Skill-Up Week marks the end of the Lower School journey for the Hundred. The programme delivers a range of experiences that provide a challenging and enjoyable conclusion to the academic year. For this year’s Skill-Up Week, members of the Hundred were involved in a variety of activities that tested their physical, mental, and social skills.
A dedicated group of pupils chose to sign up for one of the accredited courses: Lifesaving, Fly Fishing, Flying, Cooking or Golf, while others joined the main event programme or flew off to Vienna.
Joe Lane (Head of Golf) took a group of golfers to several magnificent courses, including Tidworth, North Wilts, High Post, Manor House, and the classic Marlborough Golf Course.
A brave group of intrepid travellers ventured to Vienna, where they had a jam-packed itinerary, visiting Beethoven’s apartment, the Opera, visiting Wachau and having loads of time to explore the city! Thank you to Christopher Moule for leading the trip and providing such a memorable experience.
Rob Green (Head of Fishing) took a group Fly-Fishing visiting the River Itchen and the Kennet and Avon Canal with many good catches from all involved.
Caroline Wrench delivered another fantastic cooking course, during which pupils prepared a variety of delicious dishes, including breakfast muffins, salmon teriyaki, BBQ chicken, pesto cheese straws, cookies, and raspberry ripple ice cream.
For the brave and the bold, Chris Wheatland and Marlborough Flight School took to the skies with GS Aviation at Clench Common Airfield. For a full account of their week’s adventures, click here.
Another group undertook an intensive lifeguarding course, successfully completing both the dry-side and water-based elements to become fully qualified lifeguards. Impressively, three participants have already secured summer jobs because of their qualification.
Those participating in the main event programme began the week with Wise-Up, who delivered a team challenge involving the construction of catapults designed to launch water balloons at targets – a particularly welcome activity in the summer heat! Later that evening, the entire Hundred came together for a legendary pub quiz hosted by Mr Willmet. After plenty of head-scratching and some delightfully devious questions, the winning team walked away with the most coveted prize of all: Bunce’s vouchers.
The following day took a different direction, with pupils experiencing the world of film production and camera wizardry thanks to the Young Film Academy’s One Day Film School. The winning group was selected to attend a mini-Oscars awards ceremony later in the year. One of the highlights of the week came in the form of David Penn, the magician and illusionist well known for his appearances on Britain’s Got Talent.
Wise-Up returned for a second day to test the groups’ teamwork and logical-thinking skills through the Hub Challenge. The day was then rounded off with a black-tie event with mocktails and canapes in the evening, providing a fitting farewell to Lower School.
The final day of Skill-Up Week consisted of garden games, delicious pulled pork burgers, and ice cream – the perfect way to round off not only a fantastic week, but also the end of the Hundred’s Lower School journey.
Mr Sam Hirons
Head of Hundred
