Llanbedr 2011
NCFE Level 2
Llanbedr Residential – A Tutors Perspective
What a great experience the NCFE L2 group has had in Wales. For some it was the first time away from home and their parents/carers. The focus of the week residential was to enforce the uniformed puplic service ethos and give the learners a view of the life a service may offer.
Within the activities the learners did over the week the main focus was teamwork. All living under the same roof for 5 days, sharing bedrooms, showers, tasks etc you have to think about other people apart from yourself. The learners had to work as part of a team in duties such as cooking, cleaning, tidying and guard duty as well as the outdoor activities provided.
The activities ranged from physical training, canoeing, high ropes and a navigation assessment. The canoeing met several objectives in adventurous activities unit 10 and health and safety unit 4 and gave them a basic knowledge of skills and techniques on open water. For the high ropes activity the learners shown determination to suceed not only as part of a team challenge on the ‘Jacobs ladder’ but also individualy when it came to the ‘Leap of Faith’, to climb up a shakey pole and jump off to the trapeze to finish off takes a lot of courage, balance and lunacy! The NNAS navigation assessment gave them an additional certification to support the unit 5 mapwork and navigation criteria. All did extremely well and passed!
At 07.00 hours the learners had to be stood outside the main building in 3 ranks for their physical training session in boots. The first day was the hardest. The learners had to march and jog, do press ups and starjumps repetitively over 2 miles. The aim was to reach the headland and the sea by the end of the week. All did this and overall progressed their fitness to manage over the 3 miles distance.
Photos were taken at every opportunity to support as evidence many of the units the learners were doing as part of the course. Photos were taken by staff and learners and were downloaded onto a hard drive every evening.
Having read some of the learner’s blog prior to writing this it shows the invaluable resource of what Llanbedr ACATC can and has offered for an experience that mimics a public service life. Many learners have had a real life experience that has given a new experience and has in my opinion given them an opportunity for continuous development.
Dave White
