Back in Time

At the beginning of February, our 8s (Year 4) travelled to Ufton Court, a specialist historical education centre, for a one-night residential where they enjoyed a range of activities that supported their history work on the Ancient Greece.

Over two days, the children stepped into the roles of ancient Greek citizens. In the Agora trading game, they exchanged goods with other city states and learnt about the importance of trade. They also explored the role of Hermes, the god of trade, who was known as a ‘divine prankster’. According to Oliver (8OFS), this was his favourite activity. “We were allowed to steal goods in the spirit of Hermes, which was wickedly fun,” he shares.

As a group, they developed a range of everyday survival skills. They built sections of wattle walls using woven sticks, struck sparks from flint to light a fire and ground corn and wheat to make flour. They practised carding, spinning and weaving wool, gaining insight into daily life in Ancient Greece.

Reenactments formed a key part of the programme. The children staged the Battle of Thermopylae and took part in Spartan military manoeuvres using replica weapons. “I really enjoyed the Spartan training game. It felt like we were actually preparing for battle,” says Oliver (8OFS).

A crime and punishment workshop, involving the dramatic sentencing of Mr James Almond, was another memorable session. “Crime and punishment was the best part, especially when we got to act out pushing Mr Almond off a cliff,” says Olivia (8OFS).

During the evening, the children dressed in costume and enjoyed a banquet of chicken, potatoes, bread, fruit and grape juice.

The trip was organised by English and Humanities teacher Ms Kathryn Field, with support from Head of Year Mr James Almond. Reflecting on the visit, Mr Almond said he was extremely impressed by the way the children conducted themselves. For some pupils, it was their first time staying away from home without their families, and he noted that they returned more confident, resilient and independent as a result of the experience.

The residential provided a valuable opportunity for the 8s to bring their classroom learning to life in a fun and interactive way and helped prepare them for longer residential trips as they move up through the Lower Prep.