Year 6 Residentials

You may wonder why school staff (not just teachers) volunteer every year to go away with up to 50 children, to be with them 24 hours a day, and make them do potentially dangerous things. And the answer is - because we love it, and we know how much good it does.

Children need to learn how to assess risks, confront fears, set personal goals, and push a little bit out of their comfort zone. For some children, simply staying away from family for the first time can be the biggest challenge they face. For others, even though they may appear fearless, they need to know how to be resilient in the face of challenge.

Our residential trips are designed to build children's self-confidence and inspire them to support each other in setting and achieving personal goals. In each of the activities that we do, there will be some children who have had some prior experience, and some who are quite scared because it is unknown. All of the children learn new skills, and above all, they gain valuable skills in pulling together as a team.

Often, on residentials, we see children in a different light. Children who may find the classroom environment difficult to cope with flourish in the outdoors; children who are used to academic success may benefit from finding some of the practical or physical activities tough. Invariably, these trips bring out the best in children.

A few days away from home, without television, phones or computer games, works wonders for relationships. We mix children from different classes and many new friendships are made. Children surprise each other - they discover strengths they didn't know existed, and this has a knock on effect later back in school. Children have a new-found respect for each other, and a greater sense of empathy.

We actively encourage all children to participate in our residential visits. Disability or financial hardship need not be a barrier. We will be happy to meet with parents to discuss individual children's needs, and make whatever plans are necessary to enable them to get the most out of the trips. For children eligible for Free School Meals, financial help may be available.