Trips & Visits – Page 9 – Presdales School & Sixth Form | Ware

On Friday 10th February we left school to head to Leysin, Switzerland. The journey was long but it seemed to pass very quickly and most people slept very well on the coach. When we arrived at our hotel we were a little tired but very excited to see the snow, get our skis fitted and, most importantly, see our rooms!

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: Reviewed by Eloise Bundy

: Reviewed by Lucy White

: Reviewed by Constantina Nichola

The skiing was such fun, with plenty of laughter and some falls but so good to see everybody making great progress. The days flew by and the weather (until the last day) was just beautiful.

We enjoyed some fun activities in the evenings, too, but I think that everyone would agree that tobogganing was brilliant and gave everybody plenty more to smile about.

I think that we were all sad to leave and face the long journey home but we had a fantastic time and will be able to talk about all the memories for years to come.

Miss Clarke

‘Every day in school we have been talking about the unforgettable skiing that we enjoyed so much. We had the best time ever!! We would like to thank the teachers who came with us. We are already excited for the next time we can go on the ski trip.’

‘It was an AMAZING experience going on the ski trip! Enjoying the sunny weather and beautiful views when waking up in the morning. All of the ski instructors were kind and helpful. I have made the best memories with special friends.’

‘The Swiss ski trip 2017 was a great experience. The resort had a range of slopes for all abilities and the scenery was beautiful too. It was very well organised which allowed us to spend lots of time on the slopes as well as doing lots of fun evening activities such as tobogganing.’

‘The ski trip was such an amazing experience and if I ever had the chance I would defiantly go again, I only regret not going sooner! The trip is so well organised and the activities running along side the skiing were great also. Skiing is such a great sport to do on a school trip because it’s something you can pick up within a few days; before I went I had never put a pair of skis on in my life and by the end of the week I was doing blue runs on the mountain with a couple of red slopes! I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone thinking about it as it’s an amazing trip and you’ll have a fab time!’

On Tuesday the 7th of February the Year 9 Mock Trial Team and staff went on a trip to The Stevenage Magistrates’ Court to explore various aspects within the legal profession, become more familiar with the legal system and watch over a set of live trials. Whilst there, the team met and conversed with several prosecuting and defending lawyers, local magistrates, ushers and legal advisors who spoke to us about what their jobs involve and what it’s like to be an active part of the legal system.

During the visit, we saw the layout of a conventional court room, the same one which we would be competing in when we participate in The Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition. As well as first hand experiencing courtroom etiquette and behaviour. In addition, we witnessed several real life trials, some which we found structurally similar to our case study and became familiar with the sequence of events, positioning and other details of a trial. I believe that this trip was very worthwhile as it gave us a flavour of what we would be doing and helped us get into character for our roles as well as showing us a range of styles of putting forward legal arguments and responses.

Personally, seeing the techniques of qualified lawyers in the trial really gave me an insight into how I might argue as a defence lawyer in the competition. In my opinion, this trip provided a very insightful view into the world of law and formed a good foundation and experience for those considering taking up law as a career in the future. Generally, it provided us with a fantastic preview of what our competition will be like on the 18th of March. The visit will motivate us to work even harder, both individually and as a team in preparation for our trial. We have further evaluated the learning outcomes of our visit in our weekly rehearsals. I write on behalf of the whole team in saying that we found this trip very informative and constructive. We would all like to thank the court staff who were happy to answer any questions that we had and, of course, our teachers: Miss Bray, Mr Rowley and Mr Spurgeon, for organising a very educational and helpful visit.

Ayesha Unadkat (Year 9)