The children in Year 6 recently enjoyed an action-packed, fun-filled residential to Dorset.

The first day of the trip started off with blazing sunshine and that was certainly the theme of the week; the Year 6 children were fortunate to have some amazing weather for their residential on the Jurassic Coast.

Year 6 started the trip off with the expectant lack of sleep on the first night but definitely surprised all the teachers with a 5am wake-up. Fortunately, the second day absolutely wiped the children out, for many of them, quite literally.

The teachers were extremely proud to see such determination from this year group. In this case, the children were determined to ensure that they could get the teachers and their peers as muddy or wet as possible during the mud run and on the water assault course. The photographic evidence shows that Mr Gurran and Mr Minister probably enjoyed the activity as much as the children.

It was great to see the children who were less positive in the water, embrace the water assault course with such enthusiasm, confidence and determination, helped by the support of their classmates.

Day two saw the children tackle more water activities, this time taking on the sea, on two giant 14ft Paddle Boards and a ‘swarm’ of body boards. Again, the children were fearless taking on the waves and attempting to stand up on the boards for as long as possible, some were more successful than others! The children caught some great waves into the beach, jumped some great waves (and some tiddlers too), got wiped out by some unexpected waves and ran riot on the beach.

A great Wednesday morning was followed by a much more civilised afternoon at Lulworth Cove, examining the limestone and chalk structures created by the elements and sketching the bay. The day was completed with the obligatory beachside ice cream which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Thursday saw a trip to the Tank Museum which was awe-inspiring; the sheer size of the tanks was enough to shock most of the children. The diversity of the vehicles on view was unbelievable; there aren't many other opportunities to see the first ever prototype tank, the giant World War 2 German Tiger 131 and to explore the inside of the tanks.

On Thursday afternoon, the children were a real credit to themselves and Skippers Hill as they completed a survey in Swanage town centre. They found out some interesting statistics about the ages and types of shops people went into as well as debating the reasons for such differences.

This trip was a great opportunity for Year 6 to show how mature they can be and they did not disappoint. The boundless energy, inquisitive nature and brilliant manners all combined to make a very enjoyable trip and we all hope that momentous memories were made that will last a lifetime.

Visit the photo gallery to see some photos of the Year 6 trip to Dorset.

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