We have had the most fantastic first day! You should be so very proud of your wonderful children, they have outdone themselves!

After a short coach journey, we arrived to Ufton Court in full sunshine and could see the goats and horses. The house itself is very grand and regal. We felt very important!

We headed to the 'sunken garden' for some free play with ball games. We also had some fresh fruit from a basket, which was delicious. We had beautiful views over the river and beyond.

We then split into two groups and partook in two activities: one took place in a Viking ship looking at trade and the other one involved a battle scene where we used shields and real weapons to re-enact a battle. We even created a shield for our teachers - we were great protectors!

It was then time for lunch - jacket potatoes, baked beans and (pasta) salad. Lots of us tried our food and some of us demolished it as soon as it arrived! We were able to help ourselves which meant we only needed to try things we wanted to :-)

After lunch, it was time to go to our rooms. We even practised a fire drill (no noisy alarm like at school!) to make sure we knew where to go in case of an emergency. We had to make our own beds which proved rather tricky but we used the school value of resilience, as well as co-operation, to help our buddies! Our adults helped us too!

We then got some inside down time - lots of screen-free, traditional activities; dominoes; chequers; draughts; connect 4; 'tug of war'. We had the best time!

It was then time for dinner - chicken, coleslaw, wedges and green beans. Again, it was self-serve so we didn't put anything on our plates that we didn't like the look of (there were quite a few green beans left ;-) We are really lucky that they let us have the 'quiet room' so it was a bit like Acorns - a busier room for those that enjoy it and a quieter room for those who needed it (Mrs H liked this option too)

After dinner it was time for one final activity in the library - a re-enactment where some of us got picked to fulfil certain roles and act/read out historical passages. Children became very passionate about this and acted with great gusto!

We intend to head to bed at 19:30 (wish us luck). Everyone is suitably tired and ready for (hopefully!) a restful night's sleep. We will keep you updated on tomorrow!

Thank you for reading and have a great evening. Please rest assured your children are being very well looked after and are having simply the best time.