Children at Mere School enjoy a wide variety of activities outside the classroom as well as within it.
Mere School works hard to instill a love of learning and encourages every child to make the most of their talents - whether those are academic, creative or sporting. Support is provided at every level, enabling children to grow in confidence before they move up to Gillingham (Dorset) or other secondary schools.
As part of their learning outside the classroom, Mere's Year 5 have just returned from five days at Plas Pencelli, an outdoor activity centre in the Brecon Beacons. This now legendary residential trip has been a feature of life at Mere School for several years and continues to be a highlight of the school calendar.
Headteacher Catriona Willamson said, "It's something of a rite of passage for our children when they go to Pencelli. It's not somewhere local that they may have already visited with their parents - it's a four hour coach trip, which adds to the sense of adventure and excitement. They are away for the entire school week, not just a couple of days - the whole experience is fantastic for building their self confidence."
For those parents who were a little anxious about their child being away, any fears were (sometimes!) allayed by daily blog updates on the school's website.
One post by teacher David Rich said how the sun had brought out the best in everyone, "despite the 2am knock on the door in the girls' suite with information from one of the girls that another 'was dead.' After some investigation, it appeared that the child in question was asleep."
Reassured that the reports of a death were exaggerated, everyone enjoyed an unforgettable week and returned with memories which will stay with them for many years to come.
Tamsin, Mum to twins Molly and Poppy, said: "It's amazing how much personal confidence my girls have gained from the week away. When I see how they thrived in a totally new environment, it reassures me they are ready for the move up to Gillingham school next year."
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