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Press Release - Personal Development Day 26th September

Last Thursday the grounds and buildings of Hinchingbrooke School were alive with large groups of students participating in a wide range of exciting and challenging activities. The normal school timetable was suspended for the day and each year group was set a series of challenges focussing on developing their resilience, teamwork and creative thinking; all to support the theme of the day - Determination.

Year 7 set out to solve a murder mystery based in Hinchingbrooke House and carried out a range of tasks. One focus was on speed, where students looked at speed through drama and art and also through design and technology and the achievements of Lewis Hamilton.

 

The year 8 day centred on the house system, promoting student pride and affiliation with their house. Students had an opportunity to research our well known House Leaders including Pepys and Cromwell as well as undertaking physical challenges including scaling a slippery slope, an obstacle course completed blindfolded, human chess and a very creative game of battleships.

Many of the students involved in the Year 9 ‘Operation Zombie Nation’ were given in character make up by students from Cambridge Regional College who gave up their time to help with the event. Students had to work with “quicksand” to obtain the medicines they needed, they destroyed towers to stop the spread of the virus and participated in spear throwing and tug of war.

                   

The Year 10 day was based on the novel “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. The activities were based around the main events of this novel with Year 10 students tasked with the mission to save their lives in a dystopian future. Students participated in a range of activities including being taught the principles of self-defence, boxing, martial arts and clay pigeon shooting.

Year 11’s day was entitled ‘Cast Away’.  Activities were designed to reflect the fact that at the end of this final year of Key Stage 4, students will play a key role in determining their own next steps. Activities included archery, climbing, a mini boat race and an assault course in the woods of Hinchingbrooke Park.

This first Personal Development Day at Hinchingbrooke School has been a new experience in the educational lives of our students. They have taken part in a fun filled day with a focus on building their portfolio of skills and attributes enabling them to become more determined to succeed in other areas of their lives

As the students headed home we hoped that they had enjoyed a memorable day, the memories of which will stay with them for a long time and inspire them in their future learning.