Residential Week at Forres Sandle Manor: Adventures Await!
It’s Residential Week here at Forres Sandle Manor, and the excitement around school is palpable! With bags packed, spirits high, and an atmosphere buzzing with anticipation, it’s set to be one of the most memorable weeks of the year for our pupils.
This week sees children from across the school embarking on a variety of thrilling, educational, and character-building adventures, each tailored to enrich their learning and broaden their horizons beyond the classroom.
Our youngest explorers in Pre Prep are heading out on a series of engaging and educational day trips, giving them a wonderful taste of adventure and discovery close to home.
Meanwhile, our Year 5 and 6 pupils have set off for PGL Barton Hall in Devon, where a packed programme of outdoor activities and team challenges awaits. From high ropes to raft building, it’s all about resilience, collaboration, and plenty of fun!
Year 7 have journeyed to the beautiful historic city of Chester, where they’re enjoying a blend of cultural enrichment and shared experiences that strengthen friendships and independence.
Our legendary surfing trip to Polzeath in Cornwall sees Year 8 embracing the waves and the spirit of adventure as they take on the ocean, learn new skills, and make memories to last a lifetime.
And last but not least, Year 9 are off to Amsterdam for an extraordinary historical and educational tour. From the Anne Frank House to canal cruises and cultural discoveries, it’s a powerful and inspiring trip that brings history to life.
Stay tuned throughout the week as we bring you updates and highlights from each of these unforgettable experiences. Residential Week is all about growth, exploration, and joy—and we can’t wait to share it all with you!
Year 3 & 4 Residential Week
Years 3 and 4 are off! It’s the first day of their Residential week, and what a start it has been with a trip to Longleat Safari Park.
What a day they have been having so far, getting up close to some of the animals.
They also had a wonderful boat trip and saw some of the locals.
On Tuesday, Year 2 and 3 have been having a fabulous time at the New Forest Activity Centre. While they were there, they enjoyed lots of activities, including canoeing and laser tag.
On Wednesday morning, the children had a fabulous session from Bounce Fitness. There were agility games and lots of fun!
In the afternoon, the children travelled to Swanage ahead of two nights of camping. They then enjoyed some incredible experiences at Cumulus Outdoors
including the High Ropes and Axe Throwing!
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Year 5 & 6 Residential Week
Our Year 5s and 6s are at the fantastic PGL Barton Hall in Devon.
They have arrived!
‘Up and at them early today. A few team games to start the day, breakfast and then straight into activities! Disc golf, trapeze, sensory trail and abseiling on the menu today.’
Year 5 and 6 Residential Update: Team Building and Bravery!
Our Year 5 and 6 students have been showing amazing teamwork and courage on their residential trip! The sensory trail brought out some fantastic collaboration, with everyone supporting each other as they navigated the challenges together. But the real highlight? The abseiling! The pupils displayed incredible bravery, conquering their fears and taking on the challenge like pros. What a cracking effort all round; a true testament to their spirit and determination! We couldn’t be prouder!
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Year 7 Chester Residential
The Year 7s have had an incredible time adventuring during their residential trip, starting with a day of brave exploring in the beautiful surroundings of North Wales. From serene canal walks to an adrenaline-filled gorge experience, they embraced every moment. When mountain biking couldn’t go ahead, the fantastic Safe and Sound team stepped in to organise an exciting gorge walk instead. Students found themselves jumping, sliding, and swimming through a stunning river – and loving every second of it.
Two of the bravest Year 7s summed up the spirit of the day perfectly:
“If you realise that things aren’t quite going to plan you’ve just gotta get up and try again.”
“At first it seemed really hard, but I actually got in the water and did it – it turned out to be great fun.”
Back on site, the children took part in a range of team activities led by the experienced YHA team. Kate, their instructor, praised their excellent teamwork and communication during the ‘Night-Line’ challenge, where they tackled a tricky woodland course – all while blindfolded! Many reflected on how much they had to trust not only their group but also themselves.
Staff were especially impressed by four children who showed quiet yet effective communication skills and were nominated for the evening’s awards.
The evening wrapped up with a classic campfire – marshmallows (and dietary alternatives) ready to toast as the sun went down.
Later in the week, the group visited a local museum where they wowed staff with their impressive prior knowledge about rivers – a huge credit to FSM’s Geography teaching. They explored how the River Dee has changed over time and then set off on a boat trip to reflect on the different communities that have benefited from it through history. Of course, there was time for a bit of shopping too!
To round off a truly action-packed and memorable trip, the children spent their final day having an absolute blast at Alton Towers – the perfect way to celebrate a fantastic week of challenge, discovery, and fun.
The Photographs
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Year 8 Polzeath Residential
Everyone is on their way!
Day 1
Day 1
Year 8 had a decent run down to Cornwall and arrived in Polzeath to beautiful sunshine and crashing waves. After a quick settle into our caravans, we donned wetsuits and hit the surf. There were beaming smiles galore and impressive efforts from all. Burgers were demolished before we all hit the beach for a session of Mr Hancock’s beach games. It was a lovely way to finish our first day.
Day 2
Tuesday was all about the surfing. The children were in the water bright and early, with plenty of waves caught. After lunch, it was back to it with another surf lesson. Definite progress is being made!!! There’s more time on the beach after tea, and there’ll be some sleepy heads tonight!
Day 3
Today, after a hearty breakfast, Year 8 made the picturesque walk along the South West coastal path from Polzeath to Rock, via a hotly contested race up Brae Hill. From there we caught the ferry across to Padstow. Time was spent in Padstow with pasties, ice cream and all sorts of goodies (even ribs?!?) being enjoyed. On the return to Polzeath, we stopped off for a bit of crabbing. This evening, it is the annual sandcastle building competition.
Day 5
Year 8 hit the surf again this morning before an afternoon of hurling themselves from cliffs and exploring sea caves with an adventurous coasteering session. Pizza is currently being wolfed down before the end of the tour presentations
Day 6
We were up early to pack up the caravans before hitting the sea for one final surf lesson. Breakfast baps and a final Cornish Pasty sent us on our way as we head back to school. Year 8 have been a great bunch to take away and thrown themselves into everything.
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Year 9 Amsterdam Residential
Year 9 have arrived!
Day 1
Greetings from Amsterdam!
Yesterday was eventful. We were all in the minibus at 5:15am, and it didn’t start! After 30 minutes of trying, we swapped into another one and got on the road.
After a (quicker than planned) stop for breakfast, we arrived at Le Shuttle, but sadly, all trains were an hour delayed.
On route to Amsterdam, we stopped at a hypermarket to have lunch and stock up on essentials (sweets) for the remainder of the journey.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel and checked in for dinner (1st photo). After some food, we headed out for a wander of the local area before arriving back (2nd photo outside the entrance) for some time relaxing before getting some well-deserved rest.
Overall, the group were (unsurprisingly) FANTASTIC yesterday!
Today is a walk into and around the centre, followed by the Van Gogh Museum and the unforgettable Anne Frank House. We should have some more photos for you later today or tomorrow morning.
Day 2
We started the day with a picturesque walk through Amsterdam and gave the Year 9s a chance to explore the centre with time for shopping!
We carried on our walking tour as we headed to the Van Gogh Exhibition, where they had an audio tour about his life and a chance to see some of his most famous pieces of art. Next year’s GCSE Art pupils also had the opportunity to see first-hand some pieces of work that they can analyse and maybe include in their final portfolios.
We then headed back towards the city centre, past some of the high-end shops towards Anne Frank’s House.
We started our tour at Anne Frank’s House with an introductory talk from an expert guide. Although a number of pupils were aware of the historical context, it certainly helped give them a perspective of the events that led up to Anne Frank’s time hiding in the house and what happened afterwards. After this, we were able to walk around the annex where Anne Frank lived for 761 days (2 years and 1 month) with her family and 4 others. We were able to see all the rooms they lived in during their time in hiding, and saw her original diary at the end. We were not permitted to take any photos inside the annex. It was an incredibly moving experience that we are sure will stay with them forever.
As we headed back to the hotel, we weaved back through the canals, over bridges, past bicycles, bicycles and more bicycles! They have spent the evening chilling out with some free time and relaxing after a packed day.
Day 3
After yesterday’s epic walk, we gave our legs a bit of a rest and switched up our mode of transport—hopping on a tram from just outside the hotel to the famous Rijksmuseum. This iconic building is one of the most important cultural landmarks in the Netherlands and houses a huge collection of Dutch art and history.
Inside, we explored some of the country’s most significant artworks and historical objects, including the incredible The Night Watch by Rembrandt. We were all struck by the sheer scale of the painting, and the pupils were fascinated to learn more about its importance and the techniques used to conserve it.
After soaking up the art and history, we caught another tram back to the centre of Amsterdam, where the pupils had more time to explore, pick up souvenirs, and enjoy some delicious waffles and crêpes—it’s safe to say they’re becoming connoisseurs of local treats!
From there, we walked north to the NEMO Science Centre, a brilliant interactive museum where science truly comes to life. The pupils got stuck into hands-on exhibits covering everything from engineering to biology, and we’re sure Mrs Young and Mrs Moon would’ve been proud of the enthusiasm and curiosity they showed.
We rounded off the afternoon with a walk back to the tram stop, dodging yet more bicycles, and headed back to the hotel for some well-earned downtime. It’s been a day full of public transport, cultural highlights, sweet treats and science.
Day 4
Today we were up and out swiftly heading south to Efteling Theme Park- one of the oldest and most magical theme parks in Europe, filled with fairy tale forests, theatrical rides and lots of rollercoasters.
After a busy few days exploring the city, most of the pupils took the chance to catch up on some sleep during the bus journey. Once we arrived, it was straight into a fun-packed day of rollercoasters, water rides, and even more rollercoasters!
They had the chance to enjoy some independence as they navigated the busy park in small groups, checking in with us and making the most of everything Efteling had to offer. There were plenty of laughs (and a few soaked socks!) but lots of happy faces throughout the day.
On the way back to the hotel, there were more snoozes on the bus before dinner and a bit of downtime to relax and start packing ahead of tomorrow’s early start. Not many photos from today—but that’s because they barely had their phones out.
Photographs
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Pre Prep and Nursery Project Week
Our Pre Prep and Nursery children have also been joining in with all the fun of the week.
With trips such as The New Forest Wildlife Park and plenty of fun and educational activities, everyone has been having the best time! At the New Forest Wildlife Park, the children learned lots of interesting things about the animals and learnt all about the conservation work that is going on.
Creative Explorers in Pre Prep!
This morning (Thursday, 26th June), our Pre Prep children took part in a wonderful collaborative art project. Each child was represented as they were carefully drawn around, creating life-sized outlines that became part of two giant, colourful masterpieces! Working together, they filled each section with different colours. Look closely and you might just spot some familiar head, shoulders, knees and toes!
In the afternoon, the creativity continued with a Nature Colour Match Treasure Hunt. Our budding artists searched high and low, discovering feathers, shells, and vibrant leaves – then channelled their inner illustrators with some brilliant observational drawings. With eyes wide open to the beauty around them… who would’ve thought a unicorn might be hiding in the grounds? 🦄✨
What an inspiring day of teamwork, imagination, and nature!
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Photographs
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