The day began with an early start and a walk around the site which gave the children the chance to see the location of some of the activities planned. After the walk the class were ready for their breakfast which involved plenty of cereal, toast, yoghurt and fruit. We were all set for a busy day ahead.
Group one’s first activity was fencing and they enjoyed the chance to practise the skills they have been learning at school this year. The more advanced specialist equipment made a big difference and the children were delighted to see victories against both Mr Roddy and Miss Parker.
Group two started their day with archery. The two teams competed in various challenges with Mrs Hudson showing the way with some excellent scores. All of the children showed progress during their session and appreciated the support and guidance from the instructors. They then went on to tackle the maze. Showing superb teamwork, all of the challenges were overcome and they were feeling very proud of their morning.
The second half of the morning for group one was the chance to take on King Swing. In pairs the children got into the harnesses and were then winched up into the air on the swing. To raise them up the rest of the group had to push the crank round, each pairing choosing how high they went. All of the children achieved their own goals and there were plenty of amazed faces as they soared through the sky.
All of the party were ready for lunch which consisted of jacket potatoes with a selection of different fillings. A visit to the Rock Shop gave the chance to purchase a few items for the movie night and then all of the class prepared for the afternoon’s activity.
Raft building involved working in four groups with a leader in each. The teams learnt some different techniques to secure the logs and barrels to create a raft which could hold the team above the water. The fun of launching on to the river was great to see with a few wet feet. As the afternoon went on the children played different games and this led to a few ending up in the water, although some seemed to fall in deliberately. Once the rafts had been secured back on dry land the children had the chance to try the water again, something that many chose to do. Mrs Bladon led the way and soon all of the teachers were in the water!
After showers and drying off the children were ready for dinner. All of the party enjoyed their roast dinner and apple crumble, sharing the various stories from their day. The evening trip to the sports hall involved some fun and games and the chance to burn off any remaining energy. The day finished with movie night in the group room before a very tired group of children went off to bed and were asleep very quickly.
A very excited class of year four pupils started their adventure by boarding the coach to Rock UK. Upon arrival at the centre the children were given a chance to see their lodge, eat their packed lunches and then took on the first and possibly biggest challenge of the trip – making their beds. All managed it in the end, although a couple of the girls got lost inside their duvet covers!
The class then split into two groups for their first activities. Group one started with archery which was great fun despite a strong wind adding to the challenge. Archie and William impressed by hitting gold while everyone showed improvement over the course of the two hour session.
Group two began with fencing in the sports hall. The children enjoyed getting all of the specialist kit on and then learnt about the various moves and actions required. Mrs Bladon was particularly impressed how quickly they adapted to the new moves and all had plenty of stories to share at break time. Following this, group two took part in Above and Beyond. This activity gives the children a chance to learn all about the work of MAF, an aid agency who support people who live in remote locations right across the world. The children enjoyed taking on their own aid missions and engaged well in considering the plight of others.
Group one’s second activity was the maze. They firstly had to think about team work in a problem solving game and then took on the maze. Miss Parker was impressed with the energy and enthusiasm shown by the group as they found all of the clues.
A ravenous group of children returned to the lodge to enjoy spaghetti bolognaise for dinner, the empty plates were certainly a good review of their first meal. Diary entries to capture their memories of the day were written before the children took on the nightline course. Both groups achieved the aim by working together and trusting in their team. A few games and time to reflect on the day was followed by the children heading off to bed looking forward to the next set of challenges that await tomorrow.
Well done to the children who represented our school in the Spelling Bee which was hosted by St Cuthbert’s Great Glen Primary School. Pupils from years one to six took part against children from five other schools and did very well with some challenging words. These children had already won the competition in their own class and should be proud of their achievements. Big thank you to Mr Baylis for organising our competition and supporting the pupils.
Pupils from year five enjoyed the opportunity to take part in a day of modern foreign languages. The event was hosted by Foxton Primary School and is part of the Global Learning Partnership which is led by Fleckney Primary School. Thanks to Mrs Booth for supporting the children and to all involved in organising.
A group of pupils from year six took part in a trip to Loughborough University. They completed a range of activities working with undergraduates studying many different subjects. The children were taking part in the trip alongside pupils from five other schools who make up the South Leicestershire Collaborative Partnership. Thank you to Mrs Russell for supporting the pupils.
Pupils from years five took part in the maths competition organised by the partnership. They competed against teams from five other schools and did brilliantly across the series of challenges, finishing as runners-up. Thank you to Mrs Manley for helping to organise and for supporting our team.
The pupils from year one had a brilliant day out to Rockingham Castle. The children enjoyed the chance to explore the grounds, had a guided tour and had the chance to try on some armour. Mrs House was very impressed by the questions the children had during the trip and everyone had a great learning experience.
It was a pleasure to host football matches against two local schools. A team of pupils from years five and six won 5-3 against a team from Tugby Primary School. Later the same day a team of pupils from years three and four enjoyed a 4-1 victory against Billesdon Primary School. Well done to all of the pupils who represented the school. Thank you to Mrs Baylis and Miss Parker for organising.
The pupils in year four had a brilliant afternoon working with our visitor from Leicestershire County Council and Pals theatre productions learning all about reduce, reuse and recycle. Thank you to Mrs Bladon for organising.
Due to having no running water on site we have taken the decision to close the school on Monday 5th March. This will be reviewed when the water supply returns to normal. Parents and carers will be kept updated through our text messaging and email service.