Whitemoor Lake Reports 8^th to 10^th July

We spent 3 days at Whitemoor lakes in July as part of our year 7 residential. In general, I personally had an amazing time from ziplining to raft building. This is a little summary of my experience in the activities.

On the first day we caught a coach from school straight to Whitemoor lakes which was a pleasant 40 minutes’ drive. As soon as we arrived, we picked up our suitcases and a member of staff from Whitmoor lakes directed us around the centre for a tour. We were then told to leave our suitcases in a corridor and had to sort out our bed sheets for our dorms. After we completed the task of doing our bed sheets, we were asked to collect our suitcases from the door and put them in our rooms.

We then had a bit of free time to settle in and get prepared. In this time, we were provided with a communal area and had our lunch. We then prepared for our first activity which was team games. We started off by playing a fun game. We had to run on a grassland as far as we could whilst screaming but the moment you stopped screaming to take a breath, you had to stop where you were. Personally, I wasn’t the best at this game, but I had fun taking part. We then did a game where we were goalkeepers so we opened our legs wide and we couldn’t let the ball go through our legs or we were out. I enjoyed this game. Once we completed our first activity, we went to our dorms to have a half an hour break before our second activity.

We then went for our second activity which was zip wiring. We first got harnesses on for our safety and walked up some stairs to reach the top of a wooden building. We were then strapped into the zipline by a member of staff called Kate and then she let us go and we zoomed across the zipline. We then had time to shower and eat our dinner as day 1 at Whitemoor lakes came to an end.

The next day we woke up at approximately 7:45 and had to get ready for breakfast at 8:30. At 8:25 we started to make our way down to the dining hall and got ready to eat. Once we had eaten our breakfast, our teacher told us our first activity. My first activity was canoeing so we went back to our dorms to collect a spare pair of clothes for our first activity at 9:30.

At 9:30 we headed to our lining up station as we wanted for an instructor to collect us. Our instructor’s name was Dylan. Firstly, Dylan took us to some crates with helmets in and we put them on. Then we went to a cabin where all the life jackets were stored, and we put one on. After this Dylan told us to push our canoes into the lake and jump in with a paddle. Once we had got in, we rowed the canoe to the other side of the lake and played some games. In the first game we had to chuck a sponge in another canoe and the canoe the sponge fell in had to do a forfeit. As an example, one of the forfeits included putting all of your arm in the water and lifting it above your head. The second game we did head shoulders, knees and toes but on the canoe and the boat started shaking. After we did this our time ran out, so we rowed back to the shore and took our equipment off and got changed in the lockers.

We then had a 30-minute break before our second activity which was gladiator. After our break ran out, we waited for Dylan to collect us and once he did, we walked over put a harness on and a helmet for health and safety. We then got started straight away. Dylan strapped us in, and we started to ascend the obstacle. The first obstacle was about strength as we had to pull ourselves up onto a beam then there was a climbing frame that took up one quarter of it. After this we hopped on some tires and finally, we had to get ourselves to balance on a beam. I found this really fun.

We did more and more activities like Raft building and others. I had a fantastic time at Whittemore Lakes. Every staff member was extremely nice, and we were provided with great food and excellent health and safety advice. The hygiene was also excellent. Overall, it was an amazing experience

Brandon Sindhu 7N

When we awoke on the 9th of July, we soon got dressed and headed to our lodge’s common room. We waited until 08:30 which is when we went for breakfast. The day was ram-packed with exciting events including; water activities, a campfire, and a gathering to watch the European Championship Semi-Finals. Read on to find out more.

09:00- After finishing our breakfast, which consisted of sausage, egg, beans and hashbrown, we went to our group’s first activity: Challenge Course. Themed on a military style training course, it was filled with a rope swing, cargo net, up-and-over wall, and a balance beam. After we had raced our groupmates around the course, we played a game in which we had to get the 12 team members around the course whilst standing on crates, we only got to the third obstacle. Think you can do better?

11:00- Following our 30-minute interval between activities, we lined up behind our activity post for Gladiator. When we had fastened our helmets and tightened our harnesses, we raced in pairs to climb up a vertical, swaying tower of ladders, cargo net and tires that twisted and turned in the late morning breeze.

13:00- Lunch was being served: Pizza and chicken wings were on offer with options aplenty for any dietary requirement. We chatted with our year (and class) mates about what activities they had completed in the past hours.

14:00-17:30- Between these hours we had two activities: Raft Building and Nightline. Raft Building came first. We had to create a raft, which could float and carry 12 people on a lake. We did succeed, however, never were there 12 people on the raft all together as the water was too enticing not to jump into, it was like a warm, yet dirty, bath after a Winter’s Day. Succeeding our half-an-hour break in which we played pool, table-tennis, and/or foosball we went on a blindfolded journey across the lawn of the centre to an assault course BLINDFOLDED. There were many surprises awaiting us there including a 3ft plunge into a pool of water (intentionally placed there). However, considering this, it was much like the challenge course earlier only, quite darker.

19:00-20:00- Our evening activity occurred after dinner; it was a campfire. Other than the fact we were singing slightly embarrassing songs to fellow pupils, it was quite a pleasant experience. We also had to work out a riddle set by an instructor that had already left about when he travelled to Madagascar, an island of the coast of South-East Africa, and came across a market with an odd rule on how you can purchase your items.

20:00- No room for free time, the penultimate act of the day, Spain vs France in the semi-final of EURO2024 there was no room for error as a place in the final between England or The Netherlands awaited the winner of this highly built-up game involving two titans of the international stage. France got off to a quick-fire start as R. Kolo Muani headered in the opener from 6 yards out. Two amazing goals followed (the first from Lamine Yamal and the second from Dani Olmo) as Spain came back to make the scoreline 1-2 in what would be the final result.

22:00-22:35- Between these times, the people who I was sleeping with, including me, all took showers. Our maximum time was 5 minutes, so we had to be quick. By 10:35 we were in bed and the lights were out concluding our only full day at Whitmoor Lakes, one which I will look back on very fondly.

Harrison Hunter 7A

Whitemoor Lakes was very fun, there were a variety of activities. My favourite activity was Raft building as you built a raft and had to ensure it floated. We had fun pushing each other off. I liked the coaches as they joked around but were serious with safter. I wish I could go again to Whitemoor Lakes.

Gursahib Bajwa 7A

Whitemoor Lakes was an amazing opportunity to get out into the world and build your friendships, with a whole host of activities such as; canoeing, raft building, zip wiring, nightline and so many more. The dorm system was amazing, as it gives you time to see what it is like to be away from home with your friends with a whole room as a responsibility, in preparation for other trips you may go on in your time at this school. It gives you time to collaborate in teams with friends to build your friendships to whole new heights, ready for Year 8.

Maxi Skonka 7H

On Monday 8^th July to Wednesday 10^th July, most of year 7 went to Whitemoor Lakes. I would recommend it to every single person who has the chance to go. We got to go canoeing, ziplining, traversing, archery, campfires and my personal favourite raft building. The reason that raft building was my favourite is because I kept on falling in and I tilted the whole boat. I would do it anything to do it again. We had 2 logs and 6 barrels and had to rope them together. It fell apart when our instructor started to move the raft. WE got to splash other groups, and it was fun. We also did a nightline that involved being blindfolded and walking through an obstacle course. WE walked through so many traps and it was fun!

Dylan Ly 7N

During Whitemoor Lakes, we did an activity called raft building. In my group there were 11 people and I limed all of them. All 11 people worked together to create a raft made out of barrels, rope And wooden poles. The raft had to float on a ona lake with all 11 people on it. There were 2 instructors ensuring that everybody was safe. The activity was an amazing experience as whilst we were on the raft, the instructors gave us challenges such as everybody stand up, everybody swap seats etc.

Nicholas Da Silva Xavier Woods 7N

At first arrival, we retrieved our luggage and made our way down a hall. We were then shown our groups and given a small tour of Whitemoor lakes- it was huge! We left for our first activity after lunch, which was team building. In team building, we screamed and ran for as far as we could and did lots of team activities.

We had a break and moved onto our next activity which for my group was gladiator. This involved completing an aerial obstacle course while we held the ropes to keep the person safe. After that we had dinner followed by the campfire. In the campfire, we sang songs, played games and had a fun time. We then had some free time where we could play outside or inside. After free time, we went back to our rooms and got ready for bed. We needed after a long day!

Filip Rusinowicz, 7W

The moment you jump off the platform your heart races buat as you go down the wore, you realise it isn’t as daunting as you expect. The wind whistled in my ear as the trees blurred into a green mess. I flet a sense of freedom and exhilaration as I soared through the air, completely immersed in the moment. As I reached the bottom, I flet the adrenaline in my veins. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I wish I could do it again.

Ibrahim Khan, 7W

Please click here to view more photos in the gallery.

Our next Open Evening will be between 5pm and 8pm on Thursday 19th September 2024. All welcome!

Following the excellent results achieved by our departing Year 13 students last week, we are delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Year 11 pupils in their GCSE examinations this summer. An impressive 50% of students achieved a Grade 7 or above in both Maths and English, and 93% of all students achieved a Grade 5 or above in both subjects. The average Attainment 8 score was 71.6, which is the equivalent of every pupil attaining at least eight Grade 7s.

The overall attainment of this year’s Year 11 students is even higher than the high standards achieved last year, when students at King Edward Handsworth Grammar School for Boys were judged to be making significantly more progress than their peers nationally.

There have been many exceptional individual performances, with two students attaining a clean sweep of eleven Grade 9s. Well done to Ehan and John!

Additionally, two boys achieved ten Grade 9s and one Grade 8 in their exams. Congratulations to Osman and Erjon!

Congratulations also to:

• Hamthan (9 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, 1 Grade 7)
• Karisun (9 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s)
• Mustafa (9 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8)
• Jedd (9 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s)
• Simon (9 Grade 9s, 2 Grade 8s)
• Hardev (10 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 7)

In total, 28 students attained an impressive five or more Grade 9s, and one-fifth of all grades achieved by this year’s Year 11 cohort were Grade 9s.

We are utterly delighted for our students. This year group has worked incredibly hard and has been a pleasure to work with. Their achievements should not be underestimated, especially considering that this cohort spent their formative Years 7-9 living in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, which undoubtedly had a disruptive impact on their learning.

Most impressively, this Year 11 cohort has developed well as young people during their time with us. We are immensely proud of their hard work and achievements. Our students are so much more than a set of exam results; they have character, they are kind, and they are determined to make a difference in their communities. We are very proud of them all and look forward to seeing the majority continue their education in our Sixth Form. For those moving on to other post-16 providers, we wish them the very best in their next steps in education and training.

We would also like to thank everyone involved in supporting our Year 11s and helping them achieve such success, including the teaching and support staff within the school, all of whom work tirelessly to support our students. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to our parents, whose continued support and collaboration with the school have made a significant contribution to the success of this year group.