Crawley students take to the ski slopes to learn new skills and improve confidence

WSAPC in collaboration with the youth charity Snow-Camp partnership, offered twenty students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how to ski and snowboard at the Hemel Hempstead’s Snow Centre.

Alongside hitting the slopes, students spent the equivalent time in the Snow-Camp classroom where they received valuable life-skills sessions designed to help them reflect upon the skills learnt whilst out on the snow, as well as providing mental health support.

Snow-Camp’s ‘First Tracks’ programme aims to engage students and equip them with the skills, opportunities, and aspirations needed to fulfil their potential.

Doug Thomas, Headteacher at West Sussex Alternative Provision, said:“I am delighted that, through our partnership with Snow-Camp, we have been able to open even more doors to crucial educational experiences, and life experiences, that will last a lifetime for our students and genuinely make a difference to their futures.

“The programme delivered by Snow-Camp really compliments the personalised support and the wide-ranging curriculum offer we are providing for children and young people across our seven sites.

“This includes not only a continued focus on academic attainment – where we uphold very high standards and expectations for our students – but also in providing the appropriate social and emotional support, so barriers to their learning, or future success, can be removed.

“We are so very proud of what our students have achieved through the First Tracks programme, and have already seen the benefits of the experiences and skills they have gained playing out in the classroom and beyond.

“We look forward to more of our students embracing this brilliant opportunity.”

Gavin Hanmer, Snow-Camp Programme Director, said: "It was amazing to be able to provide this exciting opportunity to WSPA. The two-day course was such a success and the young people from across Sussex who took part did amazingly well.

“They all responded quickly to learning a new skill and reflecting on those skills in the classroom really helped them see that with a little hard work and determination you can achieve something that wouldn't be a normal career direction for a young person growing up in the UK.”

The partnership, which is set to continue following the successful pilot, is central to WSAPC’s commitment to providing its young people with a breadth of educational opportunities which are designed to engage and motivate students with their learning, as well as promoting self-esteem and confidence.

The areas covered as part of the partnership, including mental health and wellbeing support, are particularly pertinent for young people given the context of the last year, making the programme even more important in equipping students with the support needed to achieve their best.

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