Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Year 4 Ufton Court Visit
The time finally came for our highly anticipated visit to Ufton Court, which brought to life a lot of the learning the children had carried out during the spring term at home as part of our Fit for a King - Anglo-Saxons and Vikings - topic. And it certainly did not disappoint! As we arrived at Ufton, the children were greeted by a Viking, to begin our encounter straight away. Throughout the two-day experience, Year 4 were immersed in the life of the Vikings, from the skills they learnt for battle, to the ancient tales they told, to the celebrations following the death of a Jarl and her ascension to Valhalla. We danced, we feasted, we played games! The second day arrived with a bang as the Saxons and Vikings fought for the kingdom of Wessex, a fantastic look at some doorstep history through local battles such as the Battles of Reading, Englefield and Basing. Though both sides experienced many victories and losses alike, the 7-year conflict culminated in the realisation of King Alfred the Great’s cunning and planning as the Saxons finally claimed victory over Wessex. To ensure we could all live well as Vikings, we continued the day learning vital skills such as willow weaving to Year 4 - Ufton Court - reported by Ms Shuttleworth & Mrs Biggs create structures, fire lighting and yarn spinning from wool. Of course, it was important that we knew how to keep ourselves entertained as well, so learnt many Vikings games, which are surprisingly familiar to the games we play today. Despite two very long and exhausting days, the children arrived back at school buzzing about their time at Ufton, the time they spent working together as a Year group and immersing themselves in the history of Britain. A truly worthwhile enrichment of the children’s learning, lasting memories made.
