School trips and residentials

Trips and workshops

We are really proud of the range of trips, visits and workshops offered at English Martyrs. These experiences bring learning to life, help children discover new interests and give them opportunities they might not otherwise have. Some take us further afield, while others make the most of our local area and the opportunities on our doorstep.

Several members of staff are trained to drive minibuses, and we are very grateful to St Oscar Romero Catholic School, who generously allow us to borrow their vehicles. This helps us keep transport costs down and makes it more affordable for children to broaden their experiences and learn beyond the classroom. We are also grateful to the Friends, who give a donation to each class towards their school trips for the year which means that we can broaden our offer.

Our programme may change as the curriculum and available opportunities develop, but experiences include:

Early Years

A visit to our local church, helping children become familiar with an important part of our Catholic community.
Balance bike sessions to develop confidence, coordination and early cycling skills.
A visit to the beach, making the most of our local environment and giving children opportunities to explore and learn outdoors.

Year 1

Woodland skills, giving children practical opportunities to explore nature and develop confidence outdoors.
A visit to Arundel Wetland Centre, where children observe wildlife and learn more about habitats and the natural world.
Visit to English Martyrs Church, to look at the beautiful ceiling paintings, link them to the Scripture we have been learning and build our connections with our Parish community.

Year 2

A farm visit to Goodwood, bringing children’s learning about animals, food and the countryside to life.
A visit to Arundel Castle, where children explore the past in a memorable historic setting.

Year 3

A visit to Butser Ancient Farm, giving children a hands-on experience of life in the past.
A visit to Chichester Harbour, supporting learning about our local area, the coast and the environment.
An in-school Egyptian workshop, providing a hands-on opportunity to learn about the Ancient Egyptian gods and the techniques used in mummification!

Year 4

A visit to Fishbourne Roman Palace, where children explore Roman artefacts, clothing, mosaics and daily life in Roman Britain.
A visit to Lodge Hill Outdoor Activity Centre, where children challenge themselves through new outdoor and adventurous activities. This helps them develop confidence, resilience and teamwork in preparation for the residential experiences offered in Years 5 and 6.

Year 5

A visit to Herstmonceux Observatory, allowing children to explore space and science beyond the classroom.
A Zoolab workshop in school, bringing children face to face with a range of animals and supporting their science learning.
A Samba workshop, giving children the chance to experience music through rhythm, movement and performance.
A visit to Wintershall to see The Life of Christ, helping children connect their learning in RE with a powerful live performance.

Year 6

A visit to the Bluebell Railway, providing a memorable way to explore history, transport and change over time.
A local visit to Worthing by train, helping children grow in confidence and independence while learning more about their local area.
Bikeability training, teaching children practical cycling skills and helping them learn how to ride safely and confidently on local roads.

Trips and visits are a real strength of our school. They give children shared experiences to talk and write about, broaden their understanding of the world and create memories that stay with them long after the day itself.

Residentials

Residentials are a real highlight of children’s time at English Martyrs. They allow us to offer a much broader range of outdoor and adventurous activities than we could provide on the school site. Just as importantly, living and learning together gives children a fantastic opportunity to build friendships, grow in confidence and independence, and see both themselves and one another in a different light. Research into residential experiences highlights benefits for children’s wellbeing, resilience, sense of belonging and relationships with both staff and classmates.

Year 5 Residential

Our Year 5 residential is typically two days and one night. For many children, this is their first experience of staying away from home, so it provides a gentle introduction to residential life and helps prepare them for the longer trip in Year 6.

We deliberately arrange this residential for the time when our Year 6 children are attending their secondary school transition days. This means that both the current Year 5 teacher and the teacher who will teach the class in Year 6 can attend. It is a wonderful opportunity for the children to get to know their new teacher and to show skills that may not always be as visible in the classroom, whether that is courage, teamwork, kindness, problem-solving or encouraging their friends.

Year 6 Residential

Our Year 6 residential is a longer experience of four days and three nights. Activities vary according to the centre we visit, but often include high ropes, orienteering, canoeing, raft-building, crate-stacking and campfires. There is a huge amount of fun for the children and, usually, a certain amount of sleep deprivation for the teachers!

Children are encouraged to try new things, work together and challenge themselves. For many, it is one of the most memorable experiences of primary school and a lovely opportunity to enjoy time with their classmates during their final year at English Martyrs.

Keeping Children Safe on Residentials

We know that when you send your child away with us, you are trusting us with the most precious person in your life. We never take that trust lightly. A Designated Safeguarding Lead always accompanies the children, and the Governing Body reviews and approves the risk assessments for every residential.

Children do not take mobile phones on residential, so parents are not able to contact them directly. However, staff carry a dedicated emergency phone, which parents can call outside school hours if there is an urgent need to get in touch.

We expect children to stay for the full residential, including every overnight stay, unless there is a particularly compelling reason why this would not be possible. Feeling homesick can be difficult, especially for a child’s first night away, but our experienced staff are there to offer plenty of reassurance and support. Children are incredibly proud of themselves afterwards, and that new-found confidence and independence is an important part of the experience.

We take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, but we also want children to have the space to enjoy the adventure, become more independent and discover just how much they can manage for themselves.