Educational Visits

Thoughtfulness, Respect and Hard Work

Introduction

Sandford Hill is a school community where tolerance, co-operation and respect for every individual and their family are central. Nobody will be left out and everyone will be treated with thoughtfulness and respect. This will enable all of our children (as well as our disadvantaged pupils) to thrive in a supportive, highly cohesive, learning community where lifelong skills and knowledge can be gained through a variety of experiences.

Overview of Educational Visits

Aims and Purposes

The school has a strong commitment to the added value of learning beyond the statutory school day and beyond the school premises. Alongside the numerous extracurricular clubs and visitors, we provide a breadth of wider curriculum opportunities for our children:

 Musical Festivals/ Concerts

 Dance Performances

 Sporting Fixtures

 Theatre Visits

Alongside this, each year, every class will take part in a minimum of two visits out of school. These visits are based on or around their area of study from the National Curriculum and will enhance the learning taking place in the classroom. These educational visits are designed to support the children, widening their vocabulary and providing key life experiences which we believe all children are entitled to.

The experiences and opportunities are provided to help support the physical development, emotional well-being and mental health of our children. These, coupled with our values of thoughtfulness, respect and hard work, are key elements which underpin the development of the whole child and promote a positive attitude to learning and life.

National Forest Adventure Farm

Year Group: EYFS

When: Spring Term 2

Topic: Amazing Animals

Location: National Forest Adventure Farm

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-i-e-i-o! And on that farm he had some…

What a better way to learn about farm animals than a trip to the farm!

The children will be taking a stroll around the paddocks to meet,

and feed, the chickens, sheep, ponies, cows, goats and alpacas before embarking on an exciting tractor ride. Be sure to look out for the scarecrows in the fields!

The children will learn about the life cycles of the various animals and hopefully meet some of their young: chicks, lambs or calves. The children will also learn about the important job of a farmer.

We will end our day with a bounce on the bouncy cushion and a play on the park.

Year Group: EYFS

When: Summer Term 2

Topic: A ticket to ride!

Location: Rudyard Lake

The lovely countryside mixed with a variety of transport methods!

The Famous Rudyard loop train and boats on the lake provide a wonderful experience.

Children get to visit this beautiful lake and working reservoir and will explore the many different ways that a journey can be carried out.

Experiencing a range of vehicles, the children will first journey their way to Rudyard on the school minibuses, and once there they will hop on board the steam train that completes a loop around the lake. Finally, we hop aboard a boat to travel across the water before ending the day with a lovely picnic in the sunshine. When: Spring Term 2

Topic: Amazing Animals

Rudyard Lake Steam Train

Year Group: Year 1

When: Spring Term 2

Topic: Toys from the past

Location: Brampton Museum

This visit to this special museum involves travelling by mini-bus and staying at the museum for a whole day – the children enjoy eating their dinner somewhere new in different surroundings.

At the museum, the children will go on a ‘Toys Hunt’ to discover the different kinds of toys, from within living memory, that their grandparents used to play with when they were young children and they will also have lots of fun playing with these toys from the past!

After that we will participate in a special workshop where we will talk about what the toys looked like and what materials the toys were made from so that we can find out how they are different to the kinds of toys that we play with today.

This visit brings our Toys topic to life and gives the children the opportunity to experience a wide variety of toys from within the past one hundred years.

Year Group: Year 1

When: Summer Term 2

Topic: Animals Including Humans

Location: Peak Wildlife Park

Getting into the great outdoors and learning about animals at the same time!

Come face to face with some of the worlds’ most endangered animals with this unforgettable school trip!

Children all have different thoughts about animals; whether they find animals cute and fluffy, greedy and silly or hugely entertaining, there is an animal for everyone at Peak Wildlife Park! The children will have the opportunity to see a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

The children will see different animals in a variety of habitats and gain an understanding of how they reproduce, as well as the different types of diet and food chains.

Taking part in the animal ‘Walk throughs’ will give the children the chance to see some animals as they have never seen them before!

Peak Wildlife Park

Year Group: Year 2

When: Spring Term 2

Topic: Reginald Mitchell - Flight

Location: Hanley Museum

During this visit, children will be learning about the invention of flight and the key role local individual Reginal Mitchell played in the development of the Spitfire.

Hanley Museum is not only the home of a restored 1945 Spitfire but also personal items of Reginald Mitchell and the local schools he attended.

Children will become artists and sketch the Spitfire before completing a fact-finding mission about Reginald Mitchell and World War II.

Year Group: Year 2

When: Summer Term 2

Topic: Seasides

Location: New Brighton Beach

Oh… we do like to be beside the seaside!

Children will be learning all about the key human features and physical features of the seaside and why seasides are more popular during the summer months.

What better way to find out than to go on holiday to the seaside for the day!

With our fingers crossed, we hope that that the Great British weather treats us well for the day and we get to go and explore the natural and man-made features of New Brighton: the coast, sea and light house.

Children will also enjoy a picnic on the beach, learn about staying safe by visiting the Lifeguard and have the opportunity to buy an ice-cream!

Gladstone Pottery Museum

Year Group: Year 3

When: Spring Term 1

Topic: History – The Potteries

Location: Gladstone Potteries Museum

Children will travel by minibus to spend the day at a nearby gem of local history! For their history topic learning all about 'Stokeon-Trent' the children will spend the day inside the factory and exploring the fantastic bottle kilns at Gladstone Pottery Museum.

They will tour the insides of the enormous kilns and learn how each was used differently to produce a variety of beautiful pottery within the industry.

It will provide a perfect opportunity for the children to learn about the diverse variety of jobs that people held in order for pottery to be made including carriers, designers, resources, painters and fire stokers!

There will also be a guided tour that will teach the children all about the lives of people in Stoke two hundred years ago and how pottery factories impacted the town and why Stoke-onTrent was famous around the world leading to it being known as ‘The Potteries’.

Children will see a demonstration of the incredible machinery that is still operational today and will learn about the challenging conditions that both adults and children, under their employment at the time, were expected to work in – real eye opener! Finally, a highlight for the children will be having the opportunity to make their very own clay pot led by an expert from the museum, including how to add their own unique designs.

Year Group: Year 3

When: Summer Term 2

Topic: Romans

Location: Dewa Centre - Chester

This exciting visit involves a journey by coach to the historic city of Chester. Once there, the children will visit the Roman Discovery Centre – an interactive showcase of Roman Chester, filled with stories from across the empire including Boudicca and Emperor Claudius. The children will experience the full Roman Adventure: a ‘living History’ allowing children to be immersed in the Roman experience through a range of sources and genuine artefacts

• Explore the reconstructed rooms and stalls that formed part of the fortress.

• Experience the sights, sounds and smells of Roman Britain.

• View the genuine Roman, Saxon and Medieval remains buried beneath Chester.

• Explore a superb collection of artefacts from Chester and the wider Roman Empire.

• Experience a ’hands-on’ room which will allow them the opportunity to try on Roman armour, create a mosaic and fire a catapult.

• Be given the opportunity to handle and sort ancient pottery and bones.

• March around Chester in a soldier patrol.

• Discover what it took to become part of the greatest fighting forces the world has ever known.

Dewa Centre Chester

Year Group: Year 4

When: Autumn Term 2

Topic: Rivers

Location: River Dane - Derbyshire

The streams and rivers of the Peak District provide a stunning setting for Sandford Hill’s River Study trip. During the study, children are provided with numerous opportunities to put their geography skills to good use while working independently and collaboratively in a stunning outdoor setting. The study certainly provides children with a learning experience that they’ll never forget!

During the river study, led by instructors from Stanley Head, the children will begin their journey along the River Dane at Dane Head - the source of the river. The children are transported to a second site where they measure the depth and width of the river and study the physical characteristics - how rocks have changed compared to the source. After a short lunchtime stop at Tittesworth Reservoir, we visit the final site of the day, at Gradbach. Here, the children measure the speed and flow of the water and compare the geology to the earlier sites.

Throughout the trip, children get the chance to learn lots of river vocabulary and they get to see first-hand how the river grows in size and shape as it meanders from the source to the mouth. This is a learning experience that the children at Sandford Hill thoroughly enjoy.

Year Group: Year 4

When: Summer Term 1

Topic: Anglo-Saxons

Location: Tatton Park

Travelling by coach, Tatton Park welcomes you to 1,000 acres of deer park with walking trails, playground, woodlands and meres. During the visit, the children will explore the turbulent world of the Anglo-Saxons, renowned invaders and settlers, in an exciting, hands-on workshop

Arriving at the settlement, the children will have high quality learning experiences which bring history alive taking everyone back to Anglo-Saxon times. The historical characters will help the children examine what life was like; considering home life, religion, work, battle, trade, food, language and geography.

The visit will enhance the children’s learning:

• Help them understand what life was like for the Anglo-Saxons

• Assist the development of the chronology within/across the Anglo-Saxon period

• Develop an understanding of why and how Anglo-Saxon history links to local, national and international history, including the origins of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes.

Jodrell Bank

Year Group: Year 5

When: Autumn Term 2

Topic: Earth and Space

Location: Jodrell Bank

During this visit, the children find their ‘Outer Space’ in a field in Cheshire! As the coach approaches, the children will be amazed at the sheer size of the Lovell Telescope… yes telescope that awaits them as part of the visit. Jodrell Bank is an inspirational place full of mind-blowing stories of pioneering heritage and cutting-edge science.

Checking in at the Planet Pavilion, the children will experience the ‘Story of Jodrell Bank’ exhibit before moving on to a curriculum-based planetarium session in the new Space Dome, looking up at the vast the of spherical bodies in space including planets, the Sun and the Moon! During this mind-blowing experience, the children will tour the solar system and discover the recognisable constellations we see made by the stars in the night sky.

Alongside this, the children will take part in an explainer-led session using demonstrations to explore how telescopes, like the Lovell have changed our view of the Universe and get to witness some exciting and engaging science experiments in a presenterled science show.

Finally, if time allows, we will visit the outdoor exhibits, including the whispering dishes and telescope pathway.

Year Group: Year 5

When: Summer Term 1

Topic: Industrial Revolution

Location: Black Country Living Museum

During the visit, the children will explore 300 years of history at their open-air museum. This inspiring visit will help the children to put history into context, through a unique and immersive learning experience. On display, the children will see first-hand examples of the innovations of the time: the spinning Jenny, the steam engine and the locomotive.

Starting with the Industrial Revolution, the children will discover the history of a small region that made a big impact on the people, culture and industry of the world as they say ‘ow am ya’ to the people that made this place home, from metalworkers and miners to nurses and school teachers – and even a pub landlord or two.

The children will discover that the Black Country was one of the most important parts of England in the Victorian Era and it was essential for coal mining and factories which helped power the country at the time. They will identify the impact on the rural and urban areas and what caused these changes. Whilst there, they will experience sights, sounds, smells and tastes as they explore shops, houses and industrial; workshops rebuilt in the canal side village. The children will take part in a facilitated visit to the museum and take part in hands on learning-based activities.

Black Country Living Museum

The Imperial War Museum

Year Group: Year 6

When: Autumn Term 2

Topic: World War 2

Location: Imperial War Museum

This visit involves travelling by coach to the Imperial War Museum (Manchester) where the children gain a deeper understanding of how historical events, such as World War 2, changed the lives of ordinary people in Britain, the British Empire and around the world.

The children certainly know they have arrived when they spot the iconic American battle tank parked outside!

The morning will be spent on a self-guided tour, exploring the museum, identifying key sources and artefacts relating to their knowledge of WW2 and other conflicts they are familiar with such as WW1.

At different intervals throughout the day, the walls are illuminated by projections of videos from WW2, telling the story of different groups involved in the conflict to deepen their understanding of what it was like at the time.

After refuelling at lunchtime, the children participate in a wonderful workshop centred on journalism. They are tasked with creating a documentary around a specific aspect of the second world war are equipped with video cameras and microphones to bring their documentary to life inside the museum.

This visit sadly comes to an end with a visit to the Poppies art installation – a poignant symbol of war.

Year Group: Year 6

When: Summer Term 2

Topic: Evolution and Inheritance

Location: Hanley Museum

Real World Science - ‘All Change’ workshop

On our doorstep, Hanley Museum has more than one hundred and fifty thousand objects on display across a range of subjects: ceramics, archaeology, fine and decorative arts, natural sciences and social history. Alongside seeing some of these exhibits, the children will visit the museum for an intriguing Real World Science workshop which they will find fascinating and informative all about evolution and inheritance.

Real World Science workshops are hands on, investigative science sessions developed in partnership with the Natural History Museum. They enrich the normal school curriculum, offering access to museum collections not normally on display.

The children will join the museum’s education team and examine how the offspring of different species have adapted to their environment over time. They will explore these evolutionary adaptations by comparing and contrasting organisms from the museum’s fabulous collection of fossils, skulls, skeletons and stuffed animals!

During the academic year 2022-2023, the children at Sandford Hill have had a range of experiences including performances, educational visits and fun-filled trips:

Nursery

 National Forest Adventure Farm

 Rudyard Lake

 Foxfield Railway

 Library

Reception

 National Forest Adventure Farm

 Rudyard Lake

 Foxfield Railway

Year 1

 Brampton Toy Museum

 Peak Wildlife Park

 Foxfield Railway

Year 2

 Hanley Museum

 New Brighton Beach

 Country Life Day – Swynnerton House/Telford

Year 3

 Gladstone Pottery Museum

 Dewa Roman Discovery Centre

 The Lowry Art Gallery

Year 4

 River Dane River Study

 Tatton Park

 Food Sorcery Cook School

Manchester

 Recorder Festival – Victoria Hall

 Year 5

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Jodrell Bank

 Black Country Living Museum

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Wroxeter Roman City

 Brass Festival – Victoria Hall

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Year 6

Imperial War Museum – Manchester

Hanley Museum

Farm Visit

 NEC Big Bang Show

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Stanley Head

 West Midlands Safari Park

Extra-curricular

 Choir – Young Voices

 Dance Club – Victoria Hall

 Drama Club – Regent Theatre

 HAF Programme - Pantomime