EIGHTY-ONE King’s Ely Junior pupils started their Summer Term in intrepid style by heading to North Wales!
What was meant to be our 2020 Year 6 Residential Trip ended up being the 2022 Year 8 Residential Trip due to Covid restrictions and lockdowns. However, the expedition to Arete Outdoor Centre Llanrug was open to all students who had already signed up, along with all those who have since joined King’s – and it proved to be a tremendous success.
Andrew Marshall, First Deputy Head at King’s Ely Junior, said: “You can do things on the North Wales coast and landscape that you can only dream about doing in the Fens! For the eighty-one pupils who took part in our Residential Trip, there were experiences that they will never forget.
“Groups of students spent time scrambling over rocks and waterfalls in a gorge. Others clung to the cliffs of Anglesey and traversed along the coastline. They later jumped off the cliffs into the sea. Pupils went down a slate mine for hours and climbed and abseiled underground. Some did more extensive climbing and abseiling. Staff of course were not exempt from the challenges and we all came back with stories to tell!
“The most rewarding aspect of a trip like this is seeing pupils overcoming fear and anxiety and realising that they really can achieve things beyond what they assume is possible. Some of this comes from simply having to get on with it! The instructors were exceptional in developing courage and belief in the children.
“We ran the trip with an “old school” approach: No mobile phones! This was an opportunity for the students to see the world and to communicate away from technology. For five days, including two six-hour coach trips, there was not a single mention! Friendships were developed through talking and living through the experiences together. It was without doubt one of the most enjoyable trips I have been on and it has been a pleasure to hear the children talking throughout the week about the memories that they have taken away, which I am sure will remain with them.”