One hundred year 7 pupils enjoyed a retreat at Castlerigg Manor, in Keswick, earlier this week. This was the first time that Archbishop Temple Church of England High School has visited this very special corner of the Lake District.

On the way to the retreat, pupils had the opportunity to visit From Auschwitz to Ambleside at Windermere Library, where they learnt about the inspiration for Tom Palmer's book After the War. 

Year 7 fully embraced the activities on offer at Castlerigg including a disco and dance competition where the pupils had to create an imaginative dance routine to our school hymn 'Shine God's Light', writing affirmations about their newly found friends, making candles, bracelets and sand art, playing lots of games, enjoying the outdoor spacer in the manor  grounds and taking a stroll to take in the breathtaking north Lakes scenery. There was great excitement about sharing bedrooms and meal times with their friends!

There was plenty of time to embrace their spirituality through a meditation session and reflection time during worship in the beautiful little chapel. Despite the adverse weather on the second day of the retreat, including the slow arrival of the second group due to the snowy conditions, we had a fabulous trip! A big thank you to our coach driver, the team at Castlerigg and all the staff who assisted on the trip, it was a very enjoyable and memorable experience. 

Mrs R. Parkinson

Head of Year 7