With trips firmly back on the school calendar, we were delighted that, during half term, a large number of students participated in a variety of trips. These ranged from a Geography trip to Dorset, an Economics trip to Amsterdam and Brussels and practice expeditions for Duke of Edinburgh participants.
Despite the forecast of gails and rain, students arrived at Studland Bay met by gloriously warm sunshine. Students visited Studland Dune Complex, Furzy Cliff, Lulworth Cove, Stair Hole, Ringsted Bay, Durdle Door, Chesil Beach and watched the sunset on Portland Quarries. Topics studied included the conflicts between natural environments and visitors; the use of levels in beach surveys; the formation of Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole and analysis of the differences in profile and sediments between an unmanaged and managed beach.
Economics students spent an intensely packed programme in Amsterdam and Brussels. The students were interested to learn about Amsterdam’s battles to manage the decriminalised industries it is infamous for, an entertaining time was had at the city dungeons and dinner was enjoyed at one of Europe’s largest food halls. The following day students watched the world’s largest flower auction at Royal Flora Holland, where 44 million stems are sold a day.
In Brussels, students visited both the national bank of Belgium and the European commission. They were privileged to hear from one of the commissions senior civil servants. We were proud to witness boys offering some insightful contributions and posing some challenging questions.
Visits to an artisan chocolatier, Stella Artois breweries, Autoworld Museum and Antwerp Port completed this packed itinerary.
Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh participants took part in their respective practice expeditions at Lyndhurst, New Forest and Dartmoor National Park.
The Silver award students had a fantastic expedition utilising their navigation skills in kind weather and stunning woodland settings. A cloudless evening for the night-time navigation exercise, prompted a lively discussion on astronomy. Unlike the Silver expedition, the Gold award students were not blessed with favourable weather conditions. Heavy rain compounded the difficulty of navigating over the four-day exercise. However, the boys worked hard to overcome this, utilising navigational skill techniques that are often overlooked. The practice expeditions are a valuable learning opportunity, helping prepare young people to navigate the complex needs of adulthood and life beyond the gates of the RGS.