On Monday 12th July, many of the Year 6 children set off on their final residential trip from Echelford.

With the excitement of the ferry crossing looming, they were all in high spirits. When the children arrived in the Isle of Wight, they were greeted at the Kingswood centre by the friendly staff. Visiting their dorms and having a tour of the site was first on the agenda.

Each day, the children took part in a number of practical and problem solving activities that allowed them to develop their key skills of teamwork, communication, resilience, perseverance and cooperation. The activities included: zip line, archery, laser quest, night-line, balance beam, climbing, abseiling, obstacle course, team tech, a trip to the beach to play some games and - the children's collective favourite - the 3G swing. Additionally, the centre ensured that the pupils gained alternative experiences and entertainment during their evening sessions; these included: a team quiz, a campfire, a disco and a mini Olympics.

The children displayed fantastic behaviour during the activities in the day and during the evenings; they represented the school fantastically during their stay. One part of the experience that the children found particularly enjoyable was staying with their friends in their dormitories. With a clear bedtime and morning routine to follow, the children displayed a great level of independence and encouraged each other every step of the way.

As the transition to secondary school draws closer, the children were able to further develop the key skills that they will require in order to be successful during this important time. The Echelford and Kingswood staff are very proud of the children for the great behaviour, determination, teamwork and positive attitude that they displayed across the week.

We are also incredibly proud of the Year 6 children that remained at Echelford for the week; they worked exceptionally hard as a team on a creative project where they have planned and produced many props and scenery for our up and coming Year 6 production.

What some of our children had to say about their trip…

My favourite activity was the 3G swing; the adrenaline rush gave me a boost in my confidence. The activities at the centre encouraged the skills of cooperation and coordination which we were able to take back to school and use in our learning. Sofia

My time at Kingswood was incredibly fun. The funniest part was when I got my head stuck in a net during the night-line activity. It was a fantastic week and I especially enjoyed orienteering. George

You can see our photo gallery from the trip here.