Year 9 Residential Update from Zhejiang October 2023

To succeed in the world, our students first explore it! Our residential programme is an integral part of our curriculum here. It broadens our students’ horizons and help them form lifelong friendships. We have worked closely with our service providers to ensure that the students will experience a wide range of engaging and educational activities that include elements of cultural immersion, challenge, and community building.

Date: Monday 23^rd October to Friday 27^th October, 2023

Please see daily updates from Mr. Hayward, Head of Year 9

Day 1

We have travelled from Beijng to Zhejang by coach, by plane and by another coach. After dinner and getting checked into the hotel, the students will take part in team-building games before getting a good night’s sleep.

All of the students acted with great responsibility and care throughout the journey and were a credit to their teachers and themselves. They are showing signs of the increasing maturity we expect to see in Year 9.

Day 2

Today, our students been realising their limits both in terms of endurance, bravery and teamwork. From rock climbing, to abseiling, to a tree top challenge, to building houses out of mud, to bamboo stick making to night walk challenges… it has been a day of effort and enjoyment.

The beautiful location and high quality activities have been a delight and the students are hugely pleased to get out into nature. They have grass under their feet. They are surrounded by trees and under a blue sky.

Year 9 students have worked and played really well together. They are demonstrating our value of belonging through their enthusiasm and kindness.

Day 3

There have been many highlights on day 3, which have kept our students engaged, active and enthusiastic. They are having great fun and learning a lot about themselves.

Kayaking has been an obvious pleasure, with students spending hours on the water. They have both learned technique and had the opportunity to play.

Students have also been experiencing the difficult of attempting to construct a workable shelter with very limited materials. They had to demonstrate both intelligence and teamwork to complete the challenge. Overall, it has been a successful day. We look forward to the next one.

Day 4

The final day here has been a calm one, as our students complete their final activities. Those who hadn’t kayaked, now have. Those who hadn’t climbed to the tops of the trees, have now done so.

The day ended with a campfire party, so that the students can say goodbye to this place, and achieve resolution from a definitive end.

They return tomorrow having had what we hope to be a genuinely memorable experience.