Catapult shooting on first day at free school

12 April 2012

PUPILS at London's newest free school were today sent on a tough character-building course to teach them to "relish" risk and adventure.

Some 120 schoolchildren who started at the West London Free School founded by writer Toby Young spent their first day at a farm developing adventure skills to help them become entrepreneurs.

Young today criticised the Government for making it harder for other parents to follow his lead. Ministers have tightened the rules around free schools, making it almost essential that potential bidders are supported by professional education consultants. Young believes this will make it harder for "mavericks" like his group of parents to set up schools, but easier for academy chains to do so. A total of 24 of the new state-funded but independent schools are opening this week.

All pupils at Young's Hammersmith secondary school will study Latin and take part in team sports every week. Today they had the chance to try out catapult shooting, obstacle courses and bridge building.

Headteacher Thomas Packer said: "One of the things that distinguishes entrepreneurs from those who don't achieve so well is an element of risk taking. We control those risks but we think they should be exposed to a wide range of activities and unfamiliar settings." Research has found that children benefit from risk because it helps them develop judgment skills. Natalie Guntrip, whose 11-year- old son Jack started at the school today, said: "The children will be learning about managing risk, challenging themselves and working as part of a team. To start school in this way is a great thing to do."

Stephen Reyburn, whose daughter Mimi, 11, is also a new pupil, said: "It is a great way of teaching children things you can't learn in a classroom."

Young said: "It was our deputy headmaster's idea to take all the kids off on an adventure day on the first day of term. We think that it's only by reaching for the impossible that you find out what's possible."

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