On Thursday 16th of September Y12 students spent two days in Garañón as part of their Induction Programme. Organised by their tutors, the head of year (Mr David), and the four Y13 heads, the pupils took part in a series of games, activities and reflective sessions which helped the transition into the VI form. The following article is a reflection of the preparation and execution of the sojourn.

After a busy school day, the group arrived at El Garañón, where they chose their roommates and were placed in different cabins. After settling down (they never really did), they all gathered in the main hall, ready to start the introductory activities. These included a customised bingo and other fun activities.

Following a quick dinner break, the students met in the large hall once more, this time for games prepared by their elder peers. They divided themselves into groups and participated in a series of small competitions. Some very amusing moments occurred, such as watching the participants attempt to whistle with biscuits in their mouths. To finish off the day, Mr David had prepared their first reflective session. For an hour the students pondered about what they had learnt from themselves and their classmates, as well as skills they had developed and how they are relevant to their futures.

Although a variety of conclusions were reached, most of them agreed that getting to know more about one another had been most enriching, and they all foresaw a future where they grew closer as a year group. Regarding skills; communication, teamwork and leadership were the most recognized amongst the students and their meaning and importance was acknowledged and discussed.

The following morning, the tutors were in charge of different activities specifically targeting a variety of soft skills. For example, Mr Paul arranged a game where the pupils had to throw the maximum number of balls to each other in a certain sequence and margin of time. This is a metaphor for how they will have to time-manage and juggle all their responsibilities these years, each ball representing a responsibility or task they will have to complete. They practised their listening skills, memory, and attention span while they had a good time bonding with each other.

Lastly, the year 12’s got some time with their head of year, and the head students of the sixth form. Here, not only did they get to put all the activities into perspective, but they were given personal advice from the older students too. In doing this, they realised that all the skills they learned could be put into practice in many other aspects of their lives.

As year 13 heads, we thoroughly enjoyed watching the change in attitude of the students (as well as ours, given that we were admittedly sceptical at the start) as the induction progressed. They have proven they have the potential to be a great team, and we are really looking forward to working collectively for the rest of the year.

Article written by: Alba García, Eva Porta and Pablo Rosas (Y13)