London Calling

Last month our P7s headed to London for one of the final residential trips of the calendar year. The excursion began, as it always does, with an excited gathering of pupils at Waverley train station - bags in hand and raring to go! What was different, however, was the level of anticipation for a group of pupils who had not experienced some of the previous residentials due to COVID. This made the trip feel that little bit more special for both staff and pupils.

We caught up with Mr Mackenzie to find out what our P7s got up to on their trip in the Big Smoke!

 “Upon arrival in London, our pupils were treated to a glorious walk through the borough of Kensington, from our accommodation to the Science Museum (where fascinating facts and experiments awaited!)

The first full day in London saw our groups take a tour of the Houses of Parliament.  We were told some incredible facts by our wonderful guides, which took our enthralled pupils on a journey through the history of UK politics. From there, we took the Thames Clipper to see some of the sites from the River Thames.

Our day continued with a visit to Shakespeare's Globe, taking in drama workshops and setting foot on the famous stage itself. Then it was on to the Natural History Museum to see some different exhibitions including Dippy, the full skeleton of a Diplodocus, who had just returned from a full UK tour.  

The following morning, pupils were up nice and early for a trip to the historic Tower of London - listening to Beefeaters, discovering the rich history of the Tower and also, of course, seeing the stunning Crown Jewels. The afternoon brought more glitz and glamour in the renowned ‘Theatreland’, watching Matilda terrorise Miss Trunchbull; thankfully, our pupils did not get any ideas from the exciting plot!

Our final full day began as we hopped onto our bus for the short journey to the Imperial War Museum. As well as discovering fascinating facts to add to what we have already learned in school, our pupils became journalists for the morning, recording a documentary to reveal the importance of the Home Front during WWII. Contrasting with the solemn undertones of our morning, the bright lights once again beckoned with an evening flight on the London Eye.  The experience allowed us to see the city lit up beautifully, giving a real sense of place and of how diverse an area we were in - the perfect end to a wonderful week away!”

Here’s to many more fun residentials in 2023!