Problem Solvers

To help equip our pupils with some of the skills they need beyond the classroom, they undertake a series of puzzles and challenges together.

As pupils move into Year 8, teaching groups become increasingly mixed. To help them learn to work with their new classmates, they spend a half-day tackling a range of problem-solving activities as a team. The girls report back on some of the highlights of their session:

“Whilst it was incredibly fun, it also had an important purpose. It is like lifting weights for rugby – whilst no one is going to hand you a barbell in the middle of a match, it makes you generally stronger so you can tackle better. Similarly, no one is going to tell you to untangle yourself from magic handcuffs in real life, but solving problems like these will help you to decipher real life puzzles later on.” – Bella

“My favourite activity was the stepping stones, which involved us all working together to get to the end of the room and back without our bodies touching the floor or leaving the stones – it required teamwork and good communication to try and beat the other teams. Overall, it was a really fun bonding experience, and I would definitely do it again.” – Dory

“Our first activity was probably one of the most frustrating things we had ever attempted… picking up and stacking uneven, slanted blocks but without using our hands – just a crane attached to ropes, like puppeteers! Those of us who are vertically challenged had to utilise the help of our taller friends. Many of the tasks required the turtle’s way of thinking: slow and steady wins the race. We also learnt that the ticket to victory is cooperating with others and listening carefully.” – Astrid

“We did super exciting exercises that focused on us working as a team. The stacking game required a lot of patience and listening to your teammates. If only one of us did the wrong thing, the blocks would easily fall. Overall, it was a lot of fun, but also frustrating as our tower took a topple many, many times! It was such a fun day, and we all had the best time.” – Layla and Venese

“My favourite activity was a maze that you had to pick up and angle in different directions so that a ball could move around. This was made harder by the fact that there were holes spread around the maze that the ball could fall through. It felt extremely satisfying when we finally made it to the end of the maze. Overall, the activities helped everyone work together more successfully, as well as teaching us skills like resilience and responsibility that will help us in the future.” – Georgia

“The activities helped us improve our communication and collaboration skills and were very engaging and beneficial. They not only challenged us to think critically and creatively but also strengthened our ability to work together as a cohesive unit. Each activity brought its own unique set of challenges and required us to communicate effectively… We all had a fantastic time and learned a lot in the process!”  – Emma and Jialin