23rd May 22
On Monday 9 May 57 Year 4 girls were very excited for their first ever residential trip. After lots of hugs with mummy and daddy, many many questions and toilet trips they were off on the coach heading for Charter House in the Mendip Hills.
Arriving at the centre, the girls had a quick lunch before getting stuck into the activities on offer, after which they were very excited to find out their room allocation! They absolutely loved unpacking, getting their beds made up and getting to know their next-door neighbours. After a delicious dinner of curry and rice they then had an evening walk to complete. The sun was setting, and they walked across a beautiful nature reserve. The guide was knowledgeable about the area and told the girls lots of facts along the way. Once back at the centre it was bedtime, although the girls had other ideas and needed gently reminding that they had a long day ahead of them the next day!
The girls woke up early on Tuesday, some even at 5am, and were ready and raring to go for the day ahead. They had a jam-packed day of activities. It was lovely to see the girls really encouraging each other throughout the activities and forming strong friendships.
After another delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognaise the girls were told to get in their pyjamas or onesies and meet at the campfire. They had a lovely evening sharing trip memories, hot chocolate and even a riddle or two. They were then ready for bed with lots of yawns and sleepy eyes. In the morning, there were no 5am wake ups, most of the girls had to be woken by the teachers, they were fast asleep!
The girls were fantastic packing up their belongings and after leaving their rooms they had a morning of activities, although it was a bit wet and wild on the hills. The centre leaders were fantastic with getting the girls dry in their drying room and playing lots of fun games to keep them entertained.
The girls had a fantastic time, and they were all so courageous and took part in activities that were out of their comfort zone. Many girls, at first apprehensive about caving in the dark, impressed us so much by facing their fears and completing the cave route. On the low ropes, if someone fell off, the girls were so encouraging to each other to try again and help one another succeed.
The team challenges were so much fun and the girls worked well with their group, forming relationships that perhaps weren’t there at the start of the week. The girls were naturals at archery and after a few practises were hitting the target, they channeled their inner Robin Hood very well. The girls also built shelters and lit fires in the woods, so you are all in safe hands if you ever get lost on a family walk!
The coach then arrived to take the girls home and was met with lots of “can’t we stay a bit longer” and “it has gone so quickly”. The girls’ teachers were proud of every single one of them for having the courage to stay away from home, forming new friendships, showing resilience and being their usual polite and wonderful selves.
