Harrogate school invites soldiers from the Army Foundation College at Harrogate to give lesson to pupils

Pupils enjoying the outdoors exercise with soldiers from the British Army, based at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

Intrepid young pupils from Highfield Prep School, which is part of the Harrogate Ladies School family, spent the day learning outdoor survival trips from serving British Army experts.

The youngsters spent the day at Pinewoods learning how to cook in the wild, cope with adverse weather and conceal themselves in the outdoors.

The project, co-ordinated by Highfield Prep School teacher Rachel Morgan and Cpl Nathan Mather from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, involved 40 youngsters spending the day outside learning first-hand about camouflage and concealment as well different techniques to train their memory.

Highfield Headteacher Mr James Savile said the idea had been dreamt up to match the pupils’ learning about the art of camouflage and the science of seeing and he said he was delighted the soldiers from the Army Foundation College at Harrogate had been so willing to help out.

“It was a fantastic day – so exciting for the pupils to see the soldiers in their uniforms, to see their equipment, and really engage with the idea of survival outside and what it takes to look after yourself and others.

“It links perfectly with their learning and as a school we love learning outdoors,” he said.

The pupils divided into teams of four to work in the woods, and took great delight in cooking up the rations in the field.

Cpl Mather said the day had been a huge success for the team at the school which caters for boys and girls aged four-11 years.

“We’re really keen to carry out more community engagement projects and it was a pleasure to see the pupils really enjoying themselves and learning about the sort of skills and training that we do in the Army,” he said.

“You’re never too young to learn about survival skills outside and how you can prepare yourself."

Harrogate Ladies’ College was established in 1893 and is one of the UK’s leading independent day and boarding schools for girls aged 11-18 years.

More information at www.hlc.org.uk