This term, our new Year 7 students kicked off the school year with an unforgettable experience – a team-building residential at Norfolk Lakes. This early opportunity to establish and strengthen friendships was a key step in creating not only lasting memories but fostering a sense of unity within the year group.
The residential at Norfolk Lakes offered a perfect mix of fun and adventure, all while emphasising the importance of teamwork and collaboration. The students engaged in raft building, crate stacking, paddle boarding and caving, with evenings spent by the campfires.
The weekend brought a sense of achievement and happiness as students shared laughter, faced their fears, and formed bonds that will be the cornerstone of their school journey.
Feedback from our Year 7 students has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting their enjoyment of the activities and how the experience has fostered stronger connections to others in the year. A huge thank you to Mrs. Stebbings for organising this fantastic weekend, and to our Year 7 students for bringing their enthusiasm and openness to this adventure. We look forward to seeing how these newfound friendships and skills will continue to grow throughout the school year.
I had a great time with all my friends in Norfolk! My favourite activity was either caving or giant paddleboarding, caving because it was very interesting to explore and learn about caves and their history and I liked giant paddleboarding as we got to jump into the freezing cold water and in general it was just really fun! Ella
I loved crate stacking as it was so fun to stack and climb crates even if I was shaking when I got to the top. It was an incredible experience and once I got down, I realised how far I actually went. Me and my partner Isabelle got to 13 when the stack fell over it was so scary and fun at the same time. Yours sincerely. Arya
I found the Norfolk trip a great bonding experience and fun to spend time with others. I think it was one of the most eventful weekends of my life. I learnt so many new skills. I met people that I didn’t know before. I got to test my brain and enjoy some enticing activities. My favourite part was giant paddle boarding and of course roasting marshmallows at the end. I love spending so much time with my friends. I felt independent staying in a dorm with my other friends and no parents. MJ
I loved the time in the dorms because it was loud and fun, we even had a special dance! My favourite activity was the crate stacking, I got high! Then, Mr. Alexander had the job of toppling the crates. Thank goodness I was wearing a harness, otherwise I would have panicked!
I also loved the caving; it was especially fun- as well as scary- when the lights were turned off and we had to run away from the tagger (the only person with the light).
I was also in shock with the breath-taking view during the lake walk, I forgot my camera, but luckily some of my friends took a few photos of their trek for me!
Finishing off a great day, we had a bright campfire, where we all roasted marshmallows until they were gooey and delicious, and sung the song ‘Petunia, Petunia, Petunia-ah-ah’ which can get a bit annoying after a while. Bella
