve problems and complete tasks, they showed plenty of determination, giggles, and good old-fashioned grit. Monday evening brought a nature walk through the forest, where the girls tested their map-reading and observation skills before winding down with toasted marshmallows round the campfire — and even a little impromptu boogie, just because.
On Tuesday, the smell of bacon and eggs drifted through the trees as the girls stirred from their huts. After breakfast, we strolled down to the lake for raft building and racing — an exercise in both engineering and enthusiasm. There were a few soggy socks, but remarkably, every raft stayed afloat and not a single girl fell in, which felt like something of a triumph.
After lunch, it was time to scale new heights at the climbing wall and crate stack — all requiring trust, teamwork and a dash of courage.
Tucked away among the trees, the campsite is peaceful and self-contained, with a large wooden hut at its heart for shared meals and moments.
We had exclusive use of the centre and its facilities, and the staff couldn’t have looked after us better.
These few days offered the perfect mix of challenge and calm — time to bond, to play, to grow in confidence, and, most importantly, to make memories that will last long after the tents are packed away.”
Thank you to Sam and his brilliant team at the New Forest Outdoor Centre for looking after us all so brilliantly.
Where Next?
