A Right Royal Rail-Trip

A group of students joined the Platform team for an orienteering themed adventure by train….but the most exciting find was certainly not a planned one!

Year 5 students from Minster C of E Primary School first worked with Platform by inviting a member of the team in for a rail safety, confidence, and behaviour workshop. There, they learnt all the key safety messages they needed ahead of their upcoming trip, empowering them to arrive at the station fully informed, and ready to go.

On May 16^th, the students met Soo from the Platform team at Warminster train station for a free rail-education trip, where they put the knowledge from their workshop into practice, demonstrating what they had remembered and keeping themselves station-safe. The students had arrived with plenty of time to spare and so took part in an i-spy activity before boarding the GWR service to Bath Spa.

On arrival in Bath, the group were joined by Imogen from the Platform team and, as orienteering skills was their focus for the day, each student was given a map of Bath, which they referred to as they walked through the town.

The team led the school group to some of the key historical points in the area, including the Roman Baths, the Parade Grounds, and Pulteney Bridge. Soo was able to put her teaching experience into action and provided a range of interesting facts for each landmark; did you know that the Abbey Churchyard is where Frankenstein was written in an area which is now – ironically – an electricity pumping station?

As the group used their maps to plot the route to Royal Victoria Park, discussion focused on the rich culture and history of Bath, with conversations on everything from Bath Buns to the Penny Blacks.

Having successfully navigated their way to the park, the group went to the Bandstand area where students compared an aerial photo of the area to a map of the same area. They used this activity to focus on why maps could sometimes be more useful than photographs, and discussed the different symbols and their uses.

Following on, students did an orienteering game, using the map of the area and hiding cones for their peers (the game increased in complexity as it went on to such an extent that one cone was never found…)

After all that hard work, it was a well-deserved packed lunch break and play in the park for the students, before returning to the station for the train ride home.

However – the students were treated to the most amazing discovery at the station (and it wasn’t the lost cone). Passing through on her way to catch the train home to London was HRH The Princess of Wales.  Despite being clearly in a hurry, Princess Kate still found the time to slow down, ask the students where they were going, what they had been learning about, and wishing them well on their school-trip.

With the coronation still so fresh in everyone’s minds, this was a remarkable end to the day, and one the students will hopefully remember forever.

Soo Jackson, from the Platform team, said, “The sun shone on a glorious day out in Bath for the group.  The children were so enthusiastic to learn map reading skills to guide themselves through the city and for some orienteering games in Royal Victoria Park.  To top off a wonderful day, they met the Princess of Wales on the platform at Bath Spa Station.”

Kate Drew, Year 5 teacher from Minster C of E Primary School, said, “It has been an extremely well organised visit; all communications have been fantastic and clear. It gave us great confidence before the day. The leaders, Soo and Imogen were extremely knowledgeable. The orienteering challenge at the park was well planned, well-resourced and well organised. All the children were actively engaged. We have had a brilliant day. Getting the Princess of Wales to stop and chat to us was an unexpected bonus!”

As always, thanks go to GWR for providing free travel for rail education, meaning this trip could be delivered at no cost to the school.