Year 5 Rise to the Challenge at Dukes Barn

Last week, Year 5 waved goodbye to school and set off on an action-packed adventure to Dukes Barn in Derbyshire, accompanied by Mr Hodgkins, Miss Lake, Mrs Redman and Mrs Shukla.

It was certainly a week to remember, with glorious countryside views and superb September weather! The children threw themselves into an incredible range of activities, including stream scrambling, climbing and low ropes, weaseling, abseiling, caving, and canoeing on the beautiful Chatsworth Estate. There were plenty of muddy shoes, wet clothes, nervous laughs and huge smiles along the way.

One of the biggest highlights for many of the children was the 25-metre abseil from a bridge. Looking down from the top was certainly enough to make some stomachs flip, but the children showed fantastic courage and determination. One by one, they stepped over the edge, encouraging each other as they made their way down. There were some very proud faces at the bottom!

Throughout the week, the children demonstrated wonderful resilience, pushing themselves to try things that were outside their comfort zones. Whether it was squeezing through a cave, tackling a tricky climbing challenge or plunging into the stream, they kept going and supported each other every step of the way.

The residential was also a fantastic opportunity to see our Hawford value of kindness in action. Children encouraged friends when activities felt challenging, helped each other make their beds, shared a helping hand when packing bags and looked out for one another throughout the week. These thoughtful moments were just as important as the adventures themselves.

By the end of the residential, Year 5 had conquered challenges, made memories, strengthened friendships and discovered just how much they were capable of. We are incredibly proud of them all.