Year 5 and 6 Overstrand Adventure: Residential Trip 2025

Monday 9th June

A few tears, from the parents, and a lot of laughs, the children, and we were finally away on our adventure to Overstrand Hall! A smooth journey quickly brought us to our home for the week and we leapt upon our packed lunches before getting to explore the house and grounds. We’ve braved the leaf throwing squirrels and proved our prowess at archery, had a delicious dinner and a just finished a  octane Scavenger Hunt. At time of writing the Nightwalk is all that stands between us and bed!!! Happy days!!!

Tuesday 10th June

After a good night’s sleep we were wide awake and ready for our breakfast! The food here is great and there’s loads of it, which is necessary as there were plenty of activities we needed energy for. The day has been packed with Archery, Nightline, Jacob’s ‘It’s not Jacob’s it’s ours’ Ladder, and Buggy Building. The children (and adults) have also faced the dreaded Leap of Faith!!! All of the activities have been physically demanding and required great teamwork and support for each other and our children have been just awesome!!! We’ve got Mini Olympics this evening before we can finally tumble, exhausted into our beds! Wonderful! 

Wednesday 11th June

Wednesday! We’re halfway through the week and it has been a very different sort of day for us to enjoy! After another good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast the children were challenged to make waterproof shelters with the ante raised when our instructors, the ever present Nathan and Gabby, told them that the children were going to sit in their own shelters whilst the waterproof quality was tested! Following their soakings, the children then had to make fires – we knew they were bright sparks!!!! 
Another fabulous lunch and we were off to the beach!!!! The water was cold and so was the wind, but the sun was glorious and we had a marvelous time splashing in the sea, building sand castles and playing football. Special mention must go to our very own Georgia, who was as cool as a cucumber when she encountered one of the local jellyfish!!!! 
Dinner and the Scrapheap Challenge are still to come. 
Welly, jelly, go!!!!!! 

Thursday 12th June

A good night’s sleep and yet another hearty breakfast prepared us for the octane fuelled morning ahead of us. After yesterday’s beach expedition we were climbing again today. High Equilibrium and a Climbing Wall faced us, but we’re now old hands and nothing scares the mighty Hunsdon! The children shot up both activities with confidence, racing each other to ring the bell at the top of the climbing wall, or dancing the Macarena on the seesaw in the sky! Truly magnificent! 
Lunch followed – a much needed cheeseburger and chips – I’m thinking of it as fuel rather calories! Then came the moment that the children were most excited about as well as most nervous of… the letters from home! Wonderful letters! Full of jokes, entertaining stories and an abundance of love. We laughed and cried together and took a moment out of our busy week to wish we were home. 
But only a moment as we were soon back swinging on low ropes and racing around Overstrand’s grounds, seeking checkpoints whilst armed with maps.
Dinner and campfire are in store for us this evening – lasagne, nuggets, songs and singed marshmallows.
Perfect.

Friday 13th June

Friday! Our final singing alarm clock, final breakfast, final wake-up dance on the lawn, final… you get the idea! 
We’ve had the most fabulous week, the children have been amazing and we feel very lucky to have shared in their adventure! Here are the final few pictures to round it all up…