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Year 6 Residential Blog – Day 1: Stonehenge, Singing, and So Much Mud!

What a day we’ve had! The Year 6s arrived at Stonehenge at 10am, full of excitement and ready for some ancient history - or maybe just snacks and sweets. The children took the shuttle bus to the stones because, according to them, it was “too far to walk” (though between us, I think that was actually the adults’ idea).

Once there, the children dedicated approximately seven minutes to appreciating one of the world’s most iconic historical monuments... and the remaining time perfecting illusion photography: holding up the stones, sitting in each other’s hands, and trying to balance Stonehenge on their heads. Who knew ancient history came with a side of creative posing?

We strolled over to the burial mounds (and by "strolled," I mean we were gently herded like overly excited sheep), before heading back to the visitor centre for lunch and—of course—the main event: the coach journey to Mill on the Brue.

The coach ride was something else. Picture a choir... now imagine the opposite. That’s what we had: a loud, tuneless, joy-filled singalong that could probably be heard from neighbouring counties. Huge shoutout to Kenzie, who kept the vibe high and the laughter flowing. Meanwhile, Mrs Hemmings was spotted sobbing silently at the back of the bus—not out of emotion, but because she'd forgotten her AirPods and had no escape.

We arrived at 1:45pm and broke into our groups: Herons, Robins, and Kingfishers, before checking out our rooms. The children’s reviews were glowing – “It’s like a five-star hotel!” one declared. 

After a quick change, it was time for activities:

• Herons took on the Great Slab and the Challenge Track

• Robins faced the Mega Zip Wire and Challenge Track

• Kingfishers went high on the Crate Stack and then got stuck into Bushcraft

Speaking of the Great Slab, one child may never be the same again... James was so completely smothered in mud by the end that he was barely recognisable. Honestly, we considered leaving him for the local wildlife to adopt.  As for the zip wire—huge cheers (and probably a few internal screams) for Jessica, Blake, Eryn, and Bazyli, who conquered their fears and soared through the sky like superheroes. Let’s see if the rest of the class is just as brave tomorrow... no pressure.  A slightly less celebrated moment came courtesy of Jake S, who managed to get me just as muddy as James. I’ll be expecting a formal apology and a contribution to my dry-cleaning bill, Jake!  On the flip side of the chaos, a very special mention to Oliver, who has been consistently kind, calm and supportive—especially when helping friends feel safe during their adventurous activities.

Dinner time brought more drama. “I don’t like pizza,” declared one child dramatically, before proceeding to inhale an entire slice and ask for seconds. Despite the usual fussiness, the Zero Hero food waste challenge saw a stunning result: not a single scrap left on any plate. Rucstall were today’s winners. Let’s keep the streak going, Willow Class!

After dinner came free time: football, playground chaos, and some very sophisticated chilling. Then it was back to the rooms for showers. A special shoutout to Jake N, who—still covered in mud from the assault course—asked, “Do I really have to shower?” Yes. Yes, Jake. This isn’t Bear Grylls. 

Finally, we rounded off the day with an evening of self-led entertainment. The outdoor stage was alive with music, thanks to another dazzling solo from Kenzie and an unforgettable performance from our very own girl group: Margot, Olivia, Phoebe, Eryn, Zofia, and Savannah, complete with hairbrush microphones and superstar energy.

As I sit here in the lounge, uploading this blog and enjoying the relative peace, Mrs Hemmings and Mrs Walker are battling the bedtime noise levels upstairs. Parents: honest question—do your children have a volume control? Because we’re not convinced.

Juice and snacks were enjoyed, lights out at 9:30pm (ish), and fingers crossed for a solid night's sleep. But who are we kidding?

Bring on Day Two.

Year 6 Residential Blog – Day 2: Mud, Mac and Cheese, and the Great Room Inspection (with Bonus Beetroot)

After yesterday’s excitement, we were hoping for a peaceful night’s sleep. Well we can dream.
The girls in Yeo room reported being woken at 5am by “the early bird” (aka Dhriti), however Jessica reports an even earlier start—at 4am—with Dea sneakily stuffing “hot dog” sweets into her mouth in the dark. Meanwhile, I was blessed with the ultimate jackpot: I stayed on the boys’ side, where I had to actually wake them up at 7:30am. Not a sound, not a stir—just peaceful slumber and the occasional gentle snore. I’m never going to moan about being with the boys again!
With tummies filled with cereal and toast, the day kicked off with more adventure.
First up, the Robins took on the giant waterslide, where they flung themselves down a giant, soapy hill like professional stunt doubles. Mrs Walker (aka our residential David Attenborough with a camera) managed to capture some incredible photos mid-splash. We're still working on uploading them from this remote jungle—but rest assured, they’ll be shared soon!
Meanwhile, Kingfishers tackled the Challenge Track, where Ralph decided that mud was not just messy—but therapeutic. “It’s like a spa treatment!” he declared, while covered head to toe. He may be onto something. They then zipped through the trees on the giant zipline, where Ella-Rose absolutely gave 110%—smiles, screams, and bravery in bucketloads.
Of course, this led to dramatic groans from the Heron and Robin groups, who only got one go each on the zipline. Life, as we all know, can be cruel.
My group—the heroic Herons—started with the zipline, then moved on to raft building. The girls absolutely smashed it: precision, patience, teamwork—honestly, we could’ve sailed them down the Thames. The boys? Slightly more... experimental. Let’s just say their raft was lucky to float, especially considering a rope came off before we even launched.
After a snack break, it was Robins’ and Kingfishers’ turn to raft build. Robins were a dream team, and extra kudos to Aiden, who fell off in the first two minutes but heroically pulled his raft along the river like a true adventurer. Possibly the most determined paddler we’ve ever seen.
Lunch was wolfed down in record time. And a special mention goes to Bazyli, who took one for the team and single-handedly ate the entire table’s blackcurrants after everyone else declared them "way too sour". 
Better still, Zero Hero food waste challenge? SMASHED IT. Not a single scrap left. We were flying high...
…Until dinner.
Enter: The Brownie Incident.
Everything was going so well. The Herons were riding the food waste high. And then... they served chocolate brownie. Or what looked like chocolate brownie. Spirits were high, mouths were watering—until someone bit into it and cried, “Why does this taste like a vegetable?!”
Because it was a chocolate beetroot brownie.
The betrayal was real. Children everywhere were holding up suspicious pink-tinged chunks, trying to power through. Dhriti and James gallantly offered to eat the leftovers, but it was no use. My competitive spirit was crushed. And while Robins and Kingfishers were busy being food waste heroes again (and will be getting their prizes tomorrow), Herons were left sobbing into their uneaten beetroot chunks. Devastating.
After dinner, it was showers (or at least claims of showers—again, suspiciously dry hair...), and then time to party! We celebrated Keavy’s birthday in true style: disco lights, mega sing-alongs, and some dance moves that really shouldn’t be possible in hiking boots. Keavy had a blast and hopefully a birthday she’ll never forget!
Then... the moment they feared most: Room Inspections.
The children had just 25 minutes to prepare. Judgement was swift and brutal, led by the formidable trio of Mrs Walker, Mrs Hemmings and myself. Criteria included: no dirty socks on display, shoes lined up facing a north-easterly direction (obviously), and bins with neatly folded rubbish. There were gasps. There were desperate last-minute tidy-ups. There was... Audey, with impeccable cleaning skills that put the rest of the rooms to shame. We’re pretty sure she could open her own housekeeping business tomorrow.
Results will be announced in the morning—but spoiler alert: these were genuinely the tidiest rooms we’ve ever seen on a residential. Something tells me they want that prize.
And now, they’re tucked up in bed (well, sort of tucked), and yes, Ralph is safely zipped in—fingers crossed there’s no sleeping bag bunny-hopping to the toilets tonight.
All in all, another fantastic day. Slightly muddier. Slightly smellier. And full of laughs.