For three days, Oak Class swapped the classroom for tents, climbing challenges, campfires and plenty of adventure at Cuffley Camp.

Our residential was a chance to try new things, work together, face a few fears and make some brilliant memories along the way. From the moment we left Tewin Cowper, there was a real sense of excitement about what lay ahead.

There were challenges, laughter, muddy shoes, creepy-crawlies, some very memorable activities and plenty of moments that we will be talking about for a long time to come.

This is the story of our Cuffley Camp adventure…

Wednesday – And We’re Off!

 

Our Cuffley Camp adventure began on Wednesday morning at Tewin Cowper, with a school full of very excited Year 6 children ready for the journey ahead!

Once everyone had arrived, bags were packed and final checks had been made, we gathered together for a briefing from Miss Wilson. There was definitely a mixture of excitement and a few nerves, but everyone was ready to get going.

Before long, it was time to board the coach. We waved goodbye to Tewin, our families and the parents who had come along to see us off, and then we were away!

The journey to Cuffley had begun, and our residential adventure was officially underway.

When we arrived at camp, we were welcomed by Chloe, Dani and Liam, who gave us our orientation and explained the important rules we needed to follow to keep ourselves safe during our stay.

We also learnt one of the most important Cuffley traditions: the call and response.

“Who you gonna call?”

“GHOSTBUSTERS!”

It did not take long for everyone to get the hang of that one!

Next, it was time to find our tents and settle in. The tents were small and cosy, and before long everyone had claimed their sleeping spaces, unpacked their bags and started making themselves at home.

Of course, camping also meant sharing our accommodation with the occasional creepy-crawly. Thankfully, this was all part of the adventure — even if some members of Oak Class were slightly less convinced!

Rock Climbing

Our first activity was rock climbing — and we certainly jumped straight into the residential with a challenge!

For many of the children, this was a completely new experience. Some had never climbed before, while others had very little experience of moving at height, so there were understandably a few nerves at first.

Working with the instructors, the children took turns tackling both a sloped climbing wall and a much steeper straight wall, rising an impressive 35 feet from the ground.

What followed was a brilliant display of perseverance. After several attempts, and with plenty of determination, many of the children managed to reach the very top of the climbing wall. The sense of pride when they came back down was wonderful to see.

Just as impressive was the way the children supported one another throughout the activity. There was constant cheering, encouragement and positivity, with everyone willing each other on and celebrating every small success.

Even Miss Tyler had a go and managed to climb all the way to the top of the wall!

Day 1 Lunch

After all that climbing, we were definitely ready for lunch! We headed back to camp and enjoyed sandwiches together, with a chance to rest, chat and recharge before our next activities.

Axethrowing and Archery

For many of us, both activities were completely new, but the instructors carefully showed us what to do and how to take part safely. We learnt some of the more technical skills, including how to nock an arrow correctly and how to throw an axe with control and care.

The children quickly grew in confidence and really enjoyed the challenge. There was plenty of friendly competition, lots of encouragement and more than a few determined attempts to hit the target!

It was another brilliant opportunity to try something unfamiliar, learn a new skill and discover that, with a little patience and practice, we were capable of much more than we first thought.

Day 1 Dinner 

Our first day ended with a well-earned dinner — delicious meatballs that went down very well after such a busy afternoon.

Night 1 - Our first campfire

When we returned to camp, however, we discovered that we had already had a rather cheeky visitor. A pheasant had taken a particular interest in our bins and had even gone after Mrs Bedford’s vegan cookies before apparently deciding that the packaging was much more appealing!

With the wildlife encounter behind us, we finished our first day with games around the campfire. It was a lovely chance to relax together, laugh about the day and enjoy being out under the evening sky.

Eventually, it was time to head back to our tents and bunk down for our first night at Cuffley, sleeping under the stars after a very full and memorable first day.

Day 2 Morning & Breakfast 

Our second day began with everyone waking in the early hours after a peaceful night in our tents.

Once we were up and ready, we headed to the canteen for breakfast, where we were treated to delicious waffles with yoghurt and fruit compote. The children were genuinely surprised by just how lovely the meals at Cuffley were and, unsurprisingly, breakfast was devoured with great enthusiasm!

After breakfast, it was time for our first activity of the day: Gladiator.

Gladiators Ready!

Despite the name, Gladiator was nothing like the television show. Instead, it was a gruelling climbing challenge made up of swinging tyres, wooden logs and a series of obstacles that seemed to lead higher and higher into the air.

Once again, the children showed fantastic confidence, determination and perseverance. It was particularly pleasing to see them applying the climbing skills they had learnt the previous day, approaching the challenge with far greater confidence.

Many managed to reach the very top of the Gladiator course, with some completing the entire challenge in under two minutes!

It was a brilliant start to our second day and another chance for the children to prove just how much they could achieve when they kept going.

Day 2 Lunch

 

Fire Building

 

Lazer Tag

 

Day 2 Pizza Party