Sixth Form Barcelona Trip

 On Monday the 10th of June 2024, the sixth form group travelled to Luton Airport for a 4-night stay at Barcelona in Spain. The aim of the trip was to provide students with the experience of going abroad and understand other cultures from around the world. On the second day some pupils took part in a guided tour around the Nou Camp stadium giving a brief insight into the history of Barcelona Football Club whilst other students took part in sightseeing around Barcelona and around Las Ramblas. In the evening all pupils and staff were given a tour around the Sagrada Familia Cathedral taking in the architecture and history of the building. At night pupils then indulged in local dishes of tapas and paella.

On Wednesday it was more of a relaxed day by visiting the local beach to sunbathe and take a dip in the sea. In the evening, we travelled to the marina and boarded a yacht for a 2-hour sunset cruise taking in the Barcelona coastline. On the last day the group was up early to travel to Port Aventura World theme park in Salou. All pupils loved the theme park and conquered their fears on various rides. Overall, the trip was a great success as pupils coped extremely well from being out of their comfort zone being so far away from home. Pupils behaviour and engagement whilst abroad was exceptional and staff were proud of their efforts. This is the first time Holton School has completed an abroad residential and due to its success, this is something we will carry on looking to offer in the future. 

On Monday the 26th of June, four of our pupils set off to do the Expedition part of their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. The task was to be out for two days walking for at least six hours per day, put tents up and cook a meal while camping. The pupils started their walk in the Lincolnshire Wolds at Belchford and were out walking while exploring the Lincolnshire wildlife and had a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh Assessor, who chatted with them and asked a few questions about the walk. The pupils spent nearly seven hours walking independently which required a great amount of effort. 

The pupils were then taken to the campsite at Woodhall Spa where they put their own tents up and spent the night under the stars. The next morning, they had to cook their own breakfast on the Gas stoves, wash up and take their tents down. When ready, the pupils went on a 6 hour walk around Woodhall Spa which they completed and with that, managed to pass their Bronze Award.  

On Sunday 14th of May 2023, Holton Sleaford Independent School travelled to Polzeath, Cornwall for a one week stay. Throughout the duration of the week, students took part in two-hour surfing lessons, being led by qualified instructors. As the week progressed it was clear that everyone was becoming more confident in their ability, with everyone in the group being able to ride the wave by standing up on their surfboard. 

Whilst there, Staff and Students took a short trip to Padstow via the local ferry boat. Upon arrival, the group went on a speedboat that gave a tour of the Cornish coast around Polzeath, Rock and Padstow. Afterwards some students went crabbing around the port whilst others checked out the area and went shopping. That night, two of our older students went out for dinner on their own without any staff. This shows how much they have improved upon their own self confidence and independence since joining the school two years ago. 

Overall, it was another successful trip. It was great to see how much they remember from their previous surfing lessons and continued to improve their skill set throughout the duration of the week. We’re proud of the students’ display of perseverance with Surfing and how they’ve represented the school throughout the course of the week. 

On Monday 23rd of January 2023, Holton Sleaford Independent School travelled to Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer in Merthyr Tydfil for an action packed four-night stay. This was the largest residential the school has ventured on with 17 pupils and 8 staff. On the first day, pupils conquered their fears by taking part in caving. The first obstacle was to climb through a little hole within the rock face, to then start exploring the tunnels and passages within the cave. Later on in the day, pupils took it in turns to kayak and canoe on the lakes whilst competing against each other in various races. At night time the group  conquered their fears of heights by climbing a 20 meter tree and then zip lining 100 meters across the valley back to the lodge. On the Wednesday morning the group completed a 9km walk around picturesque Pontsticill reservoir and through the Taf Fechan forest which gave great views over the Brecon Beacons. On the last activity day before venturing home, the group took part in outdoor climbing by scaling up a mountain face and abseiling down. Overall, the whole experience was positive, as for a lot of pupils it was their first residential and it gave the opportunity for pupils to take part in outdoor activities which they would never have the chance to before. The groups seemed to really bond with each other, and new friendships were formed which will hopefully let new pupils settle into the school. 

On Sunday 15th of May Holton Independent school travelled to Polzeath in Cornwall for a one week stay. The aim of the trip was for pupils to take part in surfing lessons by qualified instructors in the hope that our pupils learn a new skill of being able to surf. During our visit pupils were also given a lot of independence and trust by having time away from staff. This will hopefully help build their self-confidence and improve social skills whilst in public, as well as improving relationships with peers. 

Whilst we were in Cornwall several pupils enquired about crabbing, so we took a short ferry ride across to Padstow to test their skills. The next day pupils were rewarded with a speed boat trip around the shores of Polzeath, on the look out for any wildlife as the driver said they had spotted a dolphin the week before. Overall, the trip was a great success as a lot of pupils have never been away from home before for a full week. A lot of the group took to surfing and clear progression in their ability was evident over the week as they began to stand up on their board. This whole experience will hopefully make a big difference on their attitudes towards school as well as creating new friendships. 

On Monday 13th December, we kicked off our Christmas activities week with a trip to the New Theatre Royal Lincoln to watch the pantomime, ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Staff and students all enjoyed watching and getting involved in the show.

On Tuesday 30th November Holton Independent school travelled to Derbyshire for a one night residential. The pupils and staff stayed at Hartington Hall which is an 17th century manor house that has been converted into a youth hostel. The main aims of the trip were to build pupils self-confidence, social skills and most importantly build positive relationships with staff and other pupils. On the first day of the trip staff and pupils completed a 10km walk that tested everyone’s fitness and map reading skills. The walk itself was very picturest walking along the river Dove with a slight incline hike which gave great views of the Derbyshire dales. This was a great experience for pupils to test their skills in preparation for their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award expedition that pupils will be undertaking later in the year. Later in the day everyone ate at a local restaurant to replenish their energy stores in preparation for an hour of ten-pin bowling at night as a reward for their efforts in the day. Overall, the trip has shown to be a success by taking pupils away from their comfort zones it will have a positive impact in their own self-belief and confidence in their ability in and out of a school environment