It has been an extraordinarily busy week for Queenswood students and staff, with timetables suspended for a programme of enrichment activities both in and out of school.

Year 7 enjoyed taking part in STEM activities involving eggs and cardboard towers, building and racing their own Roman chariots, a trip to the Tate Modern gallery, getting hands-on experience of early-medieval warfare with a reenactment of the Norman Conquest, a ‘Meet the Author’ session with science author Isabel Thomas, and world music and songwriting workshops.

Read Mrs Khan’s pun-tastic report on the Egg Tower Challenge here.

Read Juliette H’s write-ups on the STEM activities, the Tate Modern visit and the Norman Conquest experience here.

Many Year 8 pupils spent most of the week in Madrid, where they toured the Bernabeu stadium, visited the Almudena Cathedral and the ancient Egyptian Temple of Debod, experienced a flamenco show, spent a day at Parque Warner theme park, and of course sampled lots of delicious tapas and churros. They even found themselves caught up in King Felipe’s 10th anniversary celebrations! For those that remained in the UK, there were culinary, artistic and sporting activities to celebrate the cultures of France, Japan and Spain, and a trip to Hamerton Zoo.

Year 9 spent two unforgettable days on the WW1 battlefields of Belgium and northern France; you can read about this very special trip here. Meanwhile, students at Queenswood explored the Hindu faith, took part in an Apprentice-based activity, and joined Year 10 on the paddle boards. Later in the week, the whole year group enjoyed a workshop and performance of Romeo and Juliet by the Globe Players, took part in dance workshops with a West End professional, had an illuminating talk on water safety courtesy of Herts Police, and spent a gloriously sunny day at Thorpe Park.

For Year 10, the week began with a Sixth Form experience day, during which they spent time in the Bellman Sixth Form Centre, and took part in an afternoon of taster lessons in the 27 subjects available at A-Level. Later in the week, they spent a morning paddle-boarding and rock-climbing, took part in team-building exercises on Trew Lawn, watched a performance by the Globe Players, learned a stunning dance routine from Moulin Rouge with a West End star, visited Oaklands College, and tackled the high ropes of Alexandra Palace GoApe.

Read Adelaide W’s account of the Sixth Form Experience Day here.

For Year 12, the focus was very much on futures and careers, with time spent exploring university courses, getting to grips with the UCAS process, and taking part in an exciting Festival Challenge enterprise activity. They had a talk from a LinkedIn representative LinkedIn about CVs and employability, and enjoyed a day out to the Freud museum in Hampstead.

Thank you to every member of staff who helped to make these memorable experiences possible, and special thanks to Mrs Bullock, our External Visits Coordinator, who masterminded the entire operation – no mean feat!