St Paul's C of E Junior School

Thursday 23rd October

8.25am

Team St Paul's broke all records last night, with every child asleep by midnight and no nocturnal fairy footsteps! The centre used to be a hotel and so the facilities, including bedrooms, are of a really high standard and the children had a very comfortable night.

Despite it being a wet and blustery morning in Swindon, everyone is in a great mood.

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The food at the centre is excellent - as you can see from the photos, and there is an extensive menu at every mealtime. This morning, the children fuelled up on a huge cooked breakfast, cereal, yoghurt, fruit and piles of toast, ready for the day ahead.

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The final pictures from yesterday.....

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9.02am

Having been fed and watered, our intrepid explorers are preparing to head out for the day. Today's activities include Raft Building, Laser Tag, Trapeze and Archery.

Trapeze - this is a high adrenaline, mental and physical challenge. The children start by climbing to the top of a 6m pole. Once at the top, they must carefully balance on a small wooden platform. The final challenge is to jump into the air and try to catch a trapeze bar hanging in front of them!

Raft Building - is a fun and engaging outdoor activity designed to promote teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. The children must work together to design and build a raft using materials like large plastic barrels, wooden poles and ropes. Their raft must be sturdy enough to float and carry people across the lake.

Laser Tag - a simulation game where players use infrared-emitting guns to tag opponents. It is a non contact activity and there are no missiles. The game is played in specially designed zones that mimic adventure terrains.

Archery - the children will learn how to handle a bow and arrow safely, aim at targets and improve accuracy. Once they have the hang of the equipment, they compete in friendly challenges against other children in the group.

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1.30pm

After a quick pit stop at the dining hall to fuel up on a delicious lunch of burgers and chips, the children are back out enjoying this afternoon's activities. Everyone is having a great time and loving the activities planned for today!

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Due to the weather forecast, tonight’s campfire at Liddington will be held indoors — but that certainly won’t dampen the spirits of our adventurous group! The children have embraced every activity with enthusiasm, supporting and encouraging one another throughout. Their laughter and teamwork have made their time there very special.

After a busy day, they are due in for dinner at 6pm and looking at today’s photos, there is no doubt they will be absolutely famished and ready for a feast. Tonight’s menu features a delicious spread including lasagne, chicken nuggets, baked potatoes, salad, garlic bread, and a variety of other tasty treats — a well-earned meal for a day full of excitement!

Post-dinner, the children will get stuck into packing and tidying their rooms before heading off to the campfire. Rumour has it there will be marshmallows to suit every dietary requirement — a sweet way to round off another brilliant day.

They say that every picture tells a story and we are so very proud of how the children have thrown themselves into every challenge. Their energy, positivity, and pride in their achievements are a joy!

More news later,

Mrs Taylor

10.30pm

Despite the horrendous weather outside, the children’s spirits remained high! The indoor campfire was a huge success, filled with laughter, silly games, and raucous singing, with everyone joining in the fun. Our Birthday Boy was suitably serenaded and enjoyed sharing his cake with his friends, saving a few slices to take home for his brothers!

By the end of the evening, we had a group of very happy — and slightly tired — campers, all ready to snuggle down for the night. It wasn’t long before PJs were donned, teeth were cleaned and lights were out.

The heavens opened during the last activity of the afternoon and I have to warn you that washing machines should be on standby as a lot of wet clothing will be winging its way to Wokingham tomorrow!

The staff team take exceptional care of the children and a residential for almost 100 pupils is full on, with never a second to sit and relax. Taking care of our wonderful pupils takes our teachers and learning mentors away from home, from their children and loved ones and it takes someone special to volunteer, knowing they will be on the go until the second they return home.