Day 1

Wow! What a fantastic first day we have had at Hilltop!

We arrived at 11:30, ate our packed lunches, were shown to our rooms and layered up ready for the afternoon activities. Despite the rain, we had lots of fun completing our first lot of activities: Group 1 did the Super Swing and Team Tasks; Group 2 had a go at Archery and Crates; Group 3 tackled the Assault Course and the Big Zipper. We then tucked in to a delicious meal of lasagne followed by apple crumble with custard, and the children did a fantastic job of cleaning their tables (parents, take note – we hope they do this at home too)! Feeling full and warm again, we headed back outside for our evening activities in the dark – some had fun playing Owls and Mice in the woods, whilst others played Next Stop. We are now snuggled in our pyjamas and enjoying a hot chocolate before bed.

Year 6 did a fantastic job at persevering through the cold and challenging themselves today, we are very proud of them all. Fingers crossed for a drier day tomorrow.

Goodnight everyone!

Here are some quotes from today:

Ishbel: I loved the crates, everyone had a job and we all worked together.

Ruby Su: I thoroughly enjoyed the big zipper because I love heights and it was lots of fun.

Ronnie: I found it really helpful when my friends were saying ‘don’t worry, you can do it’.

Joya: I liked trying some new things as I’d never done them before; it was exciting!

Frankie B: I enjoyed the big zipper because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and it was really exciting.

Alina: Even though the super swing looked really scary, it was fun and totally worth it.

Katrina: The leaders were really supportive which encouraged me to be more supportive to others.

Christos: The challenges that we were put up to really matched the moto of ‘challenge by choice’.

Max H: I liked the super swing because it was scary but superb.

Jack: I enjoyed the archery because it was a challenge to hit the bullseye.

Ed: The super swing didn’t look that high but when you were on it, it was petrifying. However, it was definitely worth it!

Reba: When I got on the super swing, I was a bit nervous, but I really enjoyed it.

Arvids: I enjoyed doing the crates as it took a lot of teamwork and co-ordination.

Logan: I thought the super swing was terrifying but still fun.

Omar: I liked the team games as it helped me to communicate more with the people around me.

Gemma: You get a chance to fly off the crates!

Gyaan: On the big zipper, you had to be very organised and do your job at the right time to be successful.

Frankie M: I loved the assault course because when you felt like you couldn’t do it, people would cheer you on.

Yusuf: It has been a wonderful experience so far; I’d like to do everything again.

Tim: The super swing helped to push me out of my comfort zone, and I feel like I need to go there more.

Gabriel: The archery helped to push me out of my comfort zone as I got to use real arrows.

Ben: The super swing was quite scary but definitely a worthwhile experience which pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Ausie: I liked the crates because it helped me to trust the people around me.

Safa: It really helped when we compromised to find a level of challenge that suited us all on the super swing.

Daniella: I loved the big zipper and the assault course as it helped me to be more confident in everything I did with my friends cheering me on.

Athira: I really liked the crates when we were going to jump off as we had a lot of teamwork so I didn’t feel worried.

Sophie M: I liked the crates as we all communicated well in order to get to the top to ring the bell.

Bethany: Even though I was scared, the big zipper was worth it!

Day 2

Year 6 have reached the end of a second fantastic day at Hilltop.

Most of us had a good night’s sleep last night and, after eating a hearty breakfast this morning, we layered up and began our morning activities. The weather held out for us and we enjoyed a cold but dry, fun-filled morning. A quick stop for a warming jacket potato at lunch gave us the energy to head out again for our afternoon activities. We zoomed down the big zipper, crawled under muddy nets, climbed to new heights, and swung on the world’s biggest swing! We were amazed at how many children wanted to tackle the highest challenges today – they have been so brave! The Hilltop staff have been particularly impressed by the kindness and love that the children have shown towards each other in the form of teamwork and words of encouragement. Well done Year 6! Unfortunately, the storm caught up with us towards the end of the day which meant that we could not complete our evening outdoor tasks. However, we still had a great evening playing in the games room and raiding the gift shop.

It’s off to bed now. We are sure that everybody will sleep well tonight!

Here are some quotes from today:

Albert: The team tasks were a lot of fun and I enjoyed working with others.

Tegan: I really enjoyed the big zipper and how it shot through the trees.

Lukas: I liked how the zip line pushed you past your comfort zone and made you try new things.

Delana: The high ropes pushed me to my limits because I tried the lower ones and gradually progressed up to the higher ones.

Kezia: I liked the high ropes as everyone supported each other.

Alejandro: Today I challenged myself on the super swing to go higher than I expected.

Oli P: I liked the super swing as it gave me an adrenaline rush.

Amelia: I am petrified of heights, but I persevered and believed in myself.

Thomash: I liked the super swing and how people were really supportive.

Charlie: I enjoyed the big zipper as when you dropped it gave you a bit of a fright.

Asha: I really enjoyed the super swing because it was fun and joyful.

Aida: I found the super swing really intense when you had to pull the lever to release yourself.

Izzy: The big zipper was a really amazing experience that I’d love to do again.

Josh: I preferred the super swing over the big zipper as it pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Srihan (aka Shriekhan): I found the high ropes scary but fun.

Ruby Si: I liked the super swing because at first, I thought it was really scary but then I went on it and it was really fun.

Ellie: Even though the super swing was really scary at first, it was fun once you got going.

Evie: The super swing was really enjoyable as it pushed me out of my comfort zone and it made me want to try new things.

Ellia: I really enjoyed the area at Hilltop and everything has been really enjoyable, especially the high ropes and the super swing.

Will: I like the desserts because they are really yummy.

Nuriya: The high ropes were really enjoyable because everyone was supportive, both physically and verbally.

Olivia: Although the super swing looked terrifying, I persevered and really enjoyed it in the end.

Oliver U: Although I was not a fan of heights, the super swing pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Freya: I was really nervous to go on the super swing, but I really enjoyed it when I went on.

Hala: I liked the trapeze because it was very fun and it pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Lenon: I liked the team building games as it helped me to trust other people more.

Adam: I am proud of myself for trying the super swing.

Swara: The high ropes was one of my favourite activities because everyone was really supportive and it pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Max D: I liked the high ropes as everyone kept encouraging me when I wanted to stop which enabled me to go further

Day 3

Our final day at Hilltop began with an early wake up call at 7am so that we could pack our bags before breakfast. After lots of sitting on suitcases, rolling up of sleeping bags (thank you teachers) and finding homes for odd socks, we cleared our rooms and put our bags in the luggage store. Breakfast was served and we began our last activities. Despite the cold weather, it was a fantastic morning full of adventure and fun. Once again, the children challenged themselves and we are so proud of the courage and perseverance they showed. After tucking in to pizza for lunch, we reluctantly boarded the coach, waved goodbye to Hilltop and headed back to Cambourne. 57 sleepy children and 8 exhausted adults made it back safe and sound at 3:40pm. 

We have thoroughly enjoyed our residential at Hilltop; not only did we have fantastic fun, we also learnt lots of new skills that we can apply to our everyday lives. Year 6 have shown great maturity, friendship and teamwork over the last 3 days, well done Year 6!