Residentials and School Visits

At Norris Bank we are very proud of the range of trips and visits that we offer the children throughout their time at the school. From a farm visit in Reception to excursions to local attractions such as The Hat Museum, staff make full use of learning opportunities outside the classroom to support the children’s learning.

What makes us unique in the Heatons is the suite of residential trips that children are offered in Key Stage 2. We believe that these trips boost the children’s confidence immeasurably and provide memorable experiences that stretch and develop our pupils way beyond what they can achieve in the classroom. Importantly, each of our trips supports curriculum learning in the classroom to make this so much more meaningful. By visiting two National Parks and an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we aim to engender a love and respect for our beautiful British countryside.

Year 3 Castleton

To introduce our younger Key Stage 2 children to the residential experience we have taken Year 3 to Losehill Hall YHA in Castleton since 2014. The children visit a cave before completing the ‘Three Rocks Walk’ to arrive at their accommodation on foot. After an evening of activities, they have a morning which includes orienteering and a guided walk around the village before returning to school.

Year 4 Northumberland

Children from Norris Bank were the first school group ever to stay at the multi-million pound development, ‘The Sill’ located in the middle of Hadrian’s Wall country. However, we had been taking children to this unique environment to support their learning in history about The Romans in Britain since 2009. The children get to witness live archaeology at Vindolanda and walk an iconic section of The Hadrian’s Wall National Trail to Housteads Fort. A mystery visitor and a trip to The Roman Army Museum complete this taste of life at the edge of The Roman Empire.

Year 5 Anglesey

Anglesey Outdoors near Holyhead is our home for this geography field trip about the coast. The children complete field studies on the beaches at Rhosnigr and Porth Dafarch and complete orienteering trails at the beautiful Breakwater Country Park. The Coxswain and crew of The Holyhead Lifeboat Station have welcomed us on board since we began this visit in 2010 so the children can learn about the work of the RNLI and also visit the Coastguard nearby. Finally, the children have the opportunity to visit the RSPB reserve at South Stack to see the thousands of nesting seabirds before descending the 400 steps to the lighthouse.

Year 6 Robinwood

An exciting end to the children’s time at Norris Bank is the three days and two nights that the children spend at the Robinwood centre, Maes y Nant near Wrexham. Robinwood offer outdoor adventurous activities that challenge, develop teamwork and stimulate the imagination. The children have a packed timetable of 15 exciting activities and spend their time at the centre with a dedicated team leader whose enthusiasm ensures that everyone achieves great things.