Expedition & Adventure

Our fun and exciting pioneering club is called OSCA (Outdoor Survival Challenge and Adventure).

Open to Second Years, OSCA is a practical introduction to our Adventurous Activities programme and is always extremely popular.

Pupils are taught vital survival and camp craft skills, with thorough instruction on the use of tools and the exciting opportunity to learn how to deal with real-life survival situations in a safe and controlled environment.

They meet once a week for training sessions in either the Autumn or the Winter term, building up to the Rother Valley expedition, an orienteering and camping experience, which gives them the chance to use their newly-learnt skills.

In the Summer term, all Oscaneers take part in Camp Craft at Alice Holt in the woods, as well as Water Craft at the Testwood Lakes in Totton. The whole programme culminates in the Brecon Beacons three day expedition with indoor and outdoor climbing, mountain walking and caving. There is also the opportunity to take part in a one hour taster session in Scuba diving in our pool at school to round off an extremely full programme full of opportunity.

Here are some galleries and videos from our most recent OSCA trips:

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, giving millions of young people the opportunity to be the very best they can be. The Award helps young people along the path to a productive and prosperous future - as many participants say, it’s a ‘life-changing’ experience.

There are three levels of Programme which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. The main differences between them are the minimum length of time they take to complete, how challenging they are and the minimum age you can start.

An Award for All

Adventurous, caring, sporty, creative… however a young person might describe themselves, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award is for everyone. Here at Churcher’s, pupils are involved in so much both inside and outside the College that achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold is within the reach of all. In an average academic year, over 250 pupils from the 3rd Year take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award experience.

Churcher’s has a longstanding tradition and high success rate for pupils completing the Duke of Edinburgh programme and with its emphasis on community volunteering, physical and skills activities, it is ideal for any Churcher’s student who wants to take part.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award @DofE held a Gold Award Presentation in the grounds of #buckinghampalace recently to mark the achievement of 3,000 young people from across the UK, including five very proud Churcher’s College pupils! Read more here: https://t.co/ysD4zMHTh4. pic.twitter.com/mODTvI4aAX

— Churcher's College (@Churchers1722) 15 June 2018

Adult Volunteers

Our volunteer Leaders love creating a positive, supportive environment that’s bristling with energy for participants. Each Leader is responsible for a particular Duke of Edinburgh's Award group - leading, guiding, inspiring and encouraging young people, agreeing their programme choices and approving their progress and pictures in eDofE.

Parents and Teachers alike are always welcome to volunteer their time to become a Leader of a Duke of Edinburgh's Award group at Churcher’s.

Around 80% of Churcher’s pupils join the CCF, largely because of the unmatchable opportunities it provides.

Cadets can take part in adventurous training in Snowdonia, flying and gliding, parachuting, rafting, skiing and expeditions including an overnight orienteering contest in January and the Devizes to Westminster boat race at Easter.

The CCF Headquarters on Nicholson’s Field have recently been extended and refurbished and the College has invested heavily in expedition equipment to provide for the growing number of cadets.

The Combined Cadet Force at Churcher’s continues to go from strength to strength and this is largely due to the enthusiasm, energy and enterprise of the Sixth Form who lead the way and encourage and guide the lower years.

Pupils attend a CCF Induction in the Spring Term of their Second Year and are invited to join the Army, Navy or RAF sections. The cadets attend a night exercise in the Summer Term and then join the CCF proper in their Third Year.

Cadets meet every Tuesday and partake of two Field Days held annually; one in the Autumn Term, the other in the Summer Term. Those in the CCF are offered a wide range of courses during the school holidays including sailing, leadership skills, flying, climbing and sub-aqua.

CCF Biennial Inspection

Flickr album: CCF Biennial Inspection 2019 | Height: auto | Theme: Default

CCF Army Summer Camp

Flickr album: CCF Army Summer Camp 2019 | Height: auto | Theme: Default

Ten Tors is an annual competition that takes place in Dartmoor in May, and is open to teams of six young people aged between 14 and 19.

It is organised by the Army and assisted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Dartmoor Rescue Group.

The teams hike 35, 45 or 55 miles depending on their ages and reach ten tors over the two day expedition. They carry everything they need with them, including their tents and cooking equipment.

Flickr album: Ten Tors 2019 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

Expeditions are a fantastic opportunity for students to develop independence, leadership, teamwork, and decision-making skills as well as to engage with and learn from other cultures in a remote and sometimes challenging environment.

First Challenge

The first opportunity to take part in an expedition takes place at the end of the Third Year and is typically comprised of almost half of the pupils. It takes place each year over some of the more challenging terrains in Europe with destinations such as Romania, Norway, Poland and Morocco and is often the first opportunity for pupils to be away from home overseas for a sustained period.

Our First Challenge expeditions typically last between 12 - 24 days and involve one year of fundraising and training in the lead up to the trip.

Recent First Challenge Expeditions:

• Iceland 2018
• Norway 2019
• Sweden 2020
• Norway 2022

World Challenge

The personal characteristics built upon during the European trips are taken to an altogether higher level during the longer-haul expeditions, open to the Fifth Form as well as those in the Lower and Upper Sixth.

Most recently, students have journeyed as far afield as Southern Africa, India, South America, Mongolia and Nepal. 

World Challenge is a 2-year programme which begins with fundraising and training, culminating with a (4-week minimum) trip of a lifetime to visit the country and meet local people. Students are responsible for raising a substantial proportion of the expedition costs themselves part of which goes towards work on community projects — such as refurbishing hospital wards or assisting with the construction of a school — as part of their agenda once they reach their destinations.

Examples of projects undertaken:

• Romania: pupils built vital school structures and brought over teaching and learning supplies.
• China: students helped with ecological water purification projects, experiencing the Chinese work culture and seeing how a different society copes with economic and ecological challenges.

Recent World Challenge Expeditions

• 5th/6th Year long haul - China 2018
• 5th/6th Year long haul - Madagascar 2020
• 5th/6th Year long haul - Peru & Bolivia 2022

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race is open to Lower Sixth students and starts in Devizes, Wiltshire, finishing just downstream of Westminster Bridge in central London, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The race, which lasts for 4 days and includes camping overnight, has been held annually over the Easter Weekend since 1948 and is 125 miles long and has 77 portages.

The first 52 miles are along the Kennet and Avon Canal to Reading, the next 55 miles are on the River Thames to Teddington. The final 17 mile section is on the tidal portion of the Thames.

The race is an enormous test of skill, physical and mental stamina and planning which produces a memorable sense of achievement for those successfully completing it.

DW Canoe Race Website