School Trips
ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-2024
Summer 1 - Year 4 Pizza Express - Adapting Recipes and Where our Food comes from...
On Wednesday 17th April, Year 4 visit Pizza Express at the Lowry, in preparation for learning about Adapting Recipes in Design and Technology and linked to our previous Geography unit of 'Where our Food comes from'. First, we had to make sure we were ready to work with food and practiced good food hygiene by washing our hands with soap and then putting on an apron and hat.
Then we were each given a ball of fresh pizza dough on the table. We watched each demonstration for the step by step process of making the pizza and then had a go ourselves. This involved stretching and shaping the dough, oiling the pan and placing the pizza base in, applying the sauce and spreading it evenly and finally adding the cheese before going in to the oven to cook. Did you know the oven heats up to 360 degrees and cooks the pizzas in just 5 minutes!
We then took part in a quiz about where the food comes from and collected our pizzas in boxes and our certificates. They tasted fantastic and we cannot wait to use our newly acquired skills to create our own pizzas in class.
Spring 2 - Year 3 Manchester Museum - Golden Mummies of Egypt Exhibition
On Friday 22nd March, Year 3 visited Manchester Museum to see the Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition, in preparation for studying what Ancient Egyptians believed in History during the Summer term. First, we visited the museum's Ancient Egyptian archaeology section and found some incredible artefacts dating back to as long ago as 5000BC!
Then, we saw the Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition, which displayed a collection of mummies and showed how they were preserved and decorated. We also learnt about the Egyptian temples and how important the Egyptian gods were.
Spring 2 - St. Michael and All the Angels - Easter Story
As part of our learning about ‘What life is like for a Christian’, in R.E, Year 4 went to St. Michael and All the Angels Church. When there the class were split into small groups and moved between a variety of stations learning all about the different aspects of the Easter Story. The children decorated pebbles, learnt about the last supper and created crosses. The children also had refreshments and each child received a small Easter egg. Year 4 are very thankful to all the volunteers that gave up there time to make this happen.
Spring 1
Autumn 2 - Year 4 and Year 5 - St. Anne's R.C.V.C Pantomime
On Monday 18th December, Year 4 and Year 5 were invited to St. Anne's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy to watch their Christmas Pantomime performance of 'Robin Hood'. We walked from Whitehill and were met at the reception and taken to the theatre. All the children were given refreshments whilst we waited for the performance to begin. There were a few ex-pupils acting in the show which was great to see how they are getting on. We joined in as part of the audience and thoroughly enjoyed it. 5 star reviews all around.
Autumn 2 - Year 4 - St.Michael and All Angles Parish Church - Christmas Story
On Wednesday 6th December, as part of our R.E. topics; ‘Why Jesus is inspiring to some people?’ and ‘Why are Festivals important?’, Year 4 visited St. Michael and All Angels Parish Church, Bramhall.
The children were introduced to the Christmas story and, working in groups, they moved between six different, interactive stations lead by volunteers from the church to learn more about each stage of the Christmas Journey. At each stage the children crafted delightful Christmas items and were later treated to a drink and a snack.
Autumn 2 – Quarry Bank Mill – Victorian Children
As part of our learning around the Victorian period, on Friday 3rd November 2023, we visited Quarry Bank Mill. We delved into the daily life of mill workers through engaging activities, hands-on experiences, and captivating demonstrations.
Our day was filled with enlightening activities, such as exploring the home life and free time of Styal residents, unravelling the mysteries of mill money by calculating weekly pay, and stepping into the shoes of Victorian children to understand their various jobs within the Mill. We also delved into the grim realities of disease and danger associated with working in a Mill, gaining a profound insight into the challenges faced during that era.
Witnessing hand-spinning and weaving demonstrations brought the historical context to life, allowing us to grasp the magnitude of change during this pivotal time. The clatter of machines echoed through the air, immersing us in the working conditions of Quarry Bank Mill. Additionally, we explored the fascinating process of powering the machines with water and even had the chance to visit the steam gallery.
One of the highlights was the interactive experience led by a costumed interpreter, offering a glimpse into the life of an apprentice at the Apprentice House. As new apprentices from a workhouse, we engaged in various activities, providing us with a profound understanding of the stark differences in children's lives during the Victorian era.
Year 6 - Autumn 1 - Salford Museum and Art Gallery - Victorians
As part of our learning around the Victorian period, on Tuesday 17th October 2023, we visited Salford Museum and Art Gallery. We became curators for the day, sharpening our historical enquiry skills by examining real Victorian objects and looking for clues as to what they might be. We discussed their features and inferred what they might be used for. In the end, we discovered that the objects we handled were: a hot water bottle, a hat pin, a carpet beater, an iron, a button hooker, a back straightener and a candle snuffer.
Then, down in the depths of the museum, we were taken on a tour of Lark Hill Place - a Victorian street stuck over 100 years in the past, complete with genuine street signs and fittings. We felt as though we had been transported back to 1897!
The cobbled street replicated the ambiance of a winter’s evening, just after the gas lamps had been lit, when people would have been hurrying back from work and popping into shops on their way home. The sounds of horse-drawn carriages and children playing traditional games added to our sense of immersion. A range of Victorian businesses lined the street, including a chemist, blacksmith, toy shop, and printers, all fitted out with genuine Victorian artefacts. We even went to the pub, The Blue Lion Tavern, however we did not have anything to drink!
We found out more about our objects and what daily life was like for those living in the area when Queen Victoria was on the throne.
Early Years Autumn 1: Z-Arts Performance Centre
As part of our learning about Traditional Tales, Early Years and the Rainbow Room visited an immersive fairy tale experience at Z-Arts Performance Centre in Hulme.
First, we had the opportunity to explore and interact in different fairy tale lands, we visited Jack and his beanstalk, the Three Little Pigs building yard and even walked over the three Billy Goats bridge! Finally, we all took part in a drama workshop where we learnt about and acted like villains and hero's from our favourite tales!
ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023.
Year 4 Summer 2: Heaton Park
As part of our learning about Living in Environments, Year 4 went to Heaton Park in north Manchester.
We looked at a variety of habitats and identified the animals that live there based on a variety of things such as prints in the ground, food sources, shelter and safety from natural predators.
Year 4 Spring 1: Pizza Express
As part of our learning about Eating and Digestion in Science and following recipes in Food Technology, Year 4 went to Pizza Express in Cheadle Village.
We learnt about good food hygiene and put on aprons and hats. We were then given our own dough in a steel pan which we had to press around the edges to create the crust. Then we had to ask for our favourite toppings which the manager collected for us to decorate our pizzas. Whilst the pizzas were baking we took part in a quiz about ingredients and where they were from. As part of the quiz we were allowed to taste a variety of ingredients that we may have not tasted before.
EYFS Autumn 2: Road Safety
Nursery and Reception went on a local walk to put all our road safety learning into practise.
Our rules are:
Always hold an adult’s hand and stay on the pavement
Never run ahead, a vehicle could be coming out of someone’s drive
Find a safe place to cross if there isn’t a crossing and never cross by a parked vehicle
You need to stop, look, listen and think. Ask yourself “Is it safe to cross?” Keep looking, listening and thinking as you cross.
Year 4 Autumn 2: Alertacall - Alarms
Year 4 had a fascinating trip to Alertacall's Warrington office, to begin our design and technology topic of Alarms. We began with a very important business meeting in the boardroom followed by a tour of the offices. We discussed their mission statement and how some of their themes link to our own mission statement at Whitehill. We went to a demonstration room to identify all the different types of alarms that could be in someone's home and which types of alarms would be used or needed in different situations. We found out what happens when alarms are triggered and how they can be triggered. We spoke to people in an alert call centre to find out what happens when an alarm is triggered. It was a very interesting trip and has given us plenty of ideas for when we design, create and test our own alarms.
Year 5 Autumn 2: Jodrell Bank - Earth and Space
Year 5 had an amazing trip to Jodrell Bank to consolidate our understanding of Earth and Space. We had an out-of-this-world experience visiting the new and informative exhibitions there. We were fascinated by learning about the rich history of Jodrell Bank and the role it played in tracking the space race! Being able to see the 3rd largest movable telescope in the world really was a brilliant experience. It has inspired many future scientists and really generated a want to know more about the unknown.
Year 6 Autumn 1: World War One - Imperial War Museum
As part of our work about World War One, we were lucky enough to go on a school trip to the Imperial War Museum North. We explored the displays on not only the First World War, but also the events that have followed. We gained knowledge on a number of themes such as the life on the home front, rationing, trench warfare, blitz, evacuation, and much more. We were also lucky enough to meet veterans and listen to their amazing, heroic stories.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-2022.
Early Years Foundation Stage: Asda
Nursery and Reception have been reading the story Handa's Surprise. There was a lot of new and unusual fruits in the story that the children hadn't come across before. So in order to design and make their fruit salad we decided to take a trip to the local supermarket to buy some of the fruits from the story. They walked in pairs talking about all the things they could see on their journey. They even recalled some facts from Road Safety Week. The children used their shopping lists to find the fruits in the supermarket. Reception had also been learning about fair trade week, so wet on a hunt in the supermarket to see if they could find food with a fair trade stamp. The children then checked out paying the cashier. They loved the experience and some were overheard saying it was the ''best day ever!''. The children enjoyed tasting and describing their fruits when they returned to school. They also made a healthy fruit salad to enjoy!
Year 4: Museum of Science and Industry
Year 4 had an exciting trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. While there we saw a replica of the world's first computer which was made in Manchester in 1948. Our favourite part of the day was the experiment room. In here there were lots of fantastic, hands-on things for us to do. We tested how strong we were and managed to move a whole car with gears, explored the properties of magnets and how forces act on each other, and even tested our reaction speed. We really enjoyed exploring the world around us and how things work.
Year 3: Iron Age Settlement Museum
During November, Year 3 uncovered archaeological evidence about Iron Age settlements near Stockport! The class went in the school minibus to Mellor, which is near Marple, to see the findings discovered by archaeologists 20 years ago. The children found evidence of Iron Age and Roman pottery, as well as a full replica Stone Age roundhouse settlement! The children really enjoyed themselves and loved going somewhere new.
Now that COVID 19 restrictions have been reviewed and updated, we have been able to plan for enrichment opportunities regarding educational visits.
Year 6: Imperial War Museum Trip - WW1
During November, as part of our work about World War One, we were lucky enough to go on a school trip to the Imperial War Museum North. We explored the displays on not only the First World War, but also the Second World War. We gained knowledge on a number of themes such as the Blitz, evacuation, life on the home front, rationing and trench warfare. We were also lucky enough to meet veterans and listen to their amazing, heroic stories.
EYFS Road Safety Week 2021
EYFS have been learning all about road safety. The children learnt how to cross the road safely using the Stop, Look, Listen, Think sequence. We discussed the dangers that we may find on roads and ways that we can keep ourselves safe such as holding an adult’s hand, walking on the pavement and using pedestrian crossings. We put our learning into action by crossing a road outside school and learnt first-hand why you should never cross near a parked vehicle. Our outdoor area was transformed into a road system with traffic lights, a roundabout, crossings and even roadwork diversions to help us practise being safe drivers and pedestrians.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020
Year 6 Enrichment Trip to St Anne’s High School
On Tuesday 10th March, year 6 went to St Anne’s High School to take part in a science enrichment morning. It was a great opportunity to share knowledge with children from a number of local schools. During the morning, as part of the practical session, we demonstrated two experiments. The first, was ‘Salty Eggs’ and the second, involved ‘Ice Cubes’. Dr Nash who organised the event commented, “The standard of work produced by your pupils was exceptional and their confidence in speaking to David, Scott and Jamie was amazing.” A big thank you to the adults who went with and supported the children and we thank the staff at St Anne’s for making us feel so welcome.
Harry, “I really enjoyed learning about density.”
Holly, “ I enjoyed showing other children the salty egg experiment.”
Sophia, “It was exciting doing all the experiments this week. I also really enjoyed taking part in the science fair at St Anne’s High School.”
EYFS Trip To Whitehill Fire Station
EYFS visited Whitehill Fire Station to learn about fire safety and people who help us. The children explored the engine and all the equipment stored inside that the firefighters use to put out fires and rescue people from dangerous situations. The children also tried on the special clothing firefighters wear to protect themselves and best of all had a turn of using the fire hose. This trip helped the children understand the need to be careful at all times around fires and when to call the fire brigade for help. After our trip the children set up a fire station role play area and spent many hours ' being fire fighters'.
Year Three Educational Visit to Reddish Vale High School
On Friday 7th February, Y3 visited Reddish Vales Design and Technology department to create a healthy sandwich snack. The children explored the different food groups and learnt how to translate these into healthy, balanced sandwiches. The children got their taste-buds tingling as they tasted a variety of sandwich fillings and types of breads and then were challenged to design, make, eat and evaluate their own healthy sandwich snacks.
Year One Educational Visit to Stockport Central Library: Thursday 12th December 2019
On Thursday 12th December 2019 Year One visited Stockport Central Library. The children were encouraged to become lost in other worlds as they listened and read stories.
During the morning the children learnt how to use a library. This included the children learning about different types of books and which part of the library they would use for different purposes.
During the morning the children took it in turns to sit in the story telling chair whilst their friends listened to them retell familiar stories. They also listened to a few familiar christmas stories and were able to relate some of the events and characters to their nativity.
The children had a fantastic day and the adults were extremely impressed with their behaviour.
Year Two Educational Visit to The Local Park: Wednesday 18th December 2019
On Wednesday 18th December, Year two visited the Local Park as part of our Geography topic about The Local Area. We left school taking with us clipboards to complete our surveys. Once we arrived at the park we made notes about landmarks and features we had seen on the journey and highlighted the route we had taken on maps. Once there we drew birds eye maps of the park using symbols and a key for features of the park such as the playground and the football pitch as well as the paths and bedding plant areas.
As this was December the weather was beginning to make us rather cold so we made good use of the park to exercise and warm ourselves up.
We had a fantastic time but the children requested we bring hot chocolate next time.
Year Six Educational Visit to Reddish Vale High School: Tuesday 10th December 2019.
On Tuesday 10th December, year six visited the Food Technology department at Reddish Vale High School as part of their learning about Healthy Bodies. We started off by being shown around the department with regards to a wide range of food preparation/cooking equipment. Everyone soon realised that this environment was much different from our normal learning classroom at Whitehill! Mr Ellis then spoke to us about the importance of good food hygiene and explained that there are a number of carer opportunities within the catering/food sector.
It was then time to make ourselves a healthy snack from the vast range of foods that were provided by Mr Ogden and Mr Higson-Guy. Everyone was encouraged to try some different types of food and there were some interesting faces being pulled! A big thank you to Miss Puri and Miss Hall who came with us and helped prepare all the food.
Holly, “I really enjoyed the afternoon and I will be asking for kiwi fruit to be added to our shopping list!”
Jessica, “I now know that I like green peppers!”
Year Three Educational Visit to Stockport Air Raid Shelters
On Tuesday 3rd December, Y3 visited the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport. The children were taken back in time to Wartime Britain in 1941, where they arrived as evacuees in Stockport to be safe for the duration of WWII.
During the morning the children learnt how to be good evacuees. This included the children learning about the Air Raid precautions and took part in their very own gas mask drill.
During the afternoon the children then went underground into the Air Raid Shelters. Whilst underground they were given lots of information about ‘Life on the Home Front’ including what it was like when there was a Blackout.
The children had a fantastic day and the adults were extremely impressed with all their knowledge and understanding of World War II which they had remembered from their History lessons.
Jodrell Bank - Earth and Space
On Tuesday 5th November 2019 and Tuesday 12th November 2019, a group of Year 5 children went to Jodrell Bank as part of their Earth and Space topic in Science. They saw the world famous Lovell telescope, explored interactive galleries, spoke to expert staff and experienced two interactive workshops.
One of the workshops was held in an inflatable planetarium, where they explored the current night sky; viewed the seasonal constellations as imagined by the Ancient Greeks; and explored the visible planets.
The second was a hands-on and engaging workshop, where they completed a series of experiments which explored a variety of science concepts linked to the Solar System. Year 5 worked in groups, developing their investigative and team-working skills. The experiments included: exploring the strength of gravity on different planets, investigating the brightness of sunlight throughout the Solar System, testing the pH of sand like a Mars rover, and performing a series of tests to identify a real meteorite!
ACADEMIC YEAR 2018-2019
The Great Science Share 2019
On Tuesday 18th June 2019, 8 member of Year 5, Mr.Mansbridge and Mrs. Dyer took part in the Great Science Share hosted by the University of Manchester at Whitworth Art Gallery. At the Great Science Share, each school in attendance were required to bring an investigation they could show to other children. Over 500 children took part in the event. The group of Year 5 children were split into 2 groups of 4, one group conducted the investigation for other children and the other group went to look at and try all the other investigation designed by other schools. Then we swapped over so each group has a chance to conduct the experiment and see all the other schools investigations. Our investigation was to see how long an egg spent submerged in vinegar changed its bounciness. Some of the investigations included created a cushion around an egg and dropping it from different heights, does colour affect taste? Which liquids are acidic? How much iron is in our cereal? Which liquids work best for making a Lava Lamp, and so much more. At the end we received an award and joined in with the celebration song and dance to complete the afternoon.
Mancheser Road Park
On Thursday 23rd May Year 1 walked to our local park. In Science the children had been learning about lots of different plants and trees. Whilst at the park the children had several tasks to complete! They had to identify as many trees and plants as they could using the clues they had been given. They used many of the plants and leaves to create their own colours and rubbings! We enjoyed snack under the shade of a tree before conducting a nature hunt and of course ended the trip with a play in the play area!
Tatton Park - Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
On Tuesday 21st May and Wednesday 22nd May 2019, Year 5 were lucky enough to explore the turbulent world of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings in 10th Century AD in a hands-on workshop at Tatton Park. They arrived at the settlement just after a Viking raid had taken place and saw the effects it had on the Anglo Saxon community.
The Tatton Park historical characters helped Year 5 examine what life was like for these two groups of people; considering home life, religion, work, battle, trade, food, language and geography. They took part in: shelter building, outdoor fires, thumb pot making, deer walk and weapons activities.
"Best day ever," was heard from many.
Year Three - Stockport Air Raid Shelters
On Friday 17th May, Y3 visited the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport. The children were taken back in time to Wartime Britain in 1941, where they arrived as evacuees in Stockport to be safe for the duration of WWII.
During the morning the children learnt how to be good evacuees. This included the children learning about the Air Raid precautions and took part in their very own gas mask drill.
During the afternoon the children then went underground into the Air Raid Shelters. Whilst underground they were given lots of information about ‘Life on the Home Front’ including what it was like when there was a Blackout.
The children had a fantastic day and the adults were extremely impressed with all their knowledge and understanding of World War II which they had remembered from their History lessons.
Year Two - Walk around our Local Area
On Tuesday 30th April, as part of our Geography and Science learning about map making and the local area and Mini-beasts and Micro-habitats, we walked to Manchester Road Park. Once we arrived we worked in our pairs using magnifying glasses and plastic examining dishes to find different Mini-Beasts and Micro-Habitats. We then drew maps of the park before enjoying some time on the activity park.
Year Six-Reddish Vale High School Food Technology
On Tuesday 26th March, as part of their learning about Healthy Bodies, Year 6 took part in a practical session in the food technology department at RVHS. The children started off by discussing the importance of food hygiene and then worked through a short booklet re-capping learning about different food groups and a balanced diet. In know time at all, they were selecting different foods to taste. Some of the facial expressions were superb! After the tasting session, they made their own lunch. A big thank you to Mrs Jagger, for helping out with the food preparation.
Year Three Sandwich Snacks - Reddish Vale
On Tuesday 12th March, Y3 visited Reddish Vales Design and Technology department to create a healthy sandwich snack. The children explored the different food groups and learnt how to translate these into healthy, balanced sandwiches. The children got their taste-buds tingling as they tasted a variety of sandwich fillings and types of breads and then were challenged to design, make, eat and evaluate their own healthy sandwich snacks.
Reddish Vale - Food Technology
On Tuesday 5th February 2019, Year 5 had the opportunity to take part in a food technology practical session at Reddish Vale, where they made scones. They measured out their ingredients and mixed them together using their fingertips. Then then had an option of making sweet or savoury scones. For the sweet scones they added sugar, cherries, mixed fruit and raisins. For the savoury scones they added cheese. At the end, they were then responsible to tidy up, which, for some of them, was quite a challenge. They had a fantastic experience and really enjoyed eating up all of their lovely tasting scones.
Maths Day
On Tuesday 20th November, 12 children from years 5 and 6 went to Alexandra Park Primary School to participate in a range of maths activities. They worked with children from other local primary schools and developed their reasoning and problem solving skills. A big thank you to Mrs Turner, who gave her time to support the children.
Year 5 Trip To Jodrell Bank
On Tuesday 6th November and Friday 9th November, Year 5's went to Jodrell Bank as part of their Earth and Space topic. They were able to see the world famous Lovell telescope in action, explore the surrounding interactive galleries and speak to the expert staff. They also explored the current night sky; viewed the seasonal constellations as imagined by the Ancient Greeks; and explored the visible planets. They were also lucky enough to complete a series of experiments which explored a variety of science concepts, each linked to the Solar System. They developed their investigation skills by: exploring the strength of gravity on different planets; investigating the brightness of sunlight throughout the Solar System; discovering how craters are formed; and performing a series of tests to identify a real meteorite!
Y3 Visit to Stockport Library
On Tuesday 2nd October, Y3 had a lovely morning at Stockport Library. They learnt the difference between fiction and non fiction books, they learnt how to find fiction and non fiction books in a library and listened to fiction and non fiction books about Volcanoes. The children are now extremely excited about the different types of books they discovered at the library and it would be lovely if they could now become a member of their local library to enhance their buzz for reading and discovering new books.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018
On Tuesday 24th April and Thursday 3rd May, Year 5 visited Tatton Park to experience life in the Anglo-Saxon times. The class had great fun learning lots of new information and skills.
On Wednesday 25th April, Year 3 went on an educational visit to Stockport Air Raid Shelters and Museum. We had a fantastic day learning about how children lived through World War Two. A big thank you to Mrs Jagger, Mrs Kelly and Miss Hall for supporting the children.
On the 27th March 2018, our Years 1 and 2 children visited Knowsley Safari Park to learn about different animals.
On Wednesday 21st March 2018, Year 5 became Scientists for the afternoon as they studied forensics at Reddish Vale High School. The class used their skills to solve the crime of the missing cake!
On Wednesday 21st March 2018, our Early Years visited Reddish Vale Farm as part of their topic in class. The children had so much fun feeding the animals and meeting some of the new lambs.
On Monday 19th March 2018, year 3 visited Reddish Vale High School as part of our DT learning. We learnt about different food groups, sampled a variety of foods and made sandwiches to eat for our lunch. A big thank you to Miss Hall, Mrs Kelly and Mrs Jagger for supporting the children.
On Wednesday 28th February, Year 5 braved the weather to explore the stars at Jodrell Bank.
On Tuesday 7th March 2018, Year 6 discovered all that Stockport Central Library has to offer. They learnt about the different types of books and how they are classified. The children even got to eat some bugs... which was an unexpected experience!
On Thursday 7th December 2017, year 3 visited Stockport Central Library. We had a fantastic time learning about how a library is set out and how to borrow and return books. Mrs Bartlett read us a story and challenged us to find books by a given author and about a certain theme. A big thank you to Miss Balance and Miss Hall who came and supported the children.
05/12/2017: Year 4 impressed the staff at Manchester Museum with their amazing knowledge of the Ancient Egyptians. The children had a great day exploring the museum and learning lots of new facts. What a great way to end a topic!
