In addition to the many day trips to visit exhibitions, museums and places of geographical and historical interest, residential field trips form an important part of the Hall School Wimbledon curriculum from Year 4.
All field trips are led by the Headmaster and provide a regular and certain opportunity for him to get to know all of his pupils. Hall School Wimbledon field trips are designed to inspire and excite the children and offer educational experiences beyond the classroom.
In Year 7, pupils might visit Devon, Suffolk, Sussex or Wales. The aim of this trip is to bring the year group together as a whole after our new recruits have joined us for the Senior School. Strong friendships are formed playing on the beach, whilst studying geographical landscapes or exploring historical sites.
From 27 June to 1 July 2011, Year 7V pupils spent a week in Wales. View an Account of the Week created from extracts of the children’s diaries. Photos of the trip are available to view in the Photo Gallery.
In Year 8, there is an opportunity for pupils to spend a week at Château du Perron in Normandy. The château was built in the 1860s and comprises 14 bedrooms and five reception rooms. Hall School Wimbledon has sole use of the château and its surrounds for the duration of the trip. Pupils practise their French and study Norman and World War II history alongside visits to Bayeux and the D-Day Landing Beaches. The Headmaster and the children cook traditional Norman dishes from scratch with ingredients bought by the children at the local market.
In Year 9 pupils spend a week living in a traditional bunkhouse on the side of a mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. They spend their days climbing and abseiling with qualified instructors at Llangorse Outdoor Activity Centre and Indoor Climbing Centre and, later in the week, at Llangattock limestone quarry. Tides permitting, pupils will also have the opportunity to climb at Three Cliffs Bay, a magnificent seaside location on the Gower Peninsula.
In Year 11, pupils visit the Lake District National Park, which provides a beautiful and unfamiliar landscape to inspire them as they draft and complete their GCSE English Language coursework. It also provides an opportunity for pupils to carry out the practical element of their GCSE Geography. During the trip, pupils walk to and visit Honister Slate Mine, take a boat trip on Derwentwater, and visit Dove Cottage, William Wordsworth’s Lakeland house. This trip is always a special one as it is the last field trip Hall School Wimbledon pupils experience.
Pupils from any year group are invited to participate in our annual German exchange with Othmarschen Gymnasium, Hamburg. It is particularly useful for students studying German GCSE. Prior to the exchange pupils are paired and get to know one another as pen pals. One year the German students visit Hall School Wimbledon and the following year we visit them in Hamburg. Typically the exchange lasts for 6 to 7 days, which includes two days at school, an outing for all pupils and a weekend for the exchange partners to enjoy spending time with their host familes. Members of staff from both schools accompany the trips.
Former pupil, Benedict D’Alessandro, was at Hall School Wimbledon for 11 years. Click here to read an account of his experiences as he enjoyed his final field trip with the school.