Students developed their independence, group work, initiative and planning skills, crossing central London by foot in a geocaching challenge - before walking even further in a night walk tour after dinner.
Ella, 16, said: “I’ve surprised myself this trip with the amount of patience I’ve had when I’ve been around people 24/7 and I don’t have my usual spaces. There was so much to do that I wasn’t on my phone the whole time and I actually paid attention to all the new things around me!”.
Students toured two London museums, exploring the collections of the Wellcome Collection and the British Library. Each student selected one object to share in a ‘balloon debate’, with Emma ultimately triumphing with her defence of a Japanese silver memento mori figurine, used to remind people of the transience of life and material luxury, principles the students felt captured the ethos of their adventure trip and travels.
The preparation London trip was made possible by the generous donations of the Friends of Cherwell, including local business Scale Coach. The Turing Scheme grant covers basic cost of living, travel and accommodation but it does not include trip activities. In order to give students unforgettable experiences unique to Finland and Estonia - such as lake swimming, aurorae hunting and sampling traditional food - the group are seeking sponsorship and donations from individuals and businesses (contact: cricher@cherwellschool.org). Miss Richer, Academic Enrichment Coordinator and English teacher said: “We are thrilled that the students embraced our London trip so enthusiastically and with such determination. We know that they will be brilliant ambassadors for Cherwell and UK schools when they reach Helsinki, Rovaniemi and Tallinn next month and that it will be an enriching experience for everyone involved - students and staff!”
By Miss Richer, Academic Enrichment Coordinator and English teacher
© The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SPRING NEWSLETTER 2022 Page 21
