Trust News

During the Easter holidays this year, five of our teachers (Miss Pellett, Mrs Santos Richmond, Miss Pearl, Mr Barry and Mr Akhlaq) took a group of fifty Year 10 students on a geography trip to the Azores. We travelled to São Miguel, the largest of nine volcanic islands located off of Portugal, which lies on the boundary of three tectonic plates!

Our journey started on Tuesday 9 April and lasted until Saturday the 13 April (although we all wish it never had to end). From the departing flights from Heathrow, which were one of our student's very first flights, to the chaos of sharing a room with nine other girls, every moment of the trip was enjoyable. Despite all the fun we had, we made sure to keep the trip educational and we even did a nightly geography quiz to recap what we’d learnt from the day.

“When visiting the Azores, we took part in so many interesting activities. Some of these activities included hiking through the green landscapes and exploring the volcanic craters. One of my favourite places to visit was the Sete Cicades- a twin lake with blue and green waters surrounded by tall hills. I also enjoyed walking through the streets in the town of Ponta Delgada and trying local cuisine.” – Nia and Avril, Year 10

“On the second and third days, we visited and got the chance to swim in the geothermal pools that were located on different parts of the island, both contained minerals in the water which were good for our skin. On the second day, we also observed a dam creating renewable energy for the island. On the last day, we went under the road to see the tubes that lava had created from previous eruptions. These were some of my favourite parts.” – Molly, Year 10

“What really made this trip was the people: the students, the teachers, and our tour guide and coach driver, Nicole and Wilson. It was great to be brought together with such an amazing group. Every one of us learnt so much from this trip and had endless amounts of fun at the same time. Without a doubt, every person on the trip learnt something new, even the teachers who became obsessed with the game of ‘Wavelength’ which we introduced them to. We couldn’t be more appreciative of this opportunity and are so thankful to the teachers that led us!” - Rhea, Year 10