PGL 2025
Day 1
We were amazed to be fully loaded and ready to go by just after 9am this morning but it made the world of difference! Thank you parents for being so organised! We headed to Stonehenge and enjoyed a lovely walk to the stones. It was a great opportunity to burn off some energy! The children enjoyed learning a little about the history of the site and how it was constructed before heading back to the minibuses to head to Southampton. Our timing was perfect really. Twenty minutes after arriving, we were allowed to drive on the ferry. Being one of the first on gave us the opportunity to get a large group of seats all together and enjoy our lunches. There was even time for a little tour of the outside area in small groups.
The drive from the ferry terminal to the centre wasn't long at all and the children were all very excited when we arrived. We were met by our group leader, and shown to our lodges. The children were VERY excited by this but didn't seem too interested in where they were going to be sleeping - more about where everyone else was! A quick tour of the site and general rules followed. We then had some time in our lodges to unpack and 'settle' (using that term very loosely!). Dinner was a big hit for all; breaded chicken, meatballs, vege balls, sweetcorn, peas, pasta, chips, salad. Every child tucked in and enjoyed their food. Residential being residential meant that the children didn't have much time to relax afterwards. A fire alarm practice followed by evening games.
The children are all being amazing and embracing the residential experience. We plan to settle by 9pm and will keep fingers crossed! More updates and photos on the school Facebook page tomorrow.
Day 2
We've been treated to some fabulous weather today and the children have been loving it! The morning started slightly earlier than planned with the first group waking up at 5.30am. Managed to settle them back down and most children woke between 6 - 6.30am. All slept well and were excited for the day ahead. For breakfast we were treated to; bacon, hash browns, veggie sausages, tomatoes, baked beans, toast, cereal and porridge. To say the children filled their boots would be an understatement! Our first activities were climbing wall and fencing. It was lovely to see the children challenging themselves and overcoming personal obstacles. Every child gave the climbing wall a go and many were able to get to the top, including Mrs Coombs!
Lunch was popular with chicken or vegetarian flat breads, wedges, soup and salad. Afterwards, both groups joined together to enjoy laser tag. Whilst the children were competitive, they weren't a patch on Mrs 'Rambo' Simpkins who showed her competitive nature! 3G swing followed and again, provided the opportunity for challenge through choice. Many of the children reached the top. For some, just having a swing was enough. I hope you've all enjoyed the videos that have been loaded on the Facebook page?!
Dinner was chicken nuggets, vegetable pasta bake, vegetable chow mein or pasta. Once again, every child ate well and enjoyed what was on offer. Our day finished with a trip to the shop and the escape room. As clocks are going forward tonight, we will be aiming to settle the children slightly earlier. I know the children are already looking forward to abseiling, archery, vertical challenge and survivor tomorrow followed by the silent disco.
They are all doing you very proud. They are missing you all but making some amazing memories which I know they are excited to share with you when they get back. More updates on Facebook throughout tomorrow.
Day 3
The children were in bed and all asleep by 9.15pm last night and the clock change meant that they didn’t wake up until just after 7am. A good sleep helped to lift the mood and the children were looking forward to another day filled with activities. They haven’t been disappointed! We started the day with our ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ message to you which the children really enjoyed recording.
The children had great fun learning how to shoot an arrow and then played some games in archery. Abseiling was a real challenge for those who don’t like to get off the ground. The trust involved in climbing over an edge is enormous but all of the children managed to at least climb to the top of the tower, if not go over the edge. Immensely proud of them all for tackling their fears so well.
Lunch was a roast chicken dinner with plenty of other options available too. The tomato soup and salad proved very popular today. That set us up for an afternoon of shelter building and fire lighting followed by vertical challenge. The children were very creative with their shelters and were extremely descriptive about all of the additional features that they had added using leaves, sticks and pine cones! The vertical challenge was incredible. All of the children gave it their best shot and many were able to make it to the top – some scampering up in very impressive style!
Dinner this evening was lasagne, sausage roll or vege roll with pasta, wedges, veg and salad. Once again, the children ate very well! They are now enjoying a ‘silent’ disco. It didn’t sound too silent when I left them but they were certainly enjoying themselves. We are the only group left on site now until we leave tomorrow. We will be on the 1.30pm ferry which docks at 2.30pm. Route planner is saying that the journey back should take about 1 hour 30 minutes so please be at school for 4.15pm at the latest. We will provide updates on our progress on the Facebook page.
The children are very excited to see you all again but have had an amazing time. They have developed enormously in resilience and confidence over the few days and don’t seem to have missed their digital devices at all! Please be prepared for very tired children tomorrow afternoon with a stack of stories to tell you and a load of washing to do.
Children can arrive to school by 10.30am on Tuesday if they need a bit of extra sleep.