There are many expeditions that give the boys the opportunity to explore areas outside of London. Each year there is a French exchange, a classics trip to Pompeii, visits to Paris, a ski holiday, sports tours, field trips - the list is endless. One of the highlights of the year is when staff arrange long weekends for whole year groups, visiting activity centres in all parts of the country. At Westminster Under School we believe that the educational value of such extra-curricular activities is enormous.
Italy
This takes place annually and, in recent years, it has been in the first week of the October half-term. Day trips are run to Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum and Capri. There is plenty of opportunity for souvenir hunting and shopping as well as beach football and other games.
France Exchange
24 Year 8 boys each year go on the very successful French exchange to Marseille with L’Ecole de Provence (www.ecoleprovence.fr). The boys stay with French families for about 8 or 9 days in the first week of the October half-term. During the French school day, activities and visits are arranged to places such as Arles, Avignon and Toulon.
Year 7
Three weeks into the Play (Autumn) Term Year 7 travel to the famous Charmouth beach in Dorset for a spot of fossil hunting and then to the PGL centre in Osmington Bay, where they spend the next three days.
Year 6
In May all Year 6 boys go to Avon Tyrrell, in the New Forest, for a long weekend. It includes such activities as archery, rope climbing, kayaking, swimming, orienteering and raft-building.
Yr 5
Year 5 travel to France for a four-day course mixing French activities with outdoor pursuits and history. The boys stay at Chateau du Broutel, located just an hour from Calais and close to a number of historical sites such as Amiens, St Valery sur Somme and the First World War battlefields. In the Chateau grounds the boys experience such activities as climbing and abseiling, canoeing and kayaking. As Year 5 study medieval history, they visit the famous battlefield and museum at Agincourt on the way out and Dover castle on their return.
Year 4
In the Play (Autumn) Term, Year 4 visit the stunning Norfolk coastline. The boys stay at The Pleasaunce homestead, where they experience superb sleeping and eating arrangements. Daily activities are organized by the Alymerton Field Studies Centre and focus on team-building experiences.
Year 3
The Year 3 residential trip to the fantastic ‘Mill on the Brue’ activity centre in Somerset takes place over a weekend in March and for many boys this is their first residential trip. Activities include feeding the animals on site, grass toboggans, sliding and gliding, archery, the climbing wall and the ‘zuper’ zip wire.
Other Day Trips:
- Year 6 Greenwich Planetarium and Maritime museums
- Year 5 Science Night at Science Museum
- Year 5 to London Zoo
- Year 4 History Trip to Butser Hill Ancient Farm in Hampshire.
- Year 4 to the Globe Theatre.
- Year 3 to HMS Belfast
