COURT Fields School staff and students, parents and well behaved dogs have been hiking in the countryside in a bid to win the Exmoor Challenge Youth Event in May.

Teams of four students have to navigate a 16-mile course over Exmoor in five hours 40 minutes, passing through checkpoints and answering questions on route.

The challenge, organised and run by The Rotary Club of Exmoor, helps young people learn team skills and to co-operate, and test their stamina.

Headteacher Rachael Bennett, who introduced Court Fields to the challenge four years ago, said: “Students completed their first practice walk of 9.25 miles walking about 19,000 steps to Langford Budville woods overlooking Wellington.

“Hiking over ploughed fields is really hard on the legs and certainly children and adults felt suitably worn out at the end of the four hours it took us to complete the circular walk.”

Court Fields has a comprehensive outdoor activities programme and has introduced the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award this year for senior students. Year 9 students are now able to participate in the Bronze Award as the age of entry has been lowered.

Year 7 students were set to go out again, heading for The Blackdown Hills in a 12-mile practice hike.