As we are sat on the coach, we have time to reflect on what has been an incredible time we have had on our residential to Robinwood.
The children and adults have loved every minute, with the majority asking to stay longer. But unfortunately we had to say some emotional goodbyes to our FANTASTIC leader so Holly, Hannah and Beth. They have been amazing with your crhildren. They have pushed and challenged the children to tackle their own fears, made sure all the children were safe, made every second as fun and as enjoyable as humanly possible and helped to create memories for a lifetime. Priceless. So from everyone a HUGE THANK YOU to them.
Today was also another special day for one our children. A birthday. A birthday to remember. Ely was treated to an X factor worthy rendition of Happy Birthday. Along with a badge and sash to let everyone know it was his birthday. There was enough cake for everyone to help make oucr walk back to the coach more enjoyable.
Another huge thank you to Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney for giving up their time to accompany the children on their residential. Their support and encouragement has been well received by the children and Robinwood staff. The time put in has been invaluable, our residential would not run without their commitments, so on behalf of all the children THANK YOU!
Well, it’s nearly time to sign off the Robinwood blog for another year. But again a huge WELL DONE to all the children for been AMAZING! Have a great weekend, a nice warm shower and plenty of rest. Just remember, you are all incredible and you have all achieved so much. Be proud of all your achievents.
We are due back at school at 5.50pm. See you all very soon.
Mr E, Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney x
Day 1
Friday 13 October 2017
Thursday 12 October 2017
Day 2 - Wall 2 Wall Excitement!
Good evening all,
WOW! What a fantastic day. Just when you think our children could not be any more AMAZING they go and prove me wrong! If I had a pound for everytime a member of Robinwood staff said what a fantastic group of children we have I would be a millionaire (well nearly!).
The day started off with a glowing report from the famous Robinwood Night Ninjas. No problems to report so onto our first activity. Breakfast! With Potato waffles, sausages, beans, bacon, cereal, toast and fruit on offer the children certainly were fuelled for the action packed day that awaited them.
Each group had 2 activities to complete before lunch. Rapids had Night-line and Crate Challenge, Waterfall had Obstacle course and Crate Challenge and Spring group had climbing and Knights Quest . Each activity required certain skills that pushed and challenged children to achieve their set goals. Reports from Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney are that the children surpassed expectations in each of their activities. Teamwork skills were strongly evident as children flew through activities and pushed onto more challenging games. I was particularly impressed with the compassion and encouragement shown between the children in Rapids when completing their morning activities.
Lunch time! A chance to regroup and reenergise. Tuck shop awaited next and the children were allowed a treat for now and one for later along with a drink. Pencils, pens and mugs to help the children remember and treasure the memories which have been created over the past 2 days.
After lunch another 3 activities for the children to sink their teeth into! Rapids had climbing, canoeing and the Dungeon of DOOM! Waterfall had canoeing, trapeze and night-line. Spring group had archery, crate challenge and obstacle course. During the 2nd of activities our first surprise guest arrived. Mr Duffy! No time to rest after a long journey up, whisked into a harness Mr Duffy was straight onto crate challenge with Spring group. Mr Duffy also brought along with him blue skies and sunshine (the suncream nearly came out!). Respect, listening, encouragement, problem solving, teamwork and communication were all skills that Holly, Hannah and Beth (Our SUPERSTAR instructors) said our children had showed in abundance. Holly, our course leader, has not stopped raving about our fabulous children and doesn't just tell us, the whole centre are aware of our FANTASTIC children!
Teatime! Pizza, curry, jam doughnuts and ice cream were on the menu. Time to relax and prepare for the most anticipated Robinwood activity. The Piranha Pool!!! Rapids and Spring were the 2 groups to take on the peckish piranhas. However before we could go. The courtyard was full of excitement, was it a local celebrity? no, it was our illustrious leader, Mr Cook. Just like Mr Duffy, before he could say hello and grab a drink, he was pulled to the Courtyard Yurt to get into a harness. The giant swing was waiting! What could be better for the children than seeing the headteacher yanked up to the top of the tallest tree and sent soaring through the sky? The answer to that question is to send up Mr Duffy as well. Pictures and video to follow.
The much awaited piranha pool was approached with excitement and some nerves. Had Mr Elliot been lying? Were they any piranhas? Is the water hot or cold?
Well not to spoil it for any younger siblings, the children all survived, however, Rapids only just got out with seconds to spare before they were the piranhas supper!
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye to Mr Cook and Mr Duffy. Thank you for making the long journey up. The children loved having you visit and we hope you arrive back home safely.
Caving, Dungeon of Doom and Piranha Pool were the final activities of Day 2. Even though these were our final activities the children still showed as much enthusiasm and positivity as they had done for the first activity. We could not be any prouder of the children!
Hot chocolate, biscuits and bedtime followed. Tired eyes were plentiful in the room as the eagerly waited phrase 'bedtime' was met with joy as over 12 hours of undeliverable fun had taken its toll on some of the children and adults.
On a personal note, I wanted to take the opportunity to say a big THANK YOU! Some think the adults who go on residential are crazy (particularly Mrs McCarney's husband!). But your children have been truly amazing. Mrs McCarney, Mrs Harkins and I are so proud of all the children's achievements. They have also been a delight to sit and have breakfast, lunch and dinner with and never once complained. The manners and politeness have been OUTSTANDING and remind me what a FANTASTIC school we are part of.
Anyway, enough of that, we still have another busy morning ahead. Breakfast, 3 more activities and lunch before we start our journey back to Collingham.
Again, thank you for you lovely comments. These are priceless to the children and we love to see the smiles which go from ear to ear as the children read them. I will try to upload some more photos but it is proving at times too much for the WiFi.
See you tomorrow,
Mr E, Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney
WOW! What a fantastic day. Just when you think our children could not be any more AMAZING they go and prove me wrong! If I had a pound for everytime a member of Robinwood staff said what a fantastic group of children we have I would be a millionaire (well nearly!).
The day started off with a glowing report from the famous Robinwood Night Ninjas. No problems to report so onto our first activity. Breakfast! With Potato waffles, sausages, beans, bacon, cereal, toast and fruit on offer the children certainly were fuelled for the action packed day that awaited them.
Each group had 2 activities to complete before lunch. Rapids had Night-line and Crate Challenge, Waterfall had Obstacle course and Crate Challenge and Spring group had climbing and Knights Quest . Each activity required certain skills that pushed and challenged children to achieve their set goals. Reports from Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney are that the children surpassed expectations in each of their activities. Teamwork skills were strongly evident as children flew through activities and pushed onto more challenging games. I was particularly impressed with the compassion and encouragement shown between the children in Rapids when completing their morning activities.
Lunch time! A chance to regroup and reenergise. Tuck shop awaited next and the children were allowed a treat for now and one for later along with a drink. Pencils, pens and mugs to help the children remember and treasure the memories which have been created over the past 2 days.
After lunch another 3 activities for the children to sink their teeth into! Rapids had climbing, canoeing and the Dungeon of DOOM! Waterfall had canoeing, trapeze and night-line. Spring group had archery, crate challenge and obstacle course. During the 2nd of activities our first surprise guest arrived. Mr Duffy! No time to rest after a long journey up, whisked into a harness Mr Duffy was straight onto crate challenge with Spring group. Mr Duffy also brought along with him blue skies and sunshine (the suncream nearly came out!). Respect, listening, encouragement, problem solving, teamwork and communication were all skills that Holly, Hannah and Beth (Our SUPERSTAR instructors) said our children had showed in abundance. Holly, our course leader, has not stopped raving about our fabulous children and doesn't just tell us, the whole centre are aware of our FANTASTIC children!
Teatime! Pizza, curry, jam doughnuts and ice cream were on the menu. Time to relax and prepare for the most anticipated Robinwood activity. The Piranha Pool!!! Rapids and Spring were the 2 groups to take on the peckish piranhas. However before we could go. The courtyard was full of excitement, was it a local celebrity? no, it was our illustrious leader, Mr Cook. Just like Mr Duffy, before he could say hello and grab a drink, he was pulled to the Courtyard Yurt to get into a harness. The giant swing was waiting! What could be better for the children than seeing the headteacher yanked up to the top of the tallest tree and sent soaring through the sky? The answer to that question is to send up Mr Duffy as well. Pictures and video to follow.
The much awaited piranha pool was approached with excitement and some nerves. Had Mr Elliot been lying? Were they any piranhas? Is the water hot or cold?
Well not to spoil it for any younger siblings, the children all survived, however, Rapids only just got out with seconds to spare before they were the piranhas supper!
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye to Mr Cook and Mr Duffy. Thank you for making the long journey up. The children loved having you visit and we hope you arrive back home safely.
Caving, Dungeon of Doom and Piranha Pool were the final activities of Day 2. Even though these were our final activities the children still showed as much enthusiasm and positivity as they had done for the first activity. We could not be any prouder of the children!
Hot chocolate, biscuits and bedtime followed. Tired eyes were plentiful in the room as the eagerly waited phrase 'bedtime' was met with joy as over 12 hours of undeliverable fun had taken its toll on some of the children and adults.
On a personal note, I wanted to take the opportunity to say a big THANK YOU! Some think the adults who go on residential are crazy (particularly Mrs McCarney's husband!). But your children have been truly amazing. Mrs McCarney, Mrs Harkins and I are so proud of all the children's achievements. They have also been a delight to sit and have breakfast, lunch and dinner with and never once complained. The manners and politeness have been OUTSTANDING and remind me what a FANTASTIC school we are part of.
Anyway, enough of that, we still have another busy morning ahead. Breakfast, 3 more activities and lunch before we start our journey back to Collingham.
Again, thank you for you lovely comments. These are priceless to the children and we love to see the smiles which go from ear to ear as the children read them. I will try to upload some more photos but it is proving at times too much for the WiFi.
See you tomorrow,
Mr E, Mrs Harkins and Mrs McCarney
Wednesday 11 October 2017
Day 1 - When it rains it pours!
Good evening everyone,
A very wet day today at Robinwood but nothing could dampen the children's excitement for their residential. After a fantastic journey, the dreaded 20 mile (2 miles approx) hike awaited the children. A great opportunity for our group leaders Holly (Waterfall), Hannah (Spring) and Beth (Rapids) to get to know our AMAZING children. Never once did they complain about the walk, house points for everyone!
Lunch awaited the children on their arrival at Robinwood and a chance for the children to dry off and order their meals for their stay. On the menu was Pizza, pasta, curry sandwiches, jacket potatoes and lots more, plus the added bonus of jam doughnuts and ice cream.
A quick trip to the dorms to drop off their bags and get some dry clothing on before heading off to their first activities Knights Quest, Zip-Wire and Dungeon of Doom. The amount of fantastic teamwork skills on show blew the instructors socks off. The children were complemented for their perseverance, resilience, communication and listening skills. Some faced their fears as they tackled the high flying zip-wire.
No time to rest, quick toilet and drinks stop and then onto Archery (Rapids), Knights Quest (Waterfall) and Zip-wire (Spring).
As the day went on we had rain, sun, heavy rain, wind and torrential rain! Unfortunately as it came to our third activity Rapids were due on the zip-wire but the wind had picked up to 40mph and the staff had to cancel the session for safety reason, but do not fear it was not then free time it was then onto a replacement activity which the children enjoyed just as much. The other 2 groups had Trapeze (Spring) and Archery (Waterfall).
After 3 activities the children (and adults) were ready for some tea. Great table manners impressed the Robinwood staff as the children tucked into some pasta or jacket potatoes followed by strawberry ice cream or a chocolate ice.
Re-fuiled it was onto our final activity Team Challenge. Completing different activities for points the children excelled themselves, had fun and laughed as the teachers tried their hardest to embarrass them selves.
As the activity came to a finish it was time for hot chocolate and biscuits. A quiet time to reflect and nominate our stars of the day. A difficult choice for the children to make as so many children had conquered fears, persevered and had given 100% to every activity. The rules for night time followed and the need for a good night sleep was top of the list!
Bed time! The children are now fast asleep as I type and can't imagine we will see any of the children until they wake up or are awoken up by the night ninjas at 7am.
Thank you for all your wonderful messages which I will share with the children over breakfast tomorrow morning. If you know of anyone still unaware of the blog please share and pass on the details.
I will share more with you tomorrow. An action packed day awaits.
Goodnight
Mr E, Mrs McCarney and Mrs Harkins x
Goodbye, ciao, au revoir, bon voyage.....
Are we there yet!
Thank you for a wonderful send off from school. The children are settled and watching Boss Baby. Our arrival time is roughly 11.15am at Robinwood. We will endeavour to keep the blog upto date as much as possible. I will always share any message/ comments left on the blog as we know this is something the children really look forward to.
Mr E, Mrs McCarney and Mrs Harkins 😃😃
Thank you for a wonderful send off from school. The children are settled and watching Boss Baby. Our arrival time is roughly 11.15am at Robinwood. We will endeavour to keep the blog upto date as much as possible. I will always share any message/ comments left on the blog as we know this is something the children really look forward to.
Mr E, Mrs McCarney and Mrs Harkins 😃😃
Sunday 8 October 2017
What activities will children be taking part in?
All activities at Robinwood are designed to be challenging yet accessible for Key Stage 2 children. The specially qualified staff are adept at personalising the activities to enable children to build their confidence and achieve the best they can. Included in the activities are:
- Canoeing
- Zip wire
- Climbing
- Caving (indoors)
- Archery
- Raft building
- Nightline
- Giant Swing
- A range of team building tasks – both indoors and outdoors.
What is the food like?
It's good and there is plenty of it! As well as toast and cereals, Robinwood always provide a full cooked breakfast. At lunchtime a packed lunch is provided, which can be eaten wherever activities are taking place. Children even have hot chocolate and a biscuit at night to make sure they are not hungry! Our experience is that children eat really well while on residential due to the number of calories they burn during the activities. Any special diets can be catered for by the on-site Chef.
Do children need to take any additional money?
We recommend that children take up to £5 to spend at the Robinwood tuck shop which will be open once during our stay.
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