Outdoor education group, Inspiring Learning, has launched a new partnership with British Fencing to deliver fencing sessions across its 11 Kingswood sites which are designed specifically to build resilience among young people.
Under the new partnership, fencing sessions will be delivered at every Kingswood centre around the country, reaching thousands of students on residentials throughout the year.
Grounded in outcomes-based learning, the new partnership will transform fencing sessions - traditionally focused on the technical aspects of the sport - to instead enable young people to develop the less tangible skills of resilience, such as dealing with and bouncing back from setbacks, all within in a safe game-based environment.
From this, the aim is that students can take the soft skills developed back into the classroom and their wider lives.
Andy Barnett, head of partnerships at Inspiring Learning, said: “As the new Official Resilience Partner of British Fencing, we are very excited to deliver this innovative fencing programme and to improve resilience among young people.
“When it comes to outdoor education, it is important to look beyond the activity itself, in this case fencing, and instead explore how it can build adaptable skill-sets needed in today’s society. We look forward to working with British Fencing as we continue our work in providing outdoor education to young people across the UK.”
Building confidence and resilience
Inspiring Learning will also be responsible for hosting and training British Fencing coaches in the new lesson format. The new programme will be delivered within British Fencing’s ‘We Are Forging Futures’ framework, an Ofsted-aligned Resilience and Self-Efficacy programme designed to build confidence in young people through fencing-based activities.
“When it comes to outdoor education, it is important to look beyond the activity itself, in this case fencing, and instead explore how it can build adaptable skill-sets needed in today’s society.”
Andy Barnett, head of partnerships at Inspiring Learning
Harry Brown, national partnership & engagement manager at British Fencing, added: “Through this mutually beneficial partnership, thousands of students on residentials throughout the year will have the opportunity to not only participate in fencing activities, but also benefit from our educationally-aligned ‘We Are Forging Futures’ framework, building confidence and resilience.”
A typical Kingswood day or residential trip is based around character development, to help equip a child with the tools needed to develop adaptability skills for real life scenarios.
Some of the other experiences on offer at its 11 activity centres across the UK include zip wires, high ropes, bushcraft and orienteering.
In addition to these fencing lessons lessons, the partnership includes the funding of a research programme at Sheffield Hallam University. The aim of this project is to measure and evaluate the impact of the new fencing programme on young people’s resilience levels.
For more information go to www.kingswood.co.uk.
