Aiming higher with outward bound

As a central element of its "Raising Achievement for All " policy,

North Lanarkshire Council Education Department has been working in partnership with Outward Bound Scotland, providing a week's residential experience for S4 pupils at Loch Eil Centre.

Now completing its tenth year, this highly successful initiative affords around 1000 S4 students the opportunity to participate in a week long residential experience at Loch Eil which offers personal challenge and the opportunity to work co-operatively with other students in the unique Outdoor education setting that Outward Bound affords.

North Lanarkshire Council's "Raising Achievement for All" policy recognises that education is about much more than academic success, important though that is. Young people of today need to develop a range of skills and personal qualities so that they can play active roles as citizens of the future.

The 'Aiming Higher with Outward Bound' programme plays a central role in this policy.

The programme begins with pre course work which briefs the students on what to expect on their residential week. They set personal targets for themselves and work in pursuit of these in the week at loch Eil. During the residential experience, students attend as part of a group of around twelve pupils and quickly mix with pupils from other schools to form their "clan" of twelve for the week, who work together on activities and challenges that encourage teamwork and co-operation with an element of personal challenge.

Feedback from pupils, staff and parents has been very positive. Typical comments from young people include, "I am more confident and able to talk in class now" or "I don't give up as easily as I used to".

There is a strong endorsement of the value of this programme in that more than ninety teachers every year accompany their young people to Loch Eil for the residential week.

North Lanarkshire Council Education Department and Outward Bound together have made a strong financial commitment to fund our extensive Outward Bound Programme. The programme has been in existence for ten years now years and is going from strength to strength. This year for the first time, we are pursuing accreditation by the Scottish Qualifications Authority through the award of "Working with Others" Core Skill at Intermediate 1 for the young people who attend.

North Lanarkshire Council has made a commitment to:

• provide a week's Outward Bound course for 25% of the S4 cohort
• allocate places to secondary schools using a weighting formula which is prioritised according to need
• make places available in all secondary and special schools
• enhance staffing levels in relation to this programme and other Raising Achievement initiatives

fund a designated officer within the authority to co-ordinate the programme