London Visit
On Thursday 30th November, twenty-one high attaining year 9s visited London to participate in a variety of English and Humanities themed extended learning opportunities. To further their understanding of key areas of study in their geographical studies, students visited the Museum of Natural History’s Red Zone. The Red Zone allows students to explore key topic areas such as: volcanoes and earthquakes, river formation, weather patterns and the origins of Earth. Whilst in one of the museums most famous zones, students were able to consolidate the knowledge they had learnt in the classroom, whilst also being given the opportunity to apply other contextual factors. Students also had the chance to experience an earthquake simulator, see a frozen lightning bolt that was captured in the desert sand, see a 3,500-million-year-old microfossil that represents the earliest life on Earth and touch a giant stalagmite.
After lunch in the Natural History Museum, we then explored London whilst making our way across to the Prince Edward Theatre, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London, to see Disney’s musical, Aladdin. However, instead of just being theatregoers, the students needed to take on the role of a theatre critic and makes notes during the interval to help them write their own theatre review focusing on a number of areas including: direction, lighting, staging, acting and costume design.
After the theatre, we then made our way down Regent Street (major shopping street in the West End of London) where the students were even given the opportunity to explore Hamley’s Toy Shop (the oldest and largest toy shop in the world) before walking past Broadcasting House: the headquarters of the BBC.
Demonstrating how much of an asset they are to the Academy, the student’s behaviour and attitude throughout the day was exemplary.
Miss S Murphy-Corish (Director of Humanities)
Mr M O’Neill (Coordinator of Able, Gifted and Talented Students)
