Year 4 Residential to Hooke Court

The three Year 4 classes have recently returned from an exciting three-day residential trip to Hooke Court in Dorset, where the children immersed themselves in our humanities topic on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. During their time in Hooke Court’s very own Ancient History Settlement, the children took part in a wide range of hands-on activities designed to bring Viking life to reality.

Highlights included preparing food using traditional methods, such as grinding flour to make oat and cinnamon bread, cooking a vegetable and fish stew and baking delicious honey-flavoured oat cakes. The children also enjoyed weaving after learning how wool was prepared and dyed, crafting their own Troll Cross necklaces, creating clay runic spells and taking part in an authentic Viking wedding ceremony and saga storytelling session.

The pupils were fully immersed in Viking society as they explored the roles of Kings, Jarls, Karls and Thralls, dressed in traditional clothing and even joined a dramatic battle formation to end the day. One of the most memorable moments was designing and building their own Viking longships before launching them on the moat. The Viking feast, complete with warrior songs, was a fantastic way to celebrate all they had learned.

Throughout the trip, pupils worked with enthusiasm, curiosity and a real sense of adventure, making the experience both educational and unforgettable. Alongside the rich historical learning, the residential provided valuable opportunities to develop independence, teamwork and resilience. The children organised their belongings, managed their routines, took responsibility for their dormitories and supported one another throughout the trip. They embraced new challenges with confidence and showed great kindness and maturity, particularly when helping classmates who were feeling unsure about being away from home.

We are incredibly proud of how well the children represented the school and of the enthusiasm, positivity and independence they demonstrated throughout the entire trip.

The pupils said:

“My favourite part of the residential was the Viking Battle where we made a shield wall to defend ourselves.”

“I really liked the residential because there were no parents telling us what to do!”

“I learnt a lot about the Vikings in such a fun way. My favourite part was making the excellent pottage!”