Year 6 Southend Week

Year 6’s Southend Week got off to a busy start with a trip to the Sea Life Centre where piranhas and penguins very quickly became the most popular attraction! Once the children had managed to tear themselves away, they enjoyed a brisk (and very windy) mile and a third walk to the end of Southend Pier. Pupils enjoyed their packed lunches while looking at the sea views, followed by an ice-cream, or in some cases brightly-coloured candy floss! To complete the Southend Pier experience, the children then travelled back to shore on the Pier train.

Nerves and excitement were high on Tuesday morning as pupils embarked on a trip to Belfairs Riding School. Here, each child mounted a horse for a ride through the woods. For many of the children, this was their first time on a horse and it was a pleasure to see how much they enjoyed it. After a brief return to school for lunch, Year 6 pupils headed out into the sunshine to spend the afternoon playing team games, board games and indulging in some arts and crafts at Fields. 

The following day involved another train ride to Southend. By Wednesday, the pupils had already racked up an impressive 43,000 steps, but they didn’t let that stop them from enjoying an hour’s bouldering at Indi Rock. After the safety briefing, children took on the climbing walls, challenging themselves with more difficult sections as their confidence grew. With aching arms and sore fingers, the Year 6 group headed to the seafront for a well-deserved ice cream and/or doughnuts. Refreshed by this, the group then played a game of Crazy Golf, with many of the children demonstrating their more competitive streaks! 

On Thursday, Year 6 equipped with buckets, nets and towels, headed down to Old Leigh Beach. Upon arrival, some pupils opted to collect (and later return) crabs from the Estuary mud; others preferred to relax in the sunshine. On Thursday afternoon, after a quick clean-up, pupils utilised the school kitchen to make individual pizzas and gingerbread.

As the final day of Southend Week rolled round, pupils spent the morning demonstrating their creative talents with a rainforest-themed art course led by Revelation Art. After creating ceramic sloth hanging baskets and sand art, the group packed their bags for their final train ride into Southend. Upon arrival, competitive spirits were displayed during two intense games of bowling at King Pins.

The Year 6 pupils had a wonderful week making the most of everything the local area has to offer. Their attitude and general behaviour were a true credit to both themselves and the school. We hope they all enjoyed themselves as much as the staff involved did!