| Year 5
Last week, undaunted by the temperamental British spring weather, all of the Year 5 pupils and 4 members of staff set off with great excitement for a week’s stay at PGL in Liddington, near Swindon. As soon as we arrived at the centre and met our ‘Groupie’, ‘Bandana Dave’, the children were swept up into a week filled with a wide range of exciting activities.
Everyone was challenged by something during the week, whether it was overcoming their fear of heights to complete the Treetop Study Trail, learning to trust their harness to prevent them from falling when abseiling or co-operating with others and communicating effectively to work as a team when building rafts and shelters. Individuals who had initially thought that they would not manage an activity were able to apply the skills of determination and perseverance that we have talked about during assemblies this year, with successes to be proud of. Children who would not normally choose to work together learnt to listen to, rely on and trust each other - all important skills for the future.
It is always a pleasure to see pupils respond so enthusiastically to the very different experiences that residential trips can offer and to know that they return to school with improved self-confidence and a real sense of achievement. The objectives for the week were to challenge ourselves, have fun and get dirty and all three of these were achieved by everyone!
