5JS Low Mill Residential – incredible experiences in the Yorkshire Dales
5PM and 5JS both had a fantastic time at Low Mill Outdoor Activity Centre, in the Yorkshire Dales.
Both classes travelled by coach to Askrigg for three days of outdoor adventurous activities and team building. The Year 5 residential also involved the children staying away from home, for two nights, without their family; this was a brand-new experience for many of them.
Upon arrival, all the children were tasked with finding their room, making their beds and unpacking their bags. It was wonderful to see them help each other in these tasks, and the life skills didn’t stop there. The children were placed in teams and helped lay the tables, hoover the communal rooms, clean and set the tables and wash and dry up after each meal. Amazingly, the children enjoyed these tasks and took great pride in doing them well.
All the adventurous activities were set within the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. And were led by the Low Mill instructors. The activities were mostly based outdoors, although a few games were held indoors. Activities included an adventure walk to a stunning waterfall, caving at Ribblehead, abseiling off Appersett viaduct, climbing an artificial climbing wall, a nature walk learning about different trees, team building games and archery. Whilst it may have rained (especially during 5PM’s visit), it did not dampen anyone’s spirits, and all the children gave everything a good go.
In the evenings, the children enjoyed some down time with their friends, taking full advantage of the common room which was equipped with a pool table, table tennis and quiet room. The children also had time to relax and/or played fun team games, before winding down for bed with a delicious hot chocolate and bedtime story. They also got to visit the tuck shop to buy treats and souvenirs; this was staffed by local volunteers from the village of Askrigg, who were keen to support the work of Low Mill in their community.
Talbot’s visit to Low Mill was also linked to the Autumn Connected Curriculum topic, ‘Mountains and Rivers’. Once back at school, the children reflected on their experience and the physical geographical features they saw. The children used Ordnance Survey maps to find the location of the centre, focusing on nearby settlements and physical features including rivers and contour lines to show the shape of the landscape. Having experienced these things in person, they were infinitely more meaningful back in the classroom. The children also used their new knowledge learnt at Low Mill to discuss waterfalls, rivers and caves.
Both Low Mill staff and Talbot staff were so impressed with Year 5’s determination and teamwork during their stays and proud of their efforts. As a year group, the children have made amazing memories for years to come.
