Stratford-upon-Avon Enrichment Trip
Pupils from Years 8-11 enjoyed a full Shakespearian experience on a residential visit to the birthplace of the bard himself, Stratford-upon-Avon. The two-day trip was the school’s first Academic Enrichment trip to the historic town.
The group visited Shakespeare’s birthplace, where they saw the bed he was born in; the RSC theatre, where they were treated to a ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour and saw a rehearsal in progress as well as the costume studios and a control room; and Shakespeare’s ‘New Place’, where they visited an exhibition on his first folio.
After dinner, the students watched the RSC Theatre production of Macbeth, with all of them commenting on the brilliantly eerie witches and the incredible staging of ‘the Scottish play’, one of the most enduring and popular of Shakespeare’s tragedies.
On the second day the students participated in a theatre workshop with visiting actors. Scenes from Macbeth were acted out with plenty of enthusiasm and dramatic intensity, with some superb performances from the students. The trip ended with some free time for the group to explore the town before heading home.
Academic Enrichment Co-ordinator and Teacher of English Tim Cook said: “It was very exciting for us to organise our first enrichment trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and it was hugely successful. Seeing the birthplace and artefacts of Shakespeare in the flesh really brought his writings to life and our pupils were just fantastic at all points, immersing themselves in the experience and wholly engaging with the activities.”
The students’ enthusiasm continued during the trip and on their return home, with feedback including:
“I loved the trip especially when we went to see Macbeth and when we went to his new place. As somebody who hasn’t had that much experience with Shakespeare, it was a great opportunity to learn more.” Naima, Y8
“This trip was amazing and was the perfect balance of fun and learning experience.” Daniel, Y9
“It was a magical experience from the old place to the new place to Macbeth.” Louisa, Y8
“I loved the trip! Stratford was beautiful despite the weather and I really enjoyed learning about Shakespeare’s life. The New Place gardens and being back stage in RSC was brilliant. The actors in Macbeth were superb.” Ione, Y11
“The play was fantastic. During most monologues I got chills and I thought the acting was amazing. I must admit, the first half made a lot more sense than the second, but I think I still got the gist of it and it has certainly inspired me to try and understand more Shakespeare.” Isabel, Y9
“There were so many marvellous sights to see and lots of history on Shakespeare to discover. I really enjoyed visiting his Birthplace and learning all about what life was like in that time. To top the amazing day off, we went to see Macbeth, which I found very enjoyable. This trip is definitely a must for those considering whether to go or not!” David, Y9
