What an adventure! The Year 8 residential to the Lizard is a fabulous opportunity for pupils to truly recognise the majesty and wonder of our geography and heritage.
All the winds were in our favour, with a fantastic campsite, excellent range of activities and a glorious forecast across the week. It was a truly excellent trip that will stay in the minds of our Year 8 pupils for many years to come.
We set forth from Tavistock and travelled in convoy to St Michael’s Mount. We were captivated by stories of Cormoran the Giant, The Archangel St Michael and shipwrecks aplenty. The history of the mount and lineage of the St Aubyn estate provides much inspiration to literature, and we challenged pupils to build elements and artefacts into homemade skits later in the week.
The whole trip was packed with exciting and engaging activities. Pupils attended a workshop at the Minack theatre and were able to perform in small groups on this unique and world-famous stage. We later enjoyed an engaging, thought-provoking play, Calvino Nights., an ingenious mix of storytelling, dancing, music and real fire bellowing from instruments. The play was light-hearted with an opportunity to reflect on modern challenges including social fabric and our own moral compass.
Other activities included surfing lessons, climbing, and play practice on Poldhu beach – a staggeringly beautiful location from which Marconi first sent wireless transmissions across the Atlantic in 1901 using a spark gap transmitter. A few pupils accompanied Mr Davidson to the Marconi Monument where we made morse coded bracelets.
The pupils worked on skits throughout the week and staff were treated to a smorgasbord of performances on our last evening. On the way back to Tavistock, we took in a visit and workshop at the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall. Pupils were challenged to make a boat and sail it across an indoor pool in the museum.
It was a truly enjoyable trip with a fantastic cohort of Year 8 pupils who will be missed next year at the Prep. Behaviour and spirits were outstanding throughout the expedition.
Article by Piers Davidson, Head of Mathematics (Prep) and Head of Upper Prep
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Categories: Academic
