OAKTREE and APPELL

Team-Building Events Designed for Schools

Team-building Day for Students

Aims

·        Personal development through teamwork with a new tutor group or year group

·        Promotion of equality through recognition  of own strengths and attributes and those of others, appreciating diversity in a group

·        Social interaction across background, gender, race

·        Collective responsibility

Key skills

·        Communication

·        Cooperation and collaboration

·        Resilience

·        Leadership

·        Decision making

·        Problem solving

·        Empathy

·        Confidence

·        Short and longer term strategising

Location

We can come to school and run the activities there; we need sole use of a large room with tables and seating for the student teams, and a large outdoor space that can be used in different ways for at least 4 of the activities – an entire school field is usually large enough.

Oaktree and Appell can book the British Aerospace Workers Association premises including secure indoor and outdoor space, onsite security, parking for coaches, toilets, and space for the eating of packed lunches. If chosen hire of the premises will be included in the quote. Packed lunches can be provided at a low cost.

We have found that taking students away from the normal school environment enhances the feeling that this is different type of learning as well as encouraging students to be more open and outgoing with students that they’re less familiar with. 

General info

Students will be split into teams of 7 to 8 either randomly on the day or as assigned by the school. These teams will be the working groups for the day. The activities will work on a carousel system.

Each team will participate in 6 different activities, each one lasting 40, 45 or 50 minutes depending on the exact requirements. The last five minutes of each session will be spent on reflection and reviewing what lessons have been learnt from that activity and what new skills the team take forward to their next task. Before the afternoon activities there is a longer reflection session leading students to set themselves targets for the afternoon and also enabling them to give feedback on the teamwork and skills of other members of their team.

Role of trainers

Trainers will be pro-active in each activity giving clear, differentiated guidance and instruction and will ensure that each team does complete the activity as a team. Most of the activities involve equipment and trainers will give comprehensive instruction on its use and any safety features.

It is hoped that trainers will then be facilitators and will be able to advise and modify the ideas of the teams rather than impose too strict a method of approach to the particular activity or challenge.

 Trainers of each activity will award each team points towards the overall prizes. Points are awarded for the completion or attempt of each activity and separately for team-working skills. All students will receive certificates upon completion of the course.

Trainers will also lead each part of the reflection process in conjunction with the teachers especially focusing on what the students can take forward into the next activity and then on into their school life.

Why choose us

We pride ourselves on being a modern equivalent to the traditional school camp. Realistically many parents are unable to afford £160 or more on a 2 day camp or residential especially if they have already equipped their student with a new uniform, sports kit, stationery, dictionary and thesaurus, geometry set and so on for the start of the new school year. Instead we offer day courses at a very low rate ensuring that all students in the cohort will be able to participate rather than many being excluded because of cost. A day focused on team-building must be accessible to all after all rather than itself being divisive.

Throughout the day all students will be fully occupied all of the time. Unlike our competitors all students will be participating in an activity all of the time - there’s no down time where students are waiting for their turn. Also all of the activities are team-based rather than only an element of the day being focused on this essential life skill.

We have staff and resources to accommodate up to 100 students on a single day. We never combine schools.

Included in our quote is a work booklet for each student including a page on each activity and different reflection tasks to be completed on the day. Especially valued by schools are the pages of follow up tasks to be completed in school in tutorial time ensuring that the course is not a one-off day but instead an integral part of the PSCHEE curriculum.