#WeWill Explore

#WeWill Explore enables students to experience geocashingand orienteering as well as developing specific skills and knowledge. Youth social action refers to activities at CEC that young people participate in to make a positive difference to others or the environment.


#WeWill Explore Blog

Today in the #WeWill committee meeting, we completed a questionnaire ‘Power of Youth’ which enabled our young people to voice their opinions regarding social action and which opportunities they would like in the future. The charter believes that all young people should be empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives, their communities and broader society.

We also read through the last #WeWill newsletter, reflecting on national articles which have been written by other OAT students from across the country. Students were then encouraged to think about what they are passionate about and what topic they could write their own article to be published online on.

This half term sees the completion of the #WeWill explore project. Over the next few weeks, a lot of our planning will come into fruition – events, trips and fundraising will be a highlight and testament of the students hard work, ending in an awards ceremony for those students who have achieved their Murray Awards.  

Last week, the #WeWill committee participated in student voice to contribute their thoughts and feelings to the senior leadership team and represent the ‘voice’ of the school.


We also recapped ourselves on what is social action? What is the purpose of #WeWill Explore? What are the four main skills of leadership? And what activities will we do to achieve the Murray Award?


This week, all year 8 students will be completing a grid reference treasure hunt and the committee will be making final plans for the community geocaching project.

As part of our #WeWill Explore project, Mr Kirk has kindly created a prototype tag for us to use as swag in our geocash!


Students will have the opportunity to create their own designs and next week we will be finalising our collative design ready for Mr Kirk to create for us and our local community to find!

In preparation for #iWillWeek, the CEC #WeWill committee discussed how we can have a wider impact outside of the academy and support our local community.


Students decided to write to local care home residents or Bob Seeley MP – explaining what #WeWill Explore is, why we are participating and the impact that it has on individual students and CEC as a school.


We also received our official #WeWill pin badges which was very exciting! We will all be wearing them with pride and are happy to stop and talk to anyone about social action if they see us wearing a badge.

Half of year 8 continued their #WeWill Explore experience by visiting Lanesend Primary School (Official) who are also participating in the same project.


Students used the Enrich education mapping to locate markers and navigate their way around an orienteering course with the aid of some historical learning alongside.


We were met by Daisy the school dog, met some of the Lanesend students completing their golden mile and explored the grounds of the school.


Staff were proud of how well students represented themselves and CEC whilst visiting another school. Well done Year 8!

May be an image of 25 people, people standing, tree and grass

The #WeWill committee maintained the geocaching locations on school site which have been explored by year 8 students this week.

Due to the weather, some tubs had moved location or needed topping up. 🍃

We are looking forward to Lanesend primary school visiting after half term where year 4 students will be using our onsite orienteering course to do some geocaching.

Tutor time #WeWill activity today for Year 8 and following last week’s work on what makes a good leader, today we were discussing what you do/don’t need to make an effective team work together. All of these skills are essential when orienteering and Geocaching in a group so that roles can be delegated and everyone can work together positively.

These are the onsite Geocache locations being used by year 8 students in #WeWill Explore! Students will be using the map attached to be locating the geocache’s and will be swapping ‘swag’ between tubs as well as recording their name, the date and recording a Geocache rule from each location. Students were given 15 minutes to find as much information as they could in a team; being given a point for each successfully completed Geocache.

Well done to our amazing Year 8s who went Geocaching with their families this weekend! Geocaching is a great way to explore our local areas. Thank you to everyone who sent photos in – it is so lovely to see our students enjoying this activity out of school as well!

Well done to Year 8 for their last training session for #WeWill Explore! They used the skills they’ve been working on such as map reading, using a compass and orienteering.

They all did really well and we are so impressed at their new skills!

Next begins the Geocaching!

This week the #WeWill Explore committee brainstormed and researched which container to be bought for the CEC Geocache which we will be available for the local community to find.

The committee also set the homework for the rest of their peers:

Hello year 8

We are setting you this task to have fun and explore! Please download the geocache app and try to complete a geocache with your friends or family. If you could send Mrs Thomas a picture via. email of you on your adventure or finding a geocache – that would be even better!

https://www.geocaching.com/play​​​

Also – please bring in a small item that would be suitable to put into a geocache tub such as a small eg. lego figure, shopkin, plastic jewelry, toy car, trinket which could be used as sway but please make sure you do not want it anymore! Hand into your form tutor on Monday morning.

Thank you for helping with the #WeWill Explore mission for us all to be more socially active.

From Mrs Thomas and the #WeWill Explore committee  

The first official #WeWill committee meeting was held on Wednesday 5th October. 

Students were introduced to the Garmin handheld orienteering devices which they will teach their form class to use, researched on the Goacaching app and used ordinance survey maps to generate ideas of where CEC’s own Geocache could be located for our own students, parents, staff and local community to find in the future. 

We also practiced with ‘What3Words’ to locate CEC and key local areas.