Children set sail on a river adventure as part of their geography learning at Ramsgate Primary Arts School.
Pupils explored the River Stour at Canterbury and went punting on the water in their first major outing since the pandemic lockdowns began in March 2020.
The trip allowed the children to explore a river for themselves, spotting wildlife, discussing its journey and flow and learning about its history too.
The Year 3 group also enjoyed a summer picnic in city’s Westgate Gardens before using compasses to find north and to track the direction of the river flow. They also enjoyed a little game of Pooh sticks as well.
The visit formed part of their topic Land and Water where they are learning about urban and rural land, types of mountains, Mount Everest, hills in the UK, bodies of water, rivers including UK rivers, the sea and erosion and weathering.
Year 3 teacher Kiki Amin said: “There are so many exciting learning opportunities in this unit and our pupils became enthused very quickly, always wanting to know more.
“Leading up to the decision to take the children out on a trip given the current circumstances, we had been learning about rivers and how they shape the land.
“I wanted to take them on a trip that allowed them to get outside of the classroom and to explore their local area. Of course, the River Stour was a top choice and the river spotting started very quickly as we travelled on the train towards Canterbury. The staff and I loved watching the children excitedly spot the Stour from the windows and discuss whether it was the main river or a tributary.
“Punting on the river was fantastic and it was a new experience for many of our group – thanks go to Canterbury Punting Company for giving the children a much enjoyed mini-history lesson too.
“It was a super day out for us all to end the children’s time in Year 3.”