Sedbergh Prep School launches Trails & Fells: A curriculum for life beyond the classroom
Sedbergh Prep School has launched an exciting new curriculum initiative for Year 7 and Year 8 pupils, designed to equip young people with not only the academic foundations for senior school success, but also the character, confidence and life skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Known as The Trails & Fells, the programme reflects Sedbergh’s belief that education should be about far more than examination results alone. While academic excellence remains central to the school’s ethos, The Trails & Fells broadens pupils’ horizons through purposeful experiences that develop independence, resilience, leadership and a strong sense of responsibility.
Drawing inspiration from the spectacular landscape surrounding Sedbergh, the curriculum is built around two interconnected elements.
The Trails represent the clear, structured pathways of academic learning. Through the core curriculum, pupils continue to develop subject knowledge, academic rigour, examination technique, revision strategies and the digital skills needed to flourish as they progress towards senior school.
The Fells represent something different: the open horizon beyond the classroom. They provide opportunities for pupils to explore, challenge themselves, take risks, discover new interests and develop the personal qualities that will serve them throughout their lives.
Learning beyond the classroom
Delivered as an integral part of the Saturday timetable, The Fells provides dedicated curriculum time for pupils to undertake experiences and activities that complement and extend their academic learning. Each term centres around a key theme and a focus on Sedbergh’s HARK values of Humility, Ambition, Resilience and Kindness, creating a clear thread that runs throughout the year.
Themes are launched through keynote speakers, workshops or inspirational experiences designed to challenge thinking, spark curiosity and encourage pupils to reflect on how these ideas connect to their own lives. Where appropriate, learning will also be enriched through trips, visits and experiences beyond the classroom, enabling pupils to put theory into practice and engage with new people, places and perspectives.
The programme has been specifically designed to develop the qualities increasingly recognised as essential for success in education, careers and life. Across Years 7 and 8, pupils will build:
- Independence and self-management skills
- Leadership and teamwork
- Confidence and resilience
- Character and responsible decision-making
- Practical life skills, including cooking, budgeting and first aid
- Research, scholarship and critical thinking skills
- Community awareness and social responsibility
Michaelmas Term: Building Foundations
The inaugural Michaelmas Term focuses on preparing pupils for the next stage of their educational journey through carefully structured experiences tailored to each year group.
Year 7: Belonging and New Beginnings
Pupils will develop the habits needed for successful independent learning, including organisation, time management, effective prep routines, note-taking techniques and growth mindset approaches.
Alongside their academic development, they will undertake a practical cooking project, learning about nutrition, food hygiene and how to prepare simple, healthy meals safely.
A Community Kindness project will encourage pupils to identify a need within their local community and work collaboratively to create a positive impact. These experiences will sit alongside reading, reflection, team-building activities and residential opportunities, helping pupils develop friendships, confidence and a strong sense of belonging within the school community.
Year 8: Leadership and Responsibility
Pupils will build advanced study skills including Cornell note-taking, revision strategies, effective questioning, metacognition and independent reading. The aim is to help pupils understand how they learn best and take increasing ownership of their academic progress as they prepare for senior school.
Through a Leadership in Action programme, pupils will develop communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills while learning how to lead with confidence, humility and integrity. Opportunities for peer mentoring and positions of responsibility will provide meaningful contexts in which to put these skills into practice.
Their cooking project will introduce budgeting, meal planning and food costs, helping pupils learn how to prepare affordable, balanced meals while developing practical skills that will serve them long after they leave school.
A journey towards senior school
At its heart, The Trails & Fells is about preparing pupils for the next stage of their journey.
By the end of Year 8, Sedbergh Prep School aims for every pupil to leave as a confident, independent and capable young person: someone who can organise themselves effectively, embrace challenge, work collaboratively, think critically and take responsibility for their own learning and actions.
The programme reflects the school’s commitment to developing the whole child. While the academic Trails ensure pupils have the knowledge, skills and intellectual curiosity needed for success in senior school, the Fells develop the character, resilience and independence needed to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Zoe Charlton, Deputy Head (Academic), said:
“The Trails & Fells captures everything that we believe a great prep school education should be. Academic excellence will always be at the heart of what we do, but we also recognise the importance of developing the personal qualities that enable young people to thrive beyond the classroom.
“Through The Trails, our pupils will continue to build strong academic foundations and develop the skills needed for future success. Through The Fells, they will be challenged to think differently, develop confidence, embrace responsibility and discover what they are capable of achieving.
“We want our pupils to leave Sedbergh Prep as well-rounded young people who are not only academically prepared for senior school but who also possess the character, resilience and independence to make a positive contribution wherever life takes them. We are incredibly excited to begin this journey with our pupils and look forward to sharing their achievements throughout the year.”
The launch of The Trails & Fells further strengthens Sedbergh Prep School’s approach to an education that balances academic ambition with character development, preparing pupils for both the next stage of their education and the opportunities and challenges of modern life.
Discover The Trails & Fells for yourself
Families are warmly invited to learn more about The Trails & Fells during Open Week, Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October.
Come and discover how Sedbergh Prep School is combining academic excellence with character, leadership and life skills to prepare pupils not just for senior school, but for life itself.
To arrange a visit, please email admissions@sedberghschool.org.