Bottisham Village College
Activities Week 7-11 July 2014
The purpose of Activities Week
Year 7: Self-discovery and team work
Staying away from home, camping, and trying a host of physical
activities helps students to gain responsibility, resilience and the
ability to work collaboratively when trying new things.
Year 8: Broadening horizons
Whether students spend the week sampling French culture,
hiking across the Derbyshire countryside or participating in a
range of different cultural activities closer to home in school,
they will benefit from new cultural experiences.
Year 9: Enterprise and aspiration
This week will help Year 9 students to think about their futures
through active development of enterprise, initiative and team-
building skills.
What students learn
Activities Week has been a popular feature of the school
calendar for over 20 years. Collapsing the timetable for a
whole week allows students to learn in a range of different
ways. The wide variety of trips and activities on offer helps
students to work collaboratively with their peers, and to
embrace new environments, experiences and challenges.
Activities Week timeline
Frequently asked questions
I want to find out more about Activities Week, who should I ask?
Contact details for the various year groups are on the back page of the brochure.
Parent meetings have been arranged for residential trips. Please see below for
dates.
The cost of the trip seems high - what if I’m struggling to pay?
We strive to find the best value for money on all costs associated with trips, whether this be the cost of booking coaches or activity fees etc. All our trips are costed accurately and based on a break even model. We recognize that many families find meeting the cost of trips a struggle and we do offer extended payment plans in order to help with this. If you have concerns about the timescale and are in receipt of free school meals entitlements, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Scott, our Director of Finance and Business, in writing in the first instance. We would have a follow-up conversation with you, by phone or by email, to explore what support might be available.
February: Launch activities to students in assembly. Brochure and information letters sent to parents/
carers.
February—May: Payment plan instalments for residential trips. All payments must be complete by 16
May.
14 May 6:00pm—6.45pm: Year 8 Derbyshire Parents’ Meeting in Hall 2
3 June 6.00pm—6.45pm: Year 7 Camp Parents’ meeting in the Main Hall
5 June 6:00pm—7.00pm: Year 8 Normandy Parents’ Meeting in Hall 2
Activities Week: 7-11 July
How are students selected to take
part in residential trips?
We can accommodate all Year 7
students who wish to participate in
camp. There are limited spaces for the
Normandy and Derbyshire trips in
Year 8. If these trips are over-
subscribed, names will be randomly
selected after the closing date in
accordance with school policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The week spent at Year 7 camp is a
highlight of students’ first year at
Bottisham.
The week is spent at Eaton Vale Scout
Centre close to Norwich and students
spend a fun-packed week camping,
and trying out a wide variety of
different activities.
The week’s programme includes a
host of physical activities such as
kayaking, abseiling and high-ropes in
addition to a local trip to the university
gallery and sports centre for swimming
and volleyball.
Students thrive in the great outdoors
and when trying out new experiences.
The experience helps the year group to
bond and mature; students return with
lots of excellent memories, having
developed lots of new skills
and confidence.
Normandy
Festival of Culture
During their week in the north of France, students
visit a range of local landmarks including the Bayeux
Tapestry, the D-Day landing beaches and Mont St
Michel. They also sample the local cuisine on trips
to a cider farm and galette bakery.
Lodging in a hostel in the Peak District, students
spend the week hiking through the
mountainous countryside, visiting the caves in
Buxton and finding out about the plague village
of Eyam.
A highlight of the trip is a full day visit to Alton
Towers.
Back at school, students taking part in the festival will experience a carousel of
different cultural activities from Chinese cookery to dance classes. The school’s
archive will be open for students to investigate and understand our culture and how
it has evolved over the years. They will also have the opportunity to visit cultural
sites on a day trip to Cambridge.
Derbyshire
Further information
will be given in May
Enterprise Day
Students will have the chance to work in teams on a
‘The Apprentice’ style business task, followed by a day of
marketing challenges from our Education partnership.
Students will have the opportunity
to develop leadership skills.
Work experience
As part of the ‘Take Your Child
to Work Day’ initiative,
students will get a glimpse
into the world of work and an
opportunity to experience a
typical working day.
Letter including
more detailed
information to be
issued in April
Duke of Edinburgh’s
Award All students will learn more
about this prestigious award
and have the opportunity of
active involvement in camp
skills, cooking and
orienteering.
Contact details Year 7 Camp
Mr Baker 01223 811250 ext. 255
Year 8
Normandy: Mr Midgley 01223 811250 ext. 246
Derbyshire: Miss Niven [email protected]
Festival of Culture: Miss Niven [email protected]
Year 9: Mr Woodman 01223 811250 ext. 258
Finance Officer
Mrs Gray 01223 811250 ext.214
Trips Officer
Mrs Milne 01223 811250 ext. 233
Activities Week Organiser
Mrs Rankine 01223 811250 ext. 237
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