By Miss Sadler (Science Teacher)

In late July, 57 enthusiastic Year 7 students embarked on an exciting watersports and activity trip to Wareham, Dorset. On the first day, we visited a water park and took part in a mud run. This was highly enjoyable, and the students had a lot of fun. It set the tone for a fantastic week, during which, despite some rain, all the students enthusiastically participated in every activity, ranging from paddleboarding to tomahawk throwing to abseiling. On the final day, we travelled a short distance to Rockley Point to engage in a day of sailing. This included the students sailing a pico (a 2-person boat) and experiencing sailing on much larger boats (4 and 8-person boats).

Here are some reflections from the students about the trip:

“I thought our trip to Dorset was incredibly fortunate. Even though our destination changed from Le Lac to Dorset, I'm sure we had just as much fun! It was an exciting experience, from zip-lining to abseiling down a tower – everything was filled with joy and fun for everyone! The evening activities were exhilarating and kept us going. The instructors were very kind, and we had a lot of fun choosing our own tents and hanging out together. We engaged in various water sports like paddleboarding, an active race, land-to-water activities, and much more. We spent five enjoyable days in the middle of summer and it was an outstanding trip. I look forward to more amazing trips in Year 8!”

“I truly enjoyed our trip to Dorset. It was an incredible experience with a wide range of fun activities and the opportunity to meet many new people. Some of my favourite activities at the Buddens Activity Site were kayaking, canoeing, zip-lining, stand-up paddleboarding, and the mud run! However, there were so many other activities available, including abseiling, the mega SUP, raft building, the Buddens Challenge, and more. All the staff, canteen crew, and instructors were incredibly kind and contributed to making our Dorset trip the best it could be. Camping in tents was quite different, but it was great to be surrounded by nature and all of my friends. I truly had a fantastic time in Dorset and would love to have the opportunity to do something like this again!”

View photos from the residential here.