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Beyond the classroom

At S. Anselm’s, we believe enriched learning involves so much more than that which can be absorbed solely in a classroom setting. Our teachers go above and beyond in planning educational visits and experiences that inspire and enhance all aspects of our pupils’ learning, and S. Anselm’s College is quite exceptional in the quality and extent of the programme of visits, tours and expeditions we offer.

As well as advancing and consolidating each pupils’ learning, external visits provide important opportunities for pupils to grow in maturity and confidence, take on additional responsibilities and further develop their social and communication skills.

Some visits and tours are an integral part of the College curriculum and attendance is a requirement for all pupils, whilst other tours are optional.

The number of external visits decreases during term time in Arkwright (Year 11), as pupils focus on their GCSE revision and examinations, but a Leavers’ Trip is organised at the end of the examinations.

Major tours and visits

Oxford Tour, Kinder (Year 9)
Staying at Oxford’s oldest college, University College, over three days we participate in bespoke programme of historical and political lectures and debates held at Oriel College, visit the city’s three most famous museums: The Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers and the Ashmolean as well as exploring the fascinating city of Oxford itself and its many attractions.

London Tour, Kinder (Year 9)
The annual London visit is a highlight in the calendar for Kinder.  Over a packed two days, pupils have the opportunity to delve further into some of their current themes of study, from Victorian Britain to the development of the capital’s urban landscape and arising environmental issues.  Pupils visit the London Docklands Museum, White Chapel and Brick Lane as well as the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities at The Crystal.

 

 

Rivers and valleys fieldtrip, Kinder (Year 9)
Each year, Kinder conduct a number of investigations of rivers in the Peak District, comparing and contrasting cross sections of the rivers, sediment samples and flow rates. Back in the classroom, the results are fundamental to ongoing the study of the river terrain.  Data is analysed and evaluated in a cross-curricular project in geography and mathematics.

 

 

Camino de Santiago Expedition, Kinder (Year 9)
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St James), is recognised globally as a significant spiritual and religious pilgrimage and is walked by hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims each year – as well as many others simply seeking the challenge and camaraderie of completing a renowned hike across beautiful countryside.  At the end of the Summer Term, pupils in Kinder are set the challenge of walking the final 115 kilometres from Sarria to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in beautiful Galicia, North West Spain, where the shrine of the apostle Saint James is located. Pupils carry a pilgrimage passport, gathering stamps at key points along the way, Having walked over 100 kilometres, they are then eligible for the compostela, a certificate of accomplishment which is collected from the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago.
Coastal fieldtrip, Derwent (Year 10)
Each year, Derwent visit Flamborough Head and the Holderness Coast to study coastal geology and erosion processes and track the impact of the sea defences that have been installed. The data and evidence gathered during this visit is then used in studies back in school.

 

 

Battlefields of WWI & WWII, All Years (Optional)
Run every other year, and open to all pupils of the College, the Battlefields Tour is an enthralling but poignant journey through Belgium an Northern France, retracing the steps of those who fought in the first and second world wars. Over four days, pupils visit many of the sites and landmarks of both wars, experiencing a raft of emotions ranging from admiration and reverence to sadness and grief.  The tour includes visiting Pegasus Bridge, scene of the first actions of D-Day; Sword, Juno and Gold Beaches; Arromanches, the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, the largest British War Cemetery at Tyne Cot and the German Cemetery at Langemarck; attending the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres; and, visiting the Lijssenthoek War Cemetery and the Town Hall at Poperinge where deserters were executed.
CERN and the United Nations, All Years (Optional)
Run every three years and open to the whole College, pupils travel to the Franco-Swiss border to the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, CERN (Conseil European pour la Recherche Nucleaire) and its Large Hadron Collider. The Tour also includes a visit and lecture at the United Nations in Geneva as well as visiting the impressive Botanical Gardens.

A sample of other visits this year include:

  • Wilberforce House & Guildhall in Hull: investigating the transatlantic slave trade and achievements of William Wilberforce
  • London Science Museum: Dream Big, Engineering Our World
  • Sheffield Botanical Gardens: Tropical plants in the Paxman Pavilions
  • Shakespeare’s Globe: behind the scenes tour and production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
  • National Emergency Services Museum: the Blitz Exhibition
  • The Met Live: live screening of Tosca from The Metropolitan Opera
  • Alex Hitchcock Jazz Quintet
  • Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Concert, Sheffield City Hall
  • Engineering Masterclass, Chesterfield College
  • Spanish/French cinema trips

 

Please note that visits and tours are planned annually and as such the precise venues/itineraries and temporary exhibitions may change from year to year.