Class 5 were devastated last October when at the last minute they had to postpone their trip to the Dean Field Study Centre, due to covid-19. Throughout the winter lockdown, they have been waiting and hoping and this week, their dreams came true! We took them to the forest for a long, packed day of activities in the sunshine. After a bank holiday Monday when the rain came down in torrents and the wind blew a hoolie, so to speak, we couldn't believe our luck. Apart from a brief 5 minute hail shower in the afternoon, it was a perfect day for outdoor activities.
Each of the three groups had three sessions during the day. In bushcraft, we learnt how to start a fire and keep it going. Then we went off into the woods to gather firewood, before toasting "dampers" to eat. Everyone displayed remarkable resilience and teamwork doing the various problem solving challenges dotted around the site, and had a whale of a time in the tunnels. And finally, they ascended two faces of the climbing wall and capped it all off with a brave jump from the top of the wobbly pole in the leap of faith.
At the end of the day, after a fish and chip supper, the children reflected on what they had learnt about themselves and about each other. Many of them had overcome significant fears and pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone, with the support of their classmates.