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Out and About
Location: Cumbria
When reviewing the many different locations visited by children at Stainton C E Primary School over the last forty years, it would appear that there are very few places the school has not been to!
The range of places visited is extremely varied, and involved the children in all kinds of experiences. The value of educational trips can be huge, as children get the opportunity to see things for themselves and share experiences that books and other teaching material cannot come close to giving. School visits should therefore remain an integral part of every school year, for all children.
In the 1960’s it was not common place for school trips to be organised on a regular basis, as this was to be something that developed later, in the 1970’s. The first recorded school trip was to the pumping station at Ullswater, in November 1970.
At first, all the trips were into the local area and included places such as Ullswater, Dacre, Keswick and local farms. In 1977, the first major trip by coach was organised, to see ‘Pinocchio’ at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. In 1979, the school visited Beamish Open Air Museum for the first time.
School trips remain special in the memories of individuals for many years, and for very many reasons. Although the experiences might be educational in their intention, and teachers would hope and expect that children obtain specific educational benefit from the visits, the truth is that they are also remembered for many other reasons.
Even the educational benefit was sometimes lacking. The visit to see the ‘Pinocchio’ at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, in October 1977 was described as “enjoyable but not of much educational merit.”
The misfortune of individuals is sometimes the lasting memory, such as when a child dropped their camera in Lake Windermere, and another child dropped their glasses in the lake. Sometimes teachers have had to go to extra lengths to ensure the welfare of children, such as one of the walks to Dalemain House, when a herd of black cows were charging across the field to ‘greet’ the children and Mr Dredge had to jump up and down flapping his arms to redirect them away from the children.
Another special church service was included during the trip to York in 1982. As it was Ascension Day, Rev Kenneth Smith had arranged for the children to be involved in the special service in the Minster during the trip.
The first residential week was in 1989, when children joined a weekend residential at Hawse End on the edge of Derwentwater, near Keswick. This trial weekend was very successful, so other residential visits were organised. In 1991, 44 children from the upper juniors went on Stainton School’s own residential week at Hawse End.
After reviewing the residential week arrangements in 2001, it was decided to provide a residential week just for Year 6 children and to offer this every year. After Mr Peter Shelton and Mrs Sarah Thomas had visited Fellside Centre, another property run by Cumbria Outdoors, it was agreed that this would provide a more suitable smaller location for the Year 6 residential week.
Annual visits to Fellside Centre have continued since 2002.
The aim is to give the children the opportunity to try new activities that the may not have had a chance to try out, and to build up their social and team skills in the process.
The key activities that the children enjoy during the day include:
Canoe rafting, Rock climbing, Archery, Orienteering on the fells,
Problem solving challenges, Mountain walking and camp craft skills,
Kayaking, Caving/pot holing, Sailing, Ghyll scambling.
This keeps the children active during the day, and is then followed by a range of evening activities which have included kite making and kite flying, hill walking, team sports, computer challenges, and the infamous talents show.
Only those who have experienced the residential week really understand the effect it can have on you!
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