Year 1 and Year 6 trip to Oxleas Woods
On 24 May 2017, one of the hottest days of the year so far, Years 1 and 6 headed to Oxleas Woods for a day exploring nature. Each Year 1 child was allocated a Year 6 buddy to support them on the trip and they set out, hand in hand, into the glorious sunshine.
After a walk to Welling High Street and a short bus ride we arrived on the Woolwich Common side of Shooters Hill, by which time the children were raring to go! As we walked up the steps, on the hunt for the hidden castle, the children used their detective skills to identify a range of trees just from the shape of their leaves. After a short, silent pause to appreciate the birdsong, a clamber up a very steep slope brought us to Severndroog Castle, by which time we were all in need of a short pit stop for a couple of minutes rest and a drink.
We continued on our adventure, reaching the café and the beautiful views from Oxleas Meadows, where we sat in the sunshine for a picnic lunch. The children were then given a colour chart and a bag, and were asked to collect small samples from nature (leaves, twigs etc) which matched some of the colours on their chart as we set off into the depths of the woods. We eventually emerged on the Welling side of Shooters Hill, for our short bus ride and walk back to school.
Year 6 did a fantastic job looking after their young buddies, and it was lovely to hear the encouragement they offered as they worked together on each of their tasks. All of the children were very well-behaved and I was particularly impressed with how well Year 1, who are still very young, coped with such a long walk on a very warm day.
Nicola Bubb