Year 3 were very excited to set off on their first residential trip to Sayers Croft last week. When we arrived, our trip leader Nick showed us to our chalet and taught the children how to make their beds. Once they had done this and unpacked their clothes, it was lunchtime. After we had refuelled with some pizza it was time for our first activity, orienteering. In pairs, the children had great fun running around the site to learn the names of the buildings and get to know their surroundings for the next few days. Then, finally, it was time for the most exciting activity: the stream walk! We all put on our wellies and headed into the woods to find the stream. When we first got in, the water was very shallow. Children were offered clay face paint and we ventured deeper. We clambered over and under tree trunks and through shallow and deep pools within the stream. Screams of excitement could be heard as the children experienced the water filling their wellies for the first time. Before we knew it, we had reached the end of the stream and it was time to squelch back to the dorms to shower and get dry clothes on.
We then spent some time making postcards for our families and suddenly it was time for dinner. A buzz of chatter about the day so far could be heard as we walked down to the dining hall. After a roast chicken dinner we headed back to the dorm and played cricket and games on the field before heading inside for hot chocolate and a movie. To help the children settle for bed, we all bundled into the boys dorm to read a chapter of our class book, Cliffhanger. What a brilliant first day!
Day two proved to be just as exciting! After a delicious cooked breakfast we got ready for our first activity: shelter building. Our instructor was very impressed with what the children came up with. Agincourt were named champions, deemed to have built the best shelter. Next up was ballista building. The children built their catapults and had to collaborate effectively in order to hold them in place whilst firing. The better the teamwork, the further the balls flew! This time Trafalgar were triumphant.
A hotdog lunch fuelled us all well for a busy afternoon of low ropes and raft building. The children had a great time swinging around the ropes course, particularly enjoying the skateboard section and the zip wire to the end. Raft building also resulted in squeals of excitement, with several of the children opting to dive in (the stream walk had given them a taste for getting wet!). After warm showers all round, we gathered for some awards, including the coveted prize for tidiest dormitory. The boys were thrilled to take the title (and so now have no excuse for messy bedrooms at home!). We enjoyed spaghetti bolognese for dinner, after which the children were rewarded with more hot chocolate and a movie for having been such fantastic representations of Longacre throughout their trip.
When they awoke on Friday morning, the children set to task with their packing… not an easy feat with so many wet pairs of socks to be claimed! They stripped their bedding and waved goodbye to the dormitories. Their final two activities were the Earth Walk and Blindfold Trail/Maze. The children’s communication skills were tested when they had to navigate their partner around the woods whilst blindfolded. Again, Form III came up trumps, with our instructor praising the children for such wonderful team work and positivity towards one another. After one final meal, we made our way back to the minibuses, sad to be leaving but excited to see our families and share stories about what we had been up to.
All of us teachers felt very proud of the children’s resilience during their first residential trip away. They were delightful company and a credit to their school and families!
Charlotte Thorpe, Fiona Saul, Andrew Whitall & Chloe Holcombe
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