Trips
Academic studies are brought to life by frequent visits and trips, allowing students to benefit from learning outside of the classroom. Our extensive programme of excursions begins with day trips in Nursery, residential trips from Year 5 upwards, and continues all the way into the Sixth Form.
We visit conferences, museums, art galleries, theatres, farms, and many other places of interest. Both the Junior School and Senior School have excellent transport links to central London, Kent, and Sussex, and we take full advantage of this wealth of opportunities.
Residential trips allow more time for in-depth learning, and bring many other benefits, including the development of independence and confidence.
Early Years
Trips in the Early Years Foundation Stage are centred around making the most of the local area. The Junior School’s fantastic location allows prime access to the Royal Greenwich Park, Royal Observatory, and Blackheath Village, with trips also taken further afield to Eltham Palace and the Wildcat Wilderness Centre.
A diverse learning curriculum is incredibly beneficial at this primary stage of education, encouraging child-centred learning, exploration, and play. Departing the classroom inspires an early love of nature and the outdoors, which is solidified in our own much-loved Forest School and brand-new Early Years playground.
Junior School
As pupils progress through the school, they begin to take trips further and further afield. KS1 sees them take their first trip into central London to visit the world-renowned Tate Modern and to see The Lion King in the West End, and from Year 5 residential trips are available, both within the UK and across Europe, culminating in a ski trip in Year 6.
The local area of Greenwich and Blackheath continues to feature heavily in the trips timetable, making the most of nearby resources such as the National Maritime Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery. Our own facilities include an onsite fitness trail, and our Sports Campus – a 5-acre site featuring a purpose-built Astroturf, tennis courts, and athletics track – is only a 10-minute walk away from the Junior School.
Challenge days and team-building exercises complete the Junior School trips repertoire, providing an all-round experience that inspires pupils to enjoy their surroundings. Trips help to build the love of learning encouraged throughout the Junior School curriculum, promoting an adventurous and curious spirit, and strengthening friendships formed in the classroom.
Senior School
Senior School excursions are organised into six Trips Days a year, with two occurring every term. This grouping of outings results in less impact on the normal class schedule, with all students and teachers absent from the same timetabled lessons. It also gives students an opportunity to bond as a year group in different environments and experiences outside of the classroom.
Trips Days involve all students from Years 7 to 13, engaging in trips, activities, and workshops that cover a range of curriculum, non-curriculum, and PSHEE (Physical, Social, Health & Economics Education) topics. These can range from Escape Rooms – that focus on resilience and teamwork – to a day trip to Boulogne for a French cultural experience.
Residential trips are an important part of the school experience, encouraging independence and confidence with time spent away from home. These include PGL residential weekends for KS3 and longer, subject-specific trips to exciting locations such as Tenerife for Astronomy students, Iceland for Biology students, and the Azores for Geography students.
Sixth Form
Sixth Form students also take part in Trips Days, which – in addition to educational, curriculum-based outings – include London culture and UCAS assistance days.
Sixth Formers are welcome to join numerous subject-specific residential trips, which in the past have included exciting destinations like the New York Art galleries, and a memorable trip to Iceland to see the Northern lights and a glacier in Thorsmork. Watch A-level Geography student Hana’s video of the experience:
Expeditions occur approximately every two years; these adventurous and challenging experiences develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, confidence, and leadership. They also provide an exciting opportunity to discover and learn about new parts of the world. Previous expeditions have taken place to Borneo – climbing Mount Kinabalu, visiting an orangutan rehabilitation centre and studying shark conservation; India – hiking in the Himalayas, marvelling at the Taj Mahal, and volunteering at an orphanage; and Tanzania – a ‘Girls 4 Girls’ expedition where our students lived in a community with no electricity or running water, working with local girls and attending Swahili lessons.
The next planned expedition will happen in the summer of 2024, travelling to Peru with CAMPS International. The trip has a sustainability focus, as well as working on community-based projects in underprivileged areas. Alongside this, the students will be trekking up Machu Pichu.
