Enrichment week 2023

Year 7

Our Year 7 pupils embarked on an unforgettable adventure at PGL, and what an incredible journey it was! From adrenaline-pumping activities to breath-taking landscapes, our pupils explored the great outdoors like never before! Scaling towering climbing walls and conquering high rope courses their courage and determination knew no bounds. Collaboration and camaraderie were at the heart of our Year 7 PGL trip. With every obstacle faced, our pupils supported one another, cheering on their peers as they conquered their fears. The challenges faced during the PGL trip served as invaluable life lessons for our Year 7 pupils. They discovered their inner strength, resilience, and the power of perseverance. Pushing beyond their comfort zones, they emerged stronger, braver, and more confident individuals. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the amazing teachers who volunteered their time and made this experience possible. Their expertise, support, and dedication ensured that our pupils had the time of their lives in a safe and nurturing environment. The PGL trip was not just a one-time adventure; it was a steppingstone to a world filled with limitless possibilities. We cannot wait to see how these incredible young individuals will continue to grow, thrive, and conquer new heights. The future is undoubtedly brighter with them leading the way!

Year 8

Year 8 spent five days in Pembrokeshire. Multiple activities were successfully completed including coasteering, a boat trip, wild dip, raft building and bivvy and campcraft. The final evening was spent acting out the various activities round a campfire before heading home. A truly exhausted Year 8 returned home.

Year 9

Over 100 eager and intrepid Year 9s completed their Bronze DofE expedition in the Surrey Hills. The year group was split into individual groups of up to 6 students who walked for two days, camping overnight near Leith Tower which provided tremendous views across the county. The weather was ideal for hiking and even the hay fever sufferers preserved to the end!

All of Year 9 had a fantastic day out visiting Twickenham rugby stadium to examine how sustainable it is. They learnt a lot more about the conditions which the grass needs in order to be able to grow and how done stadium has been designed to facilitate this. They also learnt how the groundsman now use electric lawnmowers in order to cut the grass. The day included a behind-the-scenes tour which meant that is a lucky enough to go pitch side and also into the men’s changing rooms. The day was further improved by bumping into Mike Tindall and Steve Borthwick in the car park at the end if the day!

Pupils also enjoyed a ceramics workshop and a drama session on our newly restored outdoor stage.

Year 10

Year 10 took part in a crime day workshop. This was a crime scene to courtroom day whereby the students were taught a range of forensic science techniques from fingerprint to blood spatter analysis and had a go at analysing crime scenes, by a former forensic psychologist and barrister.

Meanwhile, Year 10 Geographers headed off to the Surrey Hills. They were investigating the changes in the river Tillingbourne as it flowed downstream. The pupils worked well in small groups to measure the width, depth and bedload size. Despite some light rain in the morning the geographers ploughed on and collected some excellent data.

Year 10 Textile design students visited ‘New Designers’ at the Business Design Centre in Islington and ‘Andy Warhol: The Textiles at the Fashion and Textile Museum. ‘New Designers’ showcased the work of the country’s finest graduate design students from 200 flagship university design courses in fashion, jewellery, textile and costume design courses.

Food and nutrition pupils in Year 10 enjoyed an informative ‘WalkEatTalkEat’ Tour of Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market.

Year 12

The practice expedition departed from Edale in the Peak District on Thursday 15th June. The 23 students walked for three days covering over 50km through the beautiful hills, including Kinder Scout. Saturday night brought rain, thunder and lightning, with Sunday the pupils finishing at Hathersage.