This weekend’s quad biking event was great fun for Fyling Hall students. Quad biking is one of the newer, and in my opinion, more exciting, activities added to our activities programme. It is one which is seemingly individual, but is actually, great for building confidence and camaraderie.

Pupils were assigned into two groups and were allowed two thirty-minute sessions each. There were two different machine sizes to allow larger pupils a more ergonomic position when steering and to give a better power to weight ratio.  The pupils started on a small circuit designed to check basic handling of the machine, once they could start and stop safely, they progressed onto varying levels of track.

Each track had a different offering of high-speed cornering. Some had a “drift course” with loose track to allow pupils to slide the quad around the one hundred and eighty degree turns. Others offered fast-paced slaloms to cover the track with speed and precision. Though this wasn’t always the case, and some decided to take the track at their own speed.

Overall, the session went without a hitch, and pupils enjoyed racing down the steep embankments and avoiding large obstacles. Pupils were great at encouraging each other and progressing as they best saw fit. The fact that it was a beautiful sunny day also helped. It got quite warm, warm enough that most pupils were in shirts and trackies. This weekend’s quad biking event was thoroughly enjoyable . . . made even better for a cheeky drop into McDonald’s for some much-needed refreshments.

Simon Parker, Teacher of Physical Education and Mathematics & Boarding Activities Co-ordinator