A £40,000-a-year school that lists film stars and politicians among its ‘old girls’ is ditching the classroom in favour of lessons in knife skills and survival.
The Roedean School’s pupils in Brighton will spend some time now learning to use an axe or whittle wood.
This yearlong “bushcraft” pilot was created to aid the 11- and 12-year-olds to rediscover a love for the outdoors, after being trapped indoors for many months due to the pandemic.
In Friday afternoon sessions, girls learn to read animal tracks and predict weather.
Roedean School students in Brighton will spend some time learning how an axe works and how to whittle wood.
A year-long pilot in ‘bushcraft’ is needed to teach the 11- and 12-year-olds, who were kept indoors by the pandemic for several months.
On Friday afternoons, the girls will learn how to forecast the weather and interpret animal tracks. They also acquire skills in gardening.
The school, which has among its former pupils actress Rebecca Hall as well as Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, hopes that the workshops will help girls socialize and get out of screens.
The school is located on the coast, so students will learn about life in rockpools as well as which plants can be eaten.
Ross Barrand, the deputy head of Dr Ross Barrand stated that “Children have endured enormously over the past 18 months staring at screens in their bedrooms without much interaction and with very little else.”
“We had planned to have a day where the children could be outdoors, rain or shine.
School teachers hope that girls will enjoy the socialization sessions, as they are able to get away from the screens.