Isle of Wight 2022

Day 1:

And we’re off! Year six were certainly in high-spirits as we embarked on our school journey to an eye-wateringly early start. Indeed, the children were not deterred, performing enthusiastic chants and group sing-a-longs for the entirety of the bus journey – much to the delight of the adults on board!

We made the ferry in record time: the sunny weather and positivity of the children made for a stress-free crossing indeed, enjoying their packed lunches on the top deck with idyllic views of the Solent. Upon arrival there was no time to rest – straight into our first group of afternoon activities which included a range of outdoor pursuits: from archery to climbing, ‘Giant Swing’ and more!

Mrs Kingman’s group (Victoria, Filip, Theresa, Gwyneth, Teddy P, Beau, Maya D, Darcy, Gabriel b, Adham) started with ‘Survivor in the forest.’ This activity began with sparking a fire with a flint – just like in prehistoric times! Teddy P found it tricky to catch the spark, however determination led to success and we were so proud of his perseverance. Other children also found the activity a little more challenging with Gabriel Buch making an honest reflection stating team work and communication needed improving – a great thought moving forward in our personal targets.

This short activity was followed by ‘The Cave People.’ Children were informed that the cave people not only thought about the survival in the shelter, but also safety from wild animals by deterring them with fire and comfort by adding log chairs. Beau did state the simplicity and style of their ‘unfurnished’ accommodation. Mrs Kingman recognised his excellent skills as a possible future estate agent!

Then, Mrs Kingman’s group participated in climbing. There were a few scared faces at first, yet Theresa, Victoria, Maya D sped up the climbing wall with no issues – but Maya did find coming down a little trickier! Fear soon disappeared for the entirety, with everyone pleading for a second go. Darcy, Teddy, Gwyneth, Adham and Filip were like experts with their climbing techniques at the end of the session – a very successful and confidence building experience.

Miss Grant’s group (Jayden, Hannah, Nana-Ama, Naomi, Joshua, Daniel DA, Buddy, Gabriel Balcerek, Arthur and Ayden) undertook the highly anticipated ‘Giant Swing’ and Climbing as their afternoon activities, both of which involved harnesses and heights! We were really proud of Hannah for conquering her fear of heights on the giant swing. At first, she didn’t even want to sit in the swing, however alongside encouragement from her friend Nana-Ama, she managed to complete the swing twice! Joshua, Arthur and Daniel DA swing from the highest height on the giant’s swing, as did Ayden, Gabriel BA and Buddy – well done boys!

Onto the climbing wall, it became apparent that Nana-Ama also had a big fear of heights, yet she was the first person in Miss Grant’s to reach the top of the climbing wall. Joshua was notably amazing at directing his team mates on the climbing wall, encouraging teamwork from his team throughout – as a result, Ayden, Daniel DA, Naomi, Nana-Ama and Jayden all completed the climbing wall. From now on, this group’s new motto will be “I can do this” inspired by Naomi on the climbing wall talking herself into completing the climb even though she was nervous.

Miss Bate’s group (Maya J, Nahriah, Samantha, Natalie, Jayda, Kaya, Uche, Chidu, Daniel O and Alex) began their afternoon with ‘problem solving’. This involved ‘Pipe run’ and ‘Cones’, both of which involved lots of teamwork and trust. In ‘Pipe Run’ Daniel O and Natalie demonstrated perseverance when faced with their challenge, whilst Natalie and Samantha worked effortlessly as a team when getting everyone into the correct order when playing ‘Cones’. Well done children!

Miss Bate’s group went on to join Miss Sawyers group for archery afterwards.

Miss Sawyer’s group (Blessing, Miriam, Josephine, Grace, Ethan, Teddy J, David, Bereket and Eleazar) undertook a particularly tricky first challenge in the ‘Trapeze’. Trepidation crossed children’s faces as they anticipated exactly what this challenge would entail – images of circus performers conjured in children’s minds. It soon became apparent that (securely fastened to a harness) children would have to scale a sizable vertical pole and take a leap of faith to grab onto a swinging trapeze! Fear initially took hold of Bereket, Teddy, Miriam, Grace and Blessing, all of whom admitted to having a fear of heights. Blessing was particularly brave in facing her fear and volunteering to go first, scaling the pole in record time – although she did take her time at the top, pausing to scream audibly! Soon after, all children followed suit; David, Eleazar and Ethan managing to grip hold of the trapeze with expertise.

Finally, Miss Sawyer and Miss Bate’s groups united forces to undertake their final archery challenge. Whilst some had tried their hand at archery previously, others hadn’t, but all put on a jolly good show. In Miss Sawyer’s group, Josephine, Eleazar, Ethan and David competed for ‘most accurate archer,’ often hitting the red and yellow parts of the target. Over in Miss Bates’ group, Chidu, Nahriah, Jayda, Kaya and Alex showed particular perseverance and stoic effort, making marked progress from beginning to end.