Educational Visits

At the end of February, 20 of St Joachim's year 5s together with 20 St Helen's Year 5 pupils as well as Fr Dan Kelly and Fr Tony Grant, spent 5 days in Rome on a very special pilgrimage. During their pilgrimage, the pupils visited many of the most significant and important Holy Sites and grounds in Rome; including the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. We were also extremely privileged to be able to have Mass at the tomb of St Peter in the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica presided by Fr Dan and Fr Tony. The children also visited two English Seminaries, namely the Beda College and the English College. The rector of the English College, Fr Stephen Wang, allowed the children to explore the college in order to learn about its history and he also revealed the holy relics of the martyrs, under the altar, to the children during Mass.

We went on our first trip to the Science Museum! It was really fun. On the coach we had a look at some of the sights in London! When we arrived it looked like we were in space. We saw very large aircrafts, and lots of other interesting things. We explored various lights and patterns in the Pattern Pod. We used our senses to feel unusual materials and make some artsy pictures. We played in the garden and really enjoyed the floating boats, the instruments and made some towers using the different building materials. A wonderful day of learning at the Science Museum!

Pupils in year 5 visited the local Hindu Temple as part of our work for Citizenship to learn about other faiths and cultures. We were able to learn about their festivals as well as their routines and celebrations. We are lucky to live in a diverse borough and it is important to learn to understand and respect those who may be from a different background.

During our session at The City Hall we learnt about London’s fascinating history and the roles and responsibilities of the Greater London Authority, the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. We also developed an understanding of different political viewpoints and an appreciation of the importance of voting. As a treat we also had a chance to go on the cable cars. It was scary but so much fun!

As part of our work for Citizenship Weeks, we have visited our local Church to learn more about what happens in the Church, what the statues mean and to be able to look around more closely than when we go to Mass on Sunday. Fr Tony gave us a tour and also gave us all a blessing.

We really enjoyed going on a tour of the Street Art in Shoreditch. Shoreditch is famously known as the Street Art capital of London. We learned a lot about different artists, what they do and what challenges they have faced. We saw a huge amount of art including an original Banksy, and learned about the history of each piece. We took lots of inspiration for our art unit in Citizenship that links to Climate Change.

For our unit of other faiths in Religion, we have learned about Islam. We visited the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, the largest mosque in London. The girls wore headscarves as a sign of respect. We had a tour and learned a lot about how Muslims pray and their beliefs. We saw their prayer room, wash room and lots of other interesting things that are important to their faith. It was an amazing experience.

6B visited the Houses of Parliament to learn all about democracy and rights. This linked really well with their learning in Citizenship and gave them lots of inspiration for their upcoming debate.

The pupils in year 4 joined the pupils from St Joachim's for a visit to the Royal Opera House to see the Royal Ballet perform the wonderful story of The Nutcracker. A charming story of Clara at a delightful Christmas Eve party that becomes a magical adventure once everyone else is tucked up in bed. Listening to Tchaikovsky’s score, as Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker fight the Mouse King and visit the Sugar Plum Fairy in the glittering Kingdom of Sweets.

The children in year 6 went to the Peacock Theatre to watch The Snowman, as a stage adaptation of the much loved book by Raymond Briggs retold in the form of a ballet.