Hallfield Seniors’ Residential Trip to Osmington Bay

Day 1

On Monday morning, our determined Year 7 and 8 pupils (along with Mr Moffat, Mr Hammersley and Miss Samra) departed from Hallfield School, ready to embark on a special residential trip, full of friendship, teamwork and fun. We loaded up the coach and set off, ready for the long journey ahead. After a short stop for a packed lunch, we arrived at PGL Osmington Bay and were promptly greeted by our guide for the week, Ellis.

We took a moment to enjoy the scenery and stretched our legs before jumping straight into our first activity, orienteering. The children worked well in their two teams to read their maps, explore the area, and find all of the locations or items.

After a hearty dinner of chicken katsu curry or lasagna with sponge cake for dessert, we were briefed for our evening activity: AMBUSH….an action-packed game of hide and seek where teamwork plays a key role. Each team had ten minutes to find a hiding spot, and the seeking team had ten minutes to find them. They all had to hide or seek together as a big team and navigate the large centre in the pitch-black night… what a task! Both teams were unlucky in the first two rounds; however, in the final round, the seeking team managed to steal the win!

Day 2

The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, the children sprung out of bed, bright and early and ready for a day full of excitement. After a filling breakfast and much needed refuelling for an action-packed day, the Seniors leapt into the day’s activities with masses of enthusiasm and a lot of courage. Today was Zip-Wire Day and the Leap of Faith. Most would be terrified at each prospect, but everyone approached their tasks with calm determination. After conquering their fears and taking on the challenge, they practised their rile shooting skills and axe throwing. Yes, you read it right, axe throwing! Mr Moffat offered himself as a target to encourage the group to be more accurate. Thankfully, Axe throwing is more complicated than it looks! The group had a settled evening and enjoyed the fun of a quiz with other visiting school groups at PGL.

Day 3

Following a hearty breakfast, the Seniors were raring to go. They had a seriously action-packed morning of raft building on Portland Bill at the Olympic Sailing Centre! The children showed excellent teamwork, communication and a good dose of bravery navigating their rafts in the water before playing a variety of games that challenged their teamwork and communication skills. For this activity, the group was continuously challenged and pushed outside of their comfort zone, all responding well with true Hallfield values driving them. There was no shortage of smiling faces! The session culminated with a barrel roll where the children had to go over the top of a barrel and plunge into the chilly water.

Later in the day, they returned to PGL for a refuel and dry clothes before enjoying yet more challenges. Abseiling, and a game of survivor were next on the agenda. The children had to hide from the zombies whilst learning survival skills and facing their fears by abseiling! The activity ended with some fire starting and shelter building, which ended up being a massive success for all our pupils. They answered questions to earn camo clothing and learnt about shelters, hiding skills and face masks. The group settled down for the evening over dinner and looked forward to the PGL tournament later that evening.

Day 4

The children woke up fresh-faced and ready for their final full day of activities. The groups did not fail to impress us with their bravery and determination. The morning started with some rchery Tag and rock climbing. The children seemed to be more interested in shooting Mr Hammersley than each other! Nonetheless, a new skill was learned. Every pupil attempted the climb – even those who had previously been scared to reach those heights earlier in the week. We are incredibly proud of our Seniors for facing their fears, encouraging their friends, and stepping outside of their comfort zones! The afternoon consisted of more skilled archery target practice and a beautiful view of the coast on the site’s zip wire. The children filled up on their final dinner of the week – PGL’s signature pasta bake with chocolate cake for pudding.

Day 5

The Seniors woke up to pouring rain and howling winds on the final day of their week’s adventure. It was a perfect backdrop to packing cases and tidying rooms as the skies cleared just in time for bags and luggage to be moved before breakfast.

The pupils embarked on their final activity of the vertical challenge. Children ascended a cargo net before climbing a pole, then a ladder and once on top of the obstacle, they were lowered safely back to Earth. The tired group showed more determination, bravery, and encouragement to each other.

After their last event, they had an award ceremony with each student being marked against a series of key objectives, outlined at the start of the trip and saying a huge goodbye to the PGL leader and staff.

A tired, fulfilled and more cohesive group stepped onto the bus and quickly quietened down to a restful journey. The children achieved so much as a collective and pushed themselves to their individual limits. We arrived back at Hallfield ready for the remainder of the Autumn Term with stronger bonds and a can-do attitude!