From 14 to 16 September, the Year 7 pupils spent two nights and three days at the Marchants Hill, PGL activity centre in Hindhead. The Year 7 residential is a long-standing event in the school calendar, and we were delighted that the whole year group joined us. The pupils have amazing opportunities to make their way up a climbing wall and Jacob’s ladder, to complete a sensory course and fly through the air on a gigantic king swing. The teamwork and support of each other was amazing! The aim of the trip is to allow the pupils to make new friends, to be part of a team with pupils in other forms and to experience some of the fun social activities as well. We held a very entertaining campfire on the Wednesday evening and some competitive sports on the Thursday night. Seeing the pupils overcome their fears and complete challenges that pushed them out of their comfort zone and feel the sense of accomplishment at the end, was brilliant. It was great to hear the girls laughing and being able to have some less formal time to share stories and make connections with others, as well as support each other when completing these challenges. The staff were equally keen to be part of the team building activities and undoubted highlights were the surprise on Mr Peter’s face when his buggy sped down the hill with him on it and Mrs Hutchinson’s face as the king swing dropped! It is a very special opportunity to support our pupils in feeling more settled at the start of their Surbiton High School journey and we loved seeing their tired but smiling faces at the end of their stay.
PGL was one of the best trips we have been on. We made lots of new friends and made many memories. At first, we were both slightly nervous, but once we arrived the excitement started. As soon as we entered our dormitories, we knew we were going to have a blast. One of the best memories was a dance party at night with all my new friends. We also had some sweets while doing it. We both know we will never forget this residential, and we are happy we went because it gave us confidence and the opportunity to bond with our new class.
Julia and Carla 7P
PGL was such an exhilarating and exhausting experience. We were a bit timid at first about going and making new friends, but we’re so glad we came to our senses and went out of our comfort zones. Our favourite activity was sports night because it was so chaotic, but also the best night there. We got closer with our class, but we also got very muddy!
Bea S and Jessie H
Categories: Senior School Year 7
