Mrs Martin (Head of Year 5)

Year 5 began their new Unit of Inquiry with an adventure. Before setting off, each girl had been challenged to bring an item that a female explorer might have used in the past. There were some wonderfully creative ideas, and one choice, an Ordnance Survey map of Bedford and St Neots, was about to prove particularly useful.

Dropped off in Willington and challenged to get us back to school, the girls had no phones, map apps or GPS. They began by using a compass and the position of the sun to establish where they were and the direction in which they needed to head. With the help of the OS map brought by one of the girls, they planned their route and followed the River Great Ouse towards Bedford. Along the way, they identified human and physical features, recognised landmarks and stopped to sketch what they could see. Every girl had an opportunity to contribute: orientating the map, spotting symbols, suggesting a route or helping the group test its ideas.

The girls loved the sense of discovery. Afterwards, they spoke about their newfound knowledge of compass points, keys and symbols, following the river and matching features on the map to the real landscape around them. Their reflections showed how quickly these skills had become meaningful. A map was no longer simply a picture on a page, but a tool that could help them understand a place and make informed choices.

This is where experiential learning comes into its own. The field trip built geographical knowledge, but also encouraged independence, teamwork, curiosity and confidence. It brought our school Vision, Where Girls Soar, vividly to life: girls embracing uncertainty, supporting one another and discovering that they already possess many of the skills needed to navigate both a journey and the wider world. We are really looking forward to discovering how places enable people to make informed choices about the world around them.