Outdoor Education Project with Bohunt Education Trust

Our partnership with Bohunt Educational Trust involves students from across their Sussex schools joining a targeted enrichment programme delivered at Arundel and back at school. We provide a range of cricketing, bushcraft and team building activities to those students most affected by the Covid pandemic, those who need additional support to reconnect with each other, their education and who need a personal boost to put them back on the right track.

About the programme

We are working in partnership with Bohunt Education Trust to deliver an ambitious research programme, which seeks to improve the sporting, educational, health and social wellbeing of young people through cricket and the outdoors. Students from schools across the Bohunt Education Trust visit us at Arundel Castle Cricket Ground to receive coaching from former professional cricketer, Lewis Hatchett, as well as participating in outdoor learning through ‘bush craft’ activities, listening to talks, and having a walking tour around the beautiful grounds covering the outfield, castle gardens and woodlands.

The programme is part of a trailblazing research initiative launched by Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation and the school’s sponsor, Bohunt Education Trust (BET), which has also received significant investment from Ned’s Fund.

Watch our short film to see how our school programme with Bohunt Education Trust is giving young people new skills, confidence and resilience.

How the programme helps young people

The creative and engaging array of activities available are designed to help boost the students’ mental and physical health, as well as developing skills in resilience and self-confidence which will translate back into the classroom.   The project aims to assess in detail the positive links between cricket and the outdoors, with the improvement of overall wellbeing and academic performance and engagement, as well as helping to tackle anxiety, and challenging behaviours. It will also consider the individual student profiles, and how each individual benefits from the provision.  The research involves quantitative data surveys on school engagement, resilience and wellbeing, as well as focus group interviews with the students and their teachers. The results will be assessed by education research charity, ImpactEd, so that all schools within and beyond BET can learn how best to ensure every child has the opportunities to thrive in school.

BET Programme 1

Key Outcomes

“Team work, confidence and resilience are skills we continually strive to foster in our students and we are very grateful to the team at Arundel, Ned’s Fund and BET for providing the opportunity for some of our young people to build these skills. Having experienced cricket, bush craft and looking around the castle grounds, the children thoroughly enjoyed their day and are more confident now they are back at school.”

Adam Whitehead, Headteacher at Bohunt School Worthing

BET Programme 2

“At BET, we champion opportunities for collaboration and game-changing research, all with the aim of benefiting the opportunities and quality of education that our students, and other young people beyond BET, receive. This programme breaks new ground by informing and giving us the chance to ensure that connections between student profiles and different types of outdoor activity intervention can be properly considered.”

Phil Avery, Director of Education at BET

“We are looking forward to seeing the continued benefits that our students will gain from this opportunity and research, as we continue to work closely with our brilliant partners at ACCF, Ned’s Fund and ImpactEd to deliver real, innovative and lasting change.”

Neil Strowger, Trust Leader at BET

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