YOUNG people are exploring their great outdoors to inspire their learning.

Pupils from a number of schools have been enjoying residential retreats during which they can enhance their learning free from daily pressures.

Girls at Bolton School stayed at Patterdale Hall in the Lake District near Lake Ullswater where they were tutored and inspired by Tobias Jones, novelist and Peter Sansom, a poet.

Pupils at Sharples School travelled to Barcelona and young people at Bolton St Catherine’s Academy in Harwood in 30 students from year 11 visited The Brathay Hall estate in the Lake District.

Girls at Bolton School took part in group workshops, one-to-one sessions and a number of excursions out into the beautiful countryside.

Teachers say that over the week the group grew in confidence to experiment as well as developing their creative skills.

Jane Kingsford, course co-ordinator said: “This trip was a wonderful and happy experience for the girls, who entered into the writing tasks with interest and enthusiasm.

“Proving to be expert mentors, the course tutors generated a non-judgemental and non-hierarchical environment where girls felt comfortable to read their work out aloud.

“Any fear to fail was overcome by the rapid production of many writing tasks, some of which could be discarded while others were developed.”

Pupils told how they arrived as an “amateur” but left as a “writer” as well as making friends and creating memories.

Bolton St Catherine’s Academy pupils also let their creativity flow in the grounds.

The schoolchildren worked with their maths and English teachers to develop their knowledge and practice their exam skills in a more relaxed environment with none of the daily pressures being there.

The peaceful environment was said to give everyone a huge sense of “calm and mindfulness”.

The pupils also took part in team building activities that said the school “ stretched their confidence, self-esteem and promoted a growth mind-set ready to revise for the forthcoming mock exams”.