Back in January we made a decision to help students make up for any lost social and creative opportunities that the various lockdowns and restrictions may have inhibited. We decided to use some of the government’s COVID funding to give students a fun, non-educational experience to help them see that the world is returning to some form of normal and that once again there are endless opportunities out there.
On Wednesday 9 February, as part of our planned immersion day, each year group made their way offsite to visit a range of establishments which immersed students in activities designed purely to build on their social and/or cultural capital.
Year 7 were given the choice of 3 trips: Warwick Castle to learn about Medieval life and castles; Sherwood Forest to investigate Robin Hood and take part in orienteering activities; and Galleries of Justice to investigate crime and punishment through time.
Year 8 were invited to spend the day rollerskating in the morning followed by a trip to Regent Theatre in Stoke to watch a matinee performance of Jersey Boys.
Year 9 spent the day at Conkers Discovery Centre, taking part in a range of outdoor activities including assault courses, bushcraft and orienteering.
Year 10 also took to the outdoors at Pioneer Centre in Kidderminster. They abseiled, zip wired, climbed their way through the day as well as learning finer skills such as archery.
Year 11 travelled to Tamworth for a day of ice skating and bowling at one of the largest ice skating rinks in the Midlands.
Sixth Form students had a day of relaxing with a spa day, an opportunity to shop in Meadowhall and/or a cinema trip depending on their preferences. For those who wanted to get their adrenaline fix, a trip was also arranged to Ninja Warrior in Sheffield.
We felt very strongly about making sure our students who may not have had many opportunities recently to get out of the local area and interact with people on a social level got a great chance to do just that.