Children’s Antarctic Studies fired up by talk from legendary explorer

Any complaints about tough school runs on cold winter mornings will receive short shrift at Cordwalles Junior School in Camberley after Year Six pupils took part in a telephone interview with legendary polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Pupils from Willow and Maple classes had been doing a project on 'Antarctica: The Coldest Journey', during the course of which they learnt about the harsh climate and living conditions of the South Pole, and the historic expeditions of Captain Scott and Ernest
Shackleton.

But their studies entered a whole new league when they had the opportunity to ask questions directly to Sir Ranulph, the man officially named by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s greatest living explorer, and the first to reach both poles and cross
both the Antarctic and Arctic Oceans.

“It was an amazing experience for the children to have such direct access to someone like that,” said teacher Sam Alley-Mohindra, who set up the call.

“There can be few people on the planet who know as much about the poles, and certainly no-one who can rival Sir Ranulph in terms of first-hand experience of just how demanding it is to be there, and our pupils had the chance to quiz him about all of his experiences.

“He was full of amazing stories about how close he had come to death, and how badly he had been affected by frost bite on his travels. Sir Ranulph couldn’t have been more helpful and entertaining in inspiring the children to take an interest in the subject of polar life. It’s
clearly something that’s played a huge part in his life, and after this, I think the South Pole will always have a special significance for our children too.”