Trips, Visits & Residentials

To enhance the curriculum offers, residential trips are planned as a valuable way of presenting opportunities to our children that they would not otherwise have during school and independent of their family. The value of such trips is widely acknowledged; children acquire transferable skills that can be taken into everyday life.

They help to build character, raise self-esteem and develop resilience. By providing a focus it can allow children to become self-motivated and driven in planning and preparing, as well as becoming more independent and responsible. Just one “I did it!” moment can provide a child with untold assurance in their own capability.

Visits and residentials also help children to expand their knowledge, better understand topics and retain information by learning in a real-life context. This method of learning can increase engagement and maintain focus, allowing a greater understanding of what they are being taught.

For younger year groups

Day trips and in-school visits regularly take place. These encourage your child to develop their knowledge and understanding of topics, supporting the work they are doing in class. Activities include a range of visits, local walks and events through to coach trips to places of interest slightly further away. We invite regular visitors to Darley Dene including mini-beasts through to local people who can discuss and share their skills and knowledge in careers such as policing, guide dog handlers and firefighting.

Year 3: Sleepover

Designed to bridge the gap between school day trips and the first residential in Year 4 this overnighter allows children to stay away from home in a familiar location, close to home. A range of evening activities with their peers and a group breakfast the following morning help to build resilience and independence in a carefully managed way.

Year 4: Rise Up

A three-day festival style camping residential takes place at a local dedicated camp site. The children sleep in large tents and cook over open fires. Activities range from fire lighting and shelter-building to archery and tree climbing. All of the activities encourage team work, build self-reliance and perseverance and give the children the chance to develop new skills and interact with their peers in a fun, creative environment.

Year 5: Bowles Rock

Staying at an outdoor education centre the children experience challenging and adventurous outdoor activities which encourage self-confidence, self-awareness and team spirit. Held over a weekend this allows us to pass on reduced costs to our families to ensure as many children as possible have the opportunity to take part.

Year 6: City Break