Bonterre Living Land is a highly effective programme designed for groups of up to 8 to 10 students, comprising horticultural work, rowing, rural crafts and traditional construction techniques, animal care, general environmental awareness and bush-craft skills. Each session will normally involve a walk around the surrounding countryside, giving students a relaxed opportunity to discuss their concerns and allowing our experienced staff to guide their choices and interactions with each other.
Lunch is provided, often being prepared by the students themselves, and is eaten together as a group with the staff. These lunchtime meals enable the staff to further guide the students in how to talk politely to each other and understand how to positively respond to comments made by other students.
Each sessions will also involve a campfire discussion where students explore issues such as emotional health, stress, handling challenging situations and how to assert themselves without being challenging.
This project is particularly well suited to students in their transitional year, (from Middle School to High School or Primary to Secondary School) helping to raise confidence and preparedness for new challenges.
The below graph gives the results of the evaluative work carried out on children who attended the Living Land programme in 2018.
