Activities Week 2026

Activities week will take place on 29th June to 3rd July 2026

Year 7

Year 7s will take part in school activities on Monday 29th June hosted by the Geography Department. They will then spend another day with the Geographers again in North Norfolk (Cley and Morston Quay) and then two days with the Historians at the Abbey. The Friday will be a special trip which we will reveal in due course! If your child is in Year 7, you do not need to do anything at the moment.

Year 8 & 9

Welcome to the activities for summer of 2026 for Year 8 and Year 9 students. We aim to provide a fun and exciting range of events designed to enable your child to:

· Grow in skills, knowledge, character and confidence in an area of particular interest outside of the classroom curriculum

· Undertake a residential experience and learn the life lessons only available when travelling away from home

· Try something completely different

· Work with students from different year groups

· Develop resilience and the ability to manage change

All students are required to take part in an activity

The school is unable to authorise absence during activities week, unless there are the usual exceptional circumstances.

We expect cost to be an important factor; activities that have a price associated with them are unable to run unless we can cover the full cost through your contributions. There is, as usual, a range of free and low-cost activities to ensure that every child can take part during the week. As a school/Trust we are moving to a new payment system. We will be collecting on monies via this payment system which goes live on Friday 28th November. Remember, this is for students in Year 8 and 9 only.

There will be a non-refundable deposit required by Friday 5th December 2025; this will be available to pay via iPay on Wednesday 12th November 2025. The deadline for full non-refundable payment for all activities is Monday 13th April 2026. Please make payments via iPay. If you need assistance with iPay, please contact the data team [email protected]. If you would like to discuss payment options including instalments, please contact the activity leader once the activity has been confirmed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ACTIVITIES WEEK NOMINATIONS

As I am sure you can appreciate, matching every student to their favourite choice of activities will never be possible, as many activities have a maximum group size and cannot be exceeded for safety reasons. The first form of submitted choices will be the one that will be used, so any duplicated submissions will be void. Therefore, please encourage your child to think carefully about their decision and base their choices on

their passions and interests and not be beholden to who else is undertaking what activities.

It is for this reason we ask students to nominate 3 different activities that they would be happy to participate in;

either 2 residential's and 1 non-residential,

or 1 residential and 2 non-residential's

or 3 non-residential activities

(Please DO NOT pick 3 residential activities).

Whilst we appreciate that your child may have a preference in their choice, the 3 activities they choose are weighted the same in preference and your child must be happy to do any. Please note that if you insert a preference, I am afraid we will not be able to take this into consideration.

Activity nominations can be submitted from Monday 13th October 2025 at 12pm and no later than midday on Monday 27th October 2025. 

A number generator will generate the allocation of places onto activities randomly.

Once the activities have been allocated to your child, there will only be a 4-day cooling-off period in which any changes to an activity choice will be considered. If, in exceptional circumstances, we are unable to assign a place to your child for any of their chosen activities, we will contact you at the end of the cooling-off period. Please note that once your child's place is confirmed for an activity, you are committed to paying for the full cost.

Overall, we have provided an extensive range of activities, including something for everyone.

Activity week approximate costs

Please see below the trips, the required deposit and approximate total cost. A detailed description of all is available further down. Please remember, this is for Year 8 and 9 students only.

* Inclusive of deposit. The largest variable in planning these trips is the transport and coach company quotes are still being finalised.

Deadlines for forms to be completed and payments to be made

Activities and Description

Activities_All_Options.pdf

Adventure week - Trip Leads - TKA & DDA

Come and join us for a week of outdoor and adventurous activities that will test your fitness, courage and teamwork.  The week will include activities such as High Ropes, Combat Paintball and Laser Tag run and these will run daily and will leave school at 8.50am and return at approximately 3.15pm.  You will need to bring appropriate clothing for each activity and a kit list will be available for each day. We are finalising the booking of the remaining activities but rest assured, this activity will live up to it's name once again!

Battlefields (Residential) - Trip Lead - HLI

This 4-day visit is for Y9 students, and whilst priority will be given to those who study History, everyone with a keen interest History is welcome. We spend time in Belgium and northern France, visiting key First World War sites - including battlefields, trenches, museums, memorials, a mine which was used for shelter and for an attack, and more. We also stop at a Belgian chocolate shop and a French supermarket. You will need a passport - and to be ready for an early start on Day 1.

Chess and Games - AJA

Learn to play chess. Improve your chess. Finally beat Mr James! All of these will be available to you if you join this activity. From speed chess to giant chess, you will have the chance to learn new skills and make new friends. No prior experience required! Are you already an active player of Tabletop games? Do you already come to the school club in the library on Tuesdays after school?
Well, this is your chance to come to school and play epic games, complete awesome painting and manufacturing for the full five days of Activities Week. You will have the wherewithal to play games and paint models and only require a space to play and paint!

Cyber Explorers - YNG & KSO

Students will take part in a 5-day programme using Cyber Explorers, a free, government-backed online learning platform designed to introduce 11-14 year olds to the world of cyber security and digital skills.

Cyber Explorers is an interactive, gamified learning experience that helps students explore key cyber concept skills such as:
online safety;
digital forensics;
social engineering;
open-source intelligence.

It also connects these skills to real-world careers in areas like sports technology, medical research, and social media content creation.

Students will get a SCQA Qualification in Cyber Security for completing the programme.

If your child is under 13, parental consent is required for registration.

Cooking - CDA 

This 5 day programme of cooking will see students cook different dishes/items with an international flavour and a British traditional dish. The cost will cover ingredients. Most food is eaten for lunch so please bring 2 tubs to take food away in. If your child has a specific dietary requirement we will need to know in advance to prepare for them.

Fashion Week - MPI & KKI

Are you ready to unleash your creativity and step into the exciting world of fashion? During Activities Week, students in Years 8–9 will have the unique opportunity to design, create, and showcase their very own garments and accessories in a fun, hands-on project.

Across the week, you’ll learn the basics of fashion design, from sketching out your ideas to choosing fabrics and constructing garments and accessories. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a sewing machine before – you’ll be guided through each stage, building skills and confidence along the way.

But that’s not all – fashion isn’t just about making clothes, it’s about presenting them. You’ll also take part in interactive workshops to build your confidence on the catwalk, learning stage presence, posture, and performance techniques.

The week will end with a spectacular fashion show, where you and your classmates will showcase your creations in front of an audience.

France (Residential) - Trip Leads - SSC & LVI

5 days, 4 nights trip to Hauts-de-France. Whilst priority will be given to students who study French, students in Year 8 and 9 who speak French will also be considered. This is an immersive trip where activities will be conducted in French and students will have the chance to experience different aspect of the French culture whilst always improving their language skills.

Learn to ski - Trip Lead - JSA

Aimed at beginner skiers. Pupils will complete 3 days (4 hours per day) at Trowse dry slope, followed by 2 days at Hemel Snowdome. All necessary equipment will be provided. It will be an early start and later finish on the Thursday and Friday when we travel to Hemel Hempstead for the snow dome.

Scrapbooking - MBW & SBU

Do you love creating scrap books? Creative work and trying new techniques? Perfect for those of you already doing scrapbooking in the year 9 elective and also those keen to try something new. You will have your own ideas and resources but will be able to dedicate a week to finishing off those niggly projects that remain undone or starting something really adventurous! Five days dedicated to scrapbooking will ensure lots of completed work which we will show off in our end of term showcase!

Serious About Sport (Hustle) - NWA & JED

This activity involves you undertaking coaching to improve your skills in a range of sporting activities. These will include badminton, football, Gym work at Hustle Boxing, athletics, basketball, rounders and table tennis. You will need to be fit enough to participate in 5 full days of sport. This activity will run daily starting at 8.50am and finishing at 3.25pm. You will need to bring appropriate clothing for the activities including football boots, trainers, swimwear and a packed lunch.

Song writing - FGR

Mr Green is very excited to take pupils on a musical journey – writing music, performing music and then recording in our very own recording studio. This is for students who already play a musical instrument or sing. There will be the opportunity for established bands to play or for new ones to form! We will then showcase the hard work at the end of the week with a concert in the North Hall.

Spanish and Maths Trip to Spain (residential) - Trip Leads - DAN & JMO

Spend 4 days in Spain experiencing Spanish language and culture and seeing maths in real life. There will be an opportunity to visit famous sights in Barcelona such as the Camp Nou, Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas and the Museum of Mathematics. Open to all students - regardless of what language you study!

Water Sports (residential) - Trip Leads - JEK & JBL

Spend 4 nights experiencing water sports enjoying the sunshine experience! This will be a residential camping trip to Devon. A love of water, adventure and contentment under canvas will ensure this is the trip for you!

Ways With Wool - CLL

Join us for ways with wool- whether you are an experienced crochet or knitter, want to finish off a project you've been working on, or trying something new. Spend the week being creative using wool to crochet, knit, make a pom-pom, create i-cord lettering or even a gnome decoration. Learn a new skill, or enjoy the time to finish off a project you have been working on.