Lakelands Academy - Paddle Ellesmere Summer 2023
During the summer term 2023, eight students and five staff members took part in a paddle boarding course funded by a small projects grant from Sport England. The project was delivered by the Paddle Bros and supported by Ellesmere Yard.
At the start of the project many of the students were unsure of what to expect and were quiet and withdrawn but over the eight weeks, in addition to learning the practical aspects of Paddle Boarding and achieving the British Canoeing Start and Discover Awards, their confidence, self-esteem and communication skills developed tremendously.
Part of the course involved leadership skills with each student having the opportunity to lead the group and to plan parts of the route, they all rose to the challenge and enjoyed being given the opportunity to develop skills in these areas.
The efficacy and success of the project was largely down to the professionalism, knowledge and boundless energy and enthusiasm of the Paddle Bros, Tim and Chris. Their encouragement for and belief in the students was just amazing and it couldn’t help but be infectious.
Some of the teaching staff were very anxious at the start of the project, fear of falling into the water was much greater with the staff than the students but after the first session where they all returned to school dry, they quickly developed a new enthusiasm for the project and Wednesday became a favourite day of the week.
Ellesmere Yard have developed the site so that it is safe and welcoming with toilet and changing facilities and a landing and loading area for the boards, the whole operation is very professional and it is making the most of our beautiful local area. Ellesmere yard were also able to provide storage facilities for the equipment for the duration of the project.
For the students, the Paddle Ellesmere project was a real highlight in their week and as their last session was during the last week of term it gave them a very positive end to the academic year.
I hope this is something we can repeat again so that another group can benefit from this amazing experience.
During the summer term 2023, eight students and five staff members took part in a paddle boarding course funded by a small projects grant from Sport England. The project was delivered by the Paddle Bros and supported by Ellesmere Yard.
At the start of the project many of the students were unsure of what to expect and were quiet and withdrawn but over the eight weeks, in addition to learning the practical aspects of Paddle Boarding and achieving the British Canoeing Start and Discover Awards, their confidence, self-esteem and communication skills developed tremendously.
Part of the course involved leadership skills with each student having the opportunity to lead the group and to plan parts of the route, they all rose to the challenge and enjoyed being given the opportunity to develop skills in these areas.
The efficacy and success of the project was largely down to the professionalism, knowledge and boundless energy and enthusiasm of the Paddle Bros, Tim and Chris. Their encouragement for and belief in the students was just amazing and it couldn’t help but be infectious.
Some of the teaching staff were very anxious at the start of the project, fear of falling into the water was much greater with the staff than the students but after the first session where they all returned to school dry, they quickly developed a new enthusiasm for the project and Wednesday became a favourite day of the week.
Ellesmere Yard have developed the site so that it is safe and welcoming with toilet and changing facilities and a landing and loading area for the boards, the whole operation is very professional and it is making the most of our beautiful local area. Ellesmere yard were also able to provide storage facilities for the equipment for the duration of the project.
For the students, the Paddle Ellesmere project was a real highlight in their week and as their last session was during the last week of term it gave them a very positive end to the academic year.
I hope this is something we can repeat again so that another group can benefit from this amazing experience.
