County teachers have been trained on how to teach adventure activities to schoolchildren in Pembrokeshire, in order to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum for Physical Education.

The course for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 teachers (whose pupils range from eight to 14 years) was held at Newgale YMCA last week.

They learnt how to teach: orienteering - by using a mapped area (e.g. the primary or secondary school site or a local park); journeying - by taking part in a longer journey, in less familiar surroundings or involving more challenging navigation (e.g. lowland countryside beyond the immediate locality of the school); bouldering - by using bouldering or traversing walls (e.g. secondary/primary school purpose-built bouldering wall or local climbing wall facility); team building - by developing communication, thinking and numeracy skills, through the processes of planning, developing and reflecting on their team building tasks.

The training course was written by the National Outdoor Education Advisory Panel, and delivered by Matt Healey, director of the Newgale YMCA and activity manager, Monty Beaumont.

It has been offered to six families of local schools and was completed last week by teachers from Ysgol Bro Gwaun and Ysgol y Preseli.

Thirty-six teachers have received funding through the PE and school sport project to attend training over the past two weeks.

"Outdoor learning experiences provide an important opportunity for pupils to gain confidence to explore the natural environment in different conditions," said Mandy Johns, PE and school sport co-ordinator for Pembrokeshire County Council, who organised the courses.

Clr. Huw George, cabinet member for children, young people, learning and the Welsh language, said: "These experiences not only help pupils to develop the basic skills required for successful participation in adventure activities, but also promote learning across the curriculum - for example, communication, number, and geography."