Year 6 Science Trips and Special Pilgrimage

Normally our Year 6 start their school year with a 4 day science camp and a one day pilgrimage to Walsingham. This year we couldn’t do this as we are not permitted to have residential trips. So the year 6 team came up with a fantastic alternative, which combined both religion and science.

On Thursday, the children went to South Weald Country Park to carry out tree and other wild life identification. On arrival the children met and then fed the fallow deer that lived in an enclosure. Following that, they then proceeded on a 6 mile hike around the park identifying trees by their leaves and seeds and collecting samples. They also investigated different habitats such as pond life, under the ground and so on. On their journeys they came across herds of wild deer, the odd rabbit and plenty of different fungi.

On Friday, the children travelled to the remote town of Bradwell on Sea. Here they started at Bradwell Nuclear Power Station where they learnt about different sources of energy and how electricity is created.

From there they walked to a RAF memorial site as this had once been an airfield in World War II. We remembered those that gave their lives for us all. Then we travelled through the village of Bradwell and walked to the oldest church in England, St Peter’s on the Wall, which was built by St Cedd in AD654. Here we held a very special prayer service.

Finally from here we went to Bradwell beach which is a shale beach and so absolutely full of sea shells, as well as many other interesting things such as Roman brick and ceramics. The children collected a wide range of shells which they brought back to school and then sorted and identified.
All the children enjoyed the days immensely and learnt a lot of practical science. For some it was their first time by the sea this year. The best bonus is that the children walked around 15 miles over the 2 days. That’s good for their fitness levels!