School Journey 5th October 2026

Day One- Arrival and Settling in

So after everyone waved us off we settled in for the two and a half hour drive to what the kids referred to as “the country”. There was laughing, singing and sleeping to be had in a variety of quantities, especially as we found out that the coach seats reclined. After Oasis, Shakira and a full on Disney medley, we were in Wiltshire-driving up the spectacular drive to Grittleton House  (Thank goodness- I think the coach driver thought the had gone deaf on his drive home)
We were greeted by our group leader, Isaac, bags were unloaded and stashed away.We then had the very important job of eating our packed lunches. After lunch we had our orientation and got to know where our meeting points were and what we were expected to do whilst on the site. We then played games on the field before going in to our accommodation. 
We dragged our bags up 3 flights of stairs and settled into our rooms. Well it was fun watching the children putting their duvet covers on to their beds! ~They can now all put a duvet cover on so next wash day, you are all set, You’re welcome.
After the fire drill, they started their first activity. The children are split into 2 activity groups and each group experiences every activity, just not at the same time. Today’s activities were  Mission X and The Crystal Maze.
Mission X was a mission to find a missing squirrel!! They named him Gerald- No idea why, seemed like a good name for a squirrel apparently. They had to complete challenges to get puzzle pieces to find out where Gerald the squirrel was hiding. After learning trust falls and how to be a good partner, helmets were firmly attached to heads and they then navigated a low ropes course. Balancing was the key. After they had mastered the course they completed it again but this time they had to carry a cup of water with them. They had to carry as much as they could all the way to the end. There was not very much water left in the cups by the end of the session but it was fine as most of the children spotting their partners were carrying it in their hair!!
Dinner time came and the choices were Chicken Curry, Mac and Cheese or Vegetable Curry. All three were delicious apparently. After Dinner came an Ice Lolly and the field- Some played football, others sat and chatted whilst some ran around like lunatics happy to have the space and grass that they could just roll on and have fun. 
Campfire was the activity tonight and whilst the leaders tried hard with the songs, games, hot chocolate and smores, the biggest hit were the stars. The children were genuinely amazed at the amount that they could see and in words of one child “this is night that we will always remember”.
So with that ringing in my ears, showers and bed and I think one of the earliest "all asleep" before 10 bedtimes I have had on a first night. 
Amazing what fresh air can do to smallish children!
Thank you for lending us your children. 
They are loving it and I am afraid not really missing you all yet as it is all too very exciting. (Exactly how it should be for them). I know that you are missing them, but rest assured they are happy and exhausted in equal measures.
Tomorrow morning They will be up and out on the field early and Mr Caffrey will be running around playing football from around 7:30. I get the privilege of being their alarm clock- I wonder which song I shall sing to wake them up (Gloria Gaynor’s "I will survive" is a classic but "We don't talk about Bruno" has a rousing chorus!!.
We will see.
Goodnight, God Bless
Year 6, Miss B, Mr Caffrey and Miss Rowe.

Day Two and all is well

What a day- we are all exhausted, showered and in bed asleep before 9:30- Some even asked to go to bed tonight around 8.

It started with the alarm going off at 7. I say alarm more like a full on singing assembly!. "I will survive", "All the single ladies" and an old tune- "raining in my heart”. Can’t beat a bit of Beyonce first thing in the morning.

The mist was settled across the field this morning giving it 'spooky vibes' (apparently) As soon as they had chosen their snacks for the day they were off. The football field was calling and it did not disappoint. Breakfast came at 8:30, toast, sausages, baked beans as well as cereal and juice. The children ate until they were full and headed off to the first activities.

Jacobs ladder was a big hit today. It is a 15metre high ladder that the children wear a harness to climb. So many of them reached the top and even ones that were not going to go on it EVER managed to get higher than my head. Encouragement from their classmates and Mr Caffreys help with the ropes really enabled some to not only aim high but also achieve. 

Body zorbing was the next activity where the children climb inside a plastic bubble and run around the field trying to avoid each other but inevitably knocking each other over. The giggles and laughter during this activity is contagious. When they fall over (or are pushed) they are often laughing so much they can hardly get to their feet again. It is fun but tiring. 

Lunch was baguettes with lots of different fillings and soup.

This afternoon started with “water wars”, no need to ask or explain what this is- there was water and there was a war! Everyone was soaked but happy. I found a new way to avoid getting wet, I made myself “official photographer” Worked a treat. Back to the house to dry off, quick change of clothes and off to Rocket Launching. This was described tonight by one of the boys as their favourite part of the day because it was great to work as a team and all have different jobs that then made a rocket go high in the sky. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Dinner tonight was meatballs, spaghetti and garlic bread. Chocolate cake and custard for dessert. Again devoured and off to the field. 

Many of the children played football against another school today. I was so proud to see them play against a really good team, score lots of goals, get goals scored against them and maintain their sportsmanship. They were amazing. The other children were just as pleased with themselves and I think they have arranged to play again each day this week.

This evenings activity was a Murder Mystery Night. The children had to interview 6 suspects and determine “who done it” The money was on the Maid who looked spookily like Miss B in an awful dress, then there was the butler- and we all think the butter did it. BUT along comes the snooty son who was about to lose his inheritance! ( He too looked a lot like miss B in a jacket and dodgy flat cap!!) He was revealed as the killer. The stories the children made up as to who did the deed and who didn’t showed us if nothing else, when thy grow up they can all get jobs at the BBC writing episodes of EastEnders 

And that was the end of a brilliant day.

Your children are amazing and I hope you are all really proud of them. They make us laugh and cry, they keep us entertained with their chatter and their stories, but most of all they are having a wonderful time and this is why we do this job.

Thank you again for lending them to us. I will try to get some photos to you as and when I can. All the photos we have taken will be on Teams so when the children get back they can download the ones that they wan to keep.

See You Friday

Love Year 6, Miss B, Mr Caffrey and Miss Rowe.

Day Three at Grittleton House

This morning the children were so soundly asleep after their busy day on Tuesday, it seemed mean to wake them up. “Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows” was the song of choice today. It had been requested by one room so I thought nobody should miss out on such a classic. The skies were grey and overcast this morning so I suggested that they dressed for rain. I was asked if this meant dark colours? They all dressed (not in dark colours) and headed for breakfast- Scrambled egg, baked beans and toast.

After breakfast the first activity was the trebuchet. This is a new activity and we have never done this before, we knew that a trebuchet was a large weapon like a catapult that the Romans used. We weren’t expecting that we had to make one. Assembling pieces of wood with giant nuts and bolts was more fun than we epected and then getting to launch “canon balls’  across the field was tremendous.

Snacktime came and so did the rain- well more like drizzle, it didn’t stop the fun. Archery was on the agenda before lunch and we learned how to put on armguards, load a bow making sure that the fletch (feathery bit) was turned correctly and finally firing at the target. A couple of near misses and then we started hitting the target. One Bulls eye was gained and lunch called.

Sausage rolls and salad for lunch.

After lunch the sun came back out and we played on the field. Some children from another school came over to play with us and before we knew what had happened we were ready to start on our next activity- Aeroball. This is a trampoline with a net around the outside. The trampoline is divided into 2 and the children try to score goals (a bit like basketball) Jumping up and down was tiring, but laughs and giggles carried them through until snacktime. The final activity session of the day was the crystal maze. The children go through a series of themed rooms and solve a number of puzzles. There was an industrial zone, an Aztec zone and a medieval room. We solved mazes, threw hoops onto hooks, carried water along a log and played “twinkle twinkle little star” using bells.

Solving a puzzle gained a crystal, each crystal gave the teams 10 seconds in the ball pit. We had 50 seconds to find as many neon balls as possible in the blacklight ball pit. This was a lot harder than it sounds and again rolling around in a ball pit caused giggles, laughter and a lot of flailing arms ad legs.

Dinner was ready and we headed into the dining hall for pasta bake or baked potatoes. The baked potatoes were the size of the children’s heads and chef said they had been in the oven for a few hours. They had crispy skin and a fluffy centre, piled high with melting cheese, tuna and beans.

We had an hour or so to kill so we spent it on the fields. The school we had been playing with yesterday had asked their teacher to bring them out to play again. It was beautiful to see the children playing together. Their teacher and Mr Caffrey played football with lots of the children. There were no arguments and lots of friendships were made. Not sure their teacher was expecting our children to tackle him when he had the ball, but tackle him they did- and won the ball a number of times. When children slipped over, others helped them up, when balls went into goals congratulations and handshakes took centre stage and when the final whistle was blown, hands were shaken and everyone headed back inside with muddy knees and big smiles. It was a lovely reminder of what our children are like at their very best: kind, welcoming and full of fun.

Tonight's activity was a quiz, and the children showed off some amazing general knowledge, answering questions on the UK, space, animals, sport and films. The competition was fierce, but the teamwork and cheering were even better!

After the quiz, it was showers and bed. The children know the routine well by now and were all fast asleep as their heads hit their pillows, worn out after another busy, happy day.

Thank you again for lending us your wonderful children. They have been amazing, and each day they do something that makes us proud. Staff at the centre have commented on their good behaviour, exceptional manners and kindness to one another. You should be very proud of them.

Love from

Year 6, Miss B, Mr Caffrey and Miss Rowe.

Day Four at Grittleton House

So the last full day at Grittleton house, unless we decide to hang around a bit longer as we are having a great time.

This morning I woke the children up with Let it. Go from Frozen. One child complained that their ear drums hurt, another requested I leave their room and four of your young ladies were lying in wait for me in the darkness with their torches illuminating their faces as I walked in!!! Its not a problem I have planned triple maths for them when we get back.

Breakfast was hash browns and beans. Today, as well as the usual toast, cereal and juice.

The first activity was scooters and skateboarding. They were hilarious, copying the leader (Scott with the cool sunglasses- he is now a hero to some of our children who were in awe of his skills) The kids did a great job and there were a few falls and plenty of giggles. Snack time and then off to Den Building.

Den building takes place in the woods. The children learn about different types of dens- who knew they had names! The A frame and the lean to were looked at, then it was time to go collecting materials to build their own. Propping up a few logs is a lot harder and dirtier work than you would think. Dens built, fancy additions added and judgements made and then off to lunch. Giant baguettes, lots of fillings and 2 different soups to choose from.

After lunch wa the regular request to stay out and play on the field, our new friends from a school in Bath bullied their teacher to bring them down to the field too. An hour spent playing football and making friends was an hour well spent.  Next came one of the firm favourite activities- Axe Throwing. Yes, you did read that right- throwing axes.  Aiming at a target and throwing an Angel Tomahawk axe hoping for it to land in the bullseye. I have to report that some of the children were spectacularly good at this and intend to ask Santa for a set for Christmas- Sorry. In other news the children spent time feeding some local cows prawn cocktail crisps and 2 of the children intend to ask Santa for a cow for Christmas too. Who knew cows liked prawn cocktail crisps?

The last activity of the day was disc golf, a fancy title for some good old fashioned frisbee throwing. By the time the session had finished all of the kids could get a frisbee to hover and many even managed to get it to fly in the direction that they were aiming for.

Dinner tonight was burgers or fish and chips. There was also a surprise in store for the children. The kitchen staff have been so impressed with the children’s manners and behaviour that they had bought some sweets for the children to say thank you. They said our school was the best school they had served all year and that they felt they deserved a prize for that. It was so lovely to hear a group of people who have only known the children for 4 days say such kind words. We know our children are very special but to hear someone else say the same was a real treat and well deserved.

Then came playing on the field for the last time with their new friends. The class was split on this decision as some wanted to get ready for the party. So some went back and made themselves look gorgeous and others stayed out for a little while playing football, then made themselves gorgeous in a shorter time.

The evenings celebration was fabulous, dancing, singing and of course the statutory laughing. All returning to their rooms happy and sleepy.

One more sleep and they will be back with you tomorrow.

Again- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for lending us your children, they have been amazing and have had an amazing time, I’m off to discuss where we can fit axe throwing into the curriculum

Love Year 6, Miss B, Mr Caffrey and Miss Rowe