In the last of our Trips Day instalments for this academic year, our students enjoyed some great activities and trips out – to Broadstairs beach, a Boulogne boulangerie workshop and snail farm, Blackheath Field Studies, an inflatable wipe-out party, Adventure Island at Southend-on-Sea and an all-important UCAS/Higher Education Day for Year 12.

A fun and educational finale had by all! 

Year 7 - Broadstairs 

Year 7 headed off for a trip to the seaside at Broadstairs beach, to have the opportunity to get together as a Year Group, relax together and reflect on their past year at Blackheath High School. There were lots of organised activities on the beach, including beach volleyball and sandcastle building. In fine Broadstairs tradition, the seagulls enjoyed an excellent lunch, stealing all the sandwiches they could get their beaks on! 

Year 8 – Boulogne 

A whistlestop trip to France beckoned for Year 8 students. They had a great day in Boulogne, learning about French culture, making croissants and baguettes with an expert boulanger and making a fascinating trip to a snail farm. The day ended with a visit to Boulogne sur Mer before catching the ferry home, fatiguées mais heureuses! 

Year 9 - Biology Field Studies 

This investigation day was organised by the Biology department to assist students in their study of Ecology. Students had a nice short walk to the Blackheath grasslands near school to investigate a range of environmental factors and living organisms not available within the school grounds. They undertook quadrat sampling on the Heath (a field-sampling method used in ecology to estimate the abundance and distribution of organisms in a particular area) in order to compare the species richness and diversity in trampled and untrampled areas. They also did a belt transect across a path on the Heath. After a studious morning, Year 9s let their hair down with a wonderful 'Inflatable wipe-out party' on the sports fields! 

Year 10 – Adventure Island  

As a fun reward for all their hard work this year in dealing with the step up into GCSEs, Year 10 students made a trip to Adventure Island and the beach, at Southend-on-Sea. A fantastic array of rides and amusements kept everyone entertained – the ideal reward after a busy academic year! 

Year 12 - UCAS/Higher Education Day 

This important event gave students an excellent opportunity to get into the mindset of understanding the UCAS application and how to work successfully to create the optimal application. Our Year 12s had some excellent sessions working with Mrs Beecham and Ms Day who shared their skills and guidance in creating outstanding Personal Statements; and Competitive applicants worked with Ms Owen-Frawley who supported with the move forward with early entry applications.  

Years 11 & 13 have of course worked tirelessly towards their exams this term, and have gone off to recuperate before results day!