Jurby Community School children enjoyed a week’s escape to the Lake District, where they faced a number of mental and physical challenges.

Year five and six pupils (ages nine to 11) completed activities including climbing, kayaking, swimming and mountaineering, as well as surviving a week without a mobile phone signal, access to the internet, and having to cook, wash up and look after themselves -with help from the adults.

For many, the biggest challenge was a high ropes course, with a 100m zip wire at the end of the two-hour trail.

The week culminated with an ascent of Great Gable, one of the classic Lake District peaks, as well as one of the more challenging.

The group walked back down via Styhead Tarn, where they had a refreshing wild swim in a mountain tarn.

The trip was organised by Ardwhallan Outdoor Education Centre, a Manx charity which Jurby Community School has been working with for three years to develop the children’s learning in the outdoors. In particular, the training has focused on the skills of teamwork, resilience and problem solving.

Head teacher Will Nelson, who accompanied the trip, said the pupils learned how to treat the great outdoors with the respect it deserves, how to carry out dynamic risk assessments, taking into account the ability of the whole team, and altering plans as they go to keep everyone safe.

’By the end of the week the children were all exhausted but happy and reported that it was the best school trip they had ever been on,’ he said.

He thanked Paul Mellon, head of the centre, for organising and ensuring the trip took place safely, and for the enthusiasm the staff have given the children over the past school year to prepare them for the great escape to the wilds.

Mr Mellon said that it had been ’a real pleasure watching these young people grow and engage with the outdoors’, adding: ’It has not only enriched their learning in school but has enhanced their lives, developing the problem solving skills they will need for the future .