It has been a very full first week of the Summer Term, particularly for our Year 5 and 6 pupils who have just completed a 4-day camping adventure in the Peak District. During the past week, the children have enjoyed extended time outdoors together, with activities that included hiking in the countryside, weaseling through boulders, braving a high ropes course, and marvelling at limestone caverns. Evening wide games, tent sleeping, and communal meals prepared by our wonderful parent chef Mrs Bruins rounded out the experience. 

The campers were blessed with fine, clear weather for most of their trip (not a guarantee in April in the Peak District), with rain holding off until the final morning as they packed up to leave.

In his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, author Richard Louv points out that ‘the great worth of outdoor education programs is their focus on the elements that have always united humankind: driving rain, hard wind, warm sun, forests deep and dark— and the awe and amazement that our Earth inspires, especially during our formative years.’ An ambitious but worthy focus indeed.

All of this is possible only through the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers: Mr Fletcher, Mrs Watkins, Mrs Parkinson, Miss Pearce-Higgins, Mrs Bruins, Mr Bayley, Mr Pitcher, and Mrs Bracegirdle.