The sun was shining and over 1500 students had a great day taking part in activities that had a curriculum focus, but extended beyond their normal classroom learning. 

Year 7 

The Baitul Futuh Mosque, Morden
In preparation of students’ exploration into the Abrahamic faiths in Year 8, the whole of Year 7 attended the local, and world famous, Baitul Futuh in Morden. They toured the beautiful site led by amazing guides, and then returned to school to reflect on their visit and prepare their knowledge for next year. Students asked some excellent questions and produced some beautiful work.

Frylands Wood Outdoor Scout Centre
Half of the year group took part in team building and resilience activities for PSHE, at Frylands Wood outdoor scout centre. Students showed great teamwork during barrel cart building, orienteering and blindfold trails. They also demonstrated resilience whilst climbing to great heights, practising their archery skills and channelling their inner Viking during tomahawk throwing. The day was full of adrenaline-filled fun, with laughter and screams of delight echoing in the great outdoors.

Hampton Court
The trip to Hampton Court was a great success, with students able to see the site of Henry VIII’s power and answer the question ‘was Hampton Court Palace a palace of pleasure or power?’ The fantastic weather gave students the opportunity to explore the wonderful gardens and enjoy a picnic. Most importantly, no students got lost in the famous Hampton Court Maze. It was an enjoyable and educational day out for half of our Year 7s.

Year 8

Morden Hall
Year 8s had a great day observing and drawing the delights of nature that Morden Hall gardens had to offer. The weather was perfect and the flowers were blooming. It was so lovely to see such high quality artwork produced in-situ, just like the masters.

Howletts Zoo
The science department took Year 8 students to Howletts Zoo in Kent for an immersive trip exploring the curriculum’s Big Idea of interdependence. Students engaged with an activity pack designed to deepen their understanding of ecosystems and conservation.

During their visit, students:

Critically evaluated animal enclosures, connecting their classroom knowledge of ecosystems to real-world applications.

Identified animal adaptations for survival by conducting two species studies.

Weighed the pros and cons of zoos as a method of conservation.

Howletts Zoo works closely with the Aspinall Foundation, a charitable organisation renowned for its vital work in rewilding endangered and critically endangered species. Our students had the unique opportunity to observe a variety of these rare animals, including the UK’s largest gorilla colony. 

It was a pleasure to accompany our Year 8 students on this enriching experience. They were excellent representatives of the school, demonstrating exemplary conduct and a high level of academic curiosity throughout the trip.

Neasden Temple
Students attended the magnificent Hindu Mandir in Neasden, North London and were taken on a tour of the grounds by a brilliant volunteer guide. They learnt about the history of the Mandir, discovered some of the traditions of the regular devotees and explored the many different prayer halls and meeting spaces. Students were able to visit an interactive exhibition that brings to life the rich history of Hinduism abroad and in the UK, and were even able to observe an ‘arti ceremony’ which is a daily, sacred prayer ceremony where worshippers gather to receive blessing from the various statues of God housed within the Mandir. This trip enabled students to reflect on their classroom learning in Hinduism, it helped bring to life some of the practices mentioned in lesson and created a deeper understanding into the daily lives of Hindu worshippers in London. 

Year 9

The Pavillion, Fun Experts
Our Year 9 students took part in an action-packed day filled with laughter, energy, and teamwork. Throughout the day students competed in a variety of exciting challenges designed to test their agility, balance, and coordination – while having an enormous amount of fun! Beyond the bouncing and racing, the day provided a valuable opportunity for students to develop teamwork and communication skills. Each activity encouraged them to work collaboratively, support one another, and build stronger peer relationships. It was fantastic to see students step up, cheer each other on, and engage so positively throughout the day.

Bognor and Worthing Beaches
Our Year 9 students had a fantastic time conducting their geography fieldwork at Worthing and Bognor beaches. With clipboards in hand and the sea breeze in the air, they completed bi-polar surveys to assess coastal management strategies, created detailed field sketches to capture key features of the landscape, and carried out clone town surveys to investigate the character of the local high streets. It was a great opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a real-world setting while enjoying the coastal environment.

London Eye and River Cruise
Six of our Year 9 groups embarked on a fantastic trip to London, where they experienced the iconic London Eye and enjoyed a fun river cruise along the Thames. The MFL department truly brought Spanish to life, engaging students with fun and exciting activities throughout the trip. From conversational challenges to interactive tasks, the activities were closely linked to the curriculum, giving our students an incredible opportunity to apply what they have learned in class to real life situations. 

A bonus highlight was the sunny weather, reminiscent of Spain itself, with temperature and atmosphere so vibrant that many students remarked it felt as though they had travelled to Spain. Especially with Spanish tourists adding to the authenticity. It was a memorable day filled with learning, fun and cultural immersion.

Year 10 

Careers day

Year 10 took part in an exciting day of post-16 planning. They explored what college and apprenticeships could look like with supporters from South Thames College Group, and discovered what life at Greenshaw Sixth Form would offer. In addition they grew in confidence completing oracy workshops entitled ‘Talk about Communication’ with experts from Talk the Talk.

The Globe Players 

We were incredibly lucky and excited to welcome back The Globe Players to Greenshaw for the second year in a row. The group gave two highly engaging performances of Macbeth and An Inspector Calls in the main hall. They enjoyed seeing the two texts in a different way, and benefited from professional actors embodying the characters and bringing the plays to life on the stage. Students were also able to take part in a Q & A with the actors and discuss key themes and ideas in each play. A brilliant day!

Ms Webb, Assistant Headteacher

Take a look at some of the photos below.