It was more like glamping, if we’re honest, with bell tents set up and showers, loos and a dining marquee on site to make our week away in Dorset as comfortable as possible. The team from Land & Wave (the provider) is also staffed by experienced, passionate and fun outdoor instructors who are just as happy dressing up in a tutu for an evening of ‘Taskmaster’ as they are standing in the waves as students jump on and off giant paddleboards!

The week away for the Year 8 residential was full of variety. A firm favourite was the afternoon spent at the local water park. Students were able to leap between inflatables or attempt to push their teachers into the water, often just jumping into the cool water in a week that was over 20 degrees each day we were there. Indeed, the most frequently used words were ‘sunscreen, sun hat, water bottle!’

Another day the students get a huge amount from is the bushcraft day. The students learnt how to listen and look at a natural environment to see how to keep themselves safe, but also to find and make things to aid survival. Of course there are also lots of active pursuits too, from Archery to giant games of Manhunt, which the students loved.

In the heat, we did have to be innovative. On the last day for example, the coaches had been delayed arriving at the campsite to pick us up to head back to Cambridge and it was already 23 degrees. The teachers’ realised students would need more than a packed lunch to keep them happy so a dash was made to the local town, where a supermarket was cleared out of ice-lollies to bring back and keep everyone refreshed. Despite delays, good humour was maintained and the Year 8s came back home full of stories and positive connections with each other as well.

Stephen Perse Senior School Open Day – 30 September. Click here and book and your place.