Freshwater Residential 2016

6th June 2016

Between the 6th and 10th June 2016, 12 pupils from KS3 and KS4 went on our annual residential trip to Freshwater Beach Holiday Park. While there they stayed in 3 caravans located next to the beach and took part in a great range of activities.

We were very lucky with the weather. It was hot and sunny all week which meant we could get out of the caravans and explore the area.

On Monday we went to Axe Valley Animal Park where we saw animals and birds including flamingos, zebras, meerkats, snakes, lizards, goats, spiders and one very cute armadillo. We also saw some animals we had never seen before. We stopped at the supermarket to buy the food we needed for the week- we made choices about what to buy, thought about how much to buy and which meals we needed to plan for.

At Freshwater we made our beds, cooked our meals, washed up and throughout the week, developed a host of social, self-care and personal skills. We went bowling and swimming in the Jurassic Fun Centre and particularly enjoyed the water slides.

On Wednesday we all took part in a sports day with pupils from other local special schools. We all won some medals and it was lovely to see pupils encourage each other to succeed. After working so hard, it seemed only right to go to West Bay for fish and chips.

On Thursday we went to Weymouth Sea Life Centre, where the pupils showed a great interest in the array of sea creatures on display. They particularly enjoyed watching the turtles and rays being fed, and the jellyfish and penguins were popular too. However, nothing could beat the crocodile water slide ride.

When we returned to Freshwater on Thursday, we enjoyed a party at the clubhouse where we had a tea party and then used water pistols to squirt Captain Blood!

By Friday, we were worn out from such a busy week, so we stopped at Seaton on the way back to school for a hot chocolate and an ice-cream.

I was really impressed with the way the pupils engaged with a really busy week full of unfamiliar activities, and the way they behaved when we were in public.

I must also say a big thank you to the staff from Mill Water who gave up their time and worked extremely hard during the week to give all of the pupils the best possible experience. Thank you Liane, Lynne, Sophie, Charlotte and Tom.

Simon Winward