REPORT BY MISS HOWELL, LEAD TEACHER OF DRAMA

What a whirlwind adventure our London trip turned out to be! Three days packed with dancing, drama (on and off stage), pancakes, culture… and a coach with character. Here’s the full story for our newsletter and socials – buckle up!

Day 1: Rise & Shine… Very Early!

With a not-so-gentle 4:30am start, spirits were high (and eyes were… half open) as we set off for London. No time to waste – we went straight into action with an incredible Hamilton dance workshop led by Louie.

The heat? Absolutely ridiculous. The students? EVEN MORE AMAZING.

They smashed choreography from ‘My Shot’, learning actual moves from the show – and absolutely owned it. Sweat levels: extreme. Talent levels: off the charts.

After dancing our socks off, it was time to refuel at the Hard Rock Café, followed by a breathtaking evening watching Phantom of the Opera. The performance was nothing short of spectacular – goosebumps all round!

Then… finally… bed.

Day 2: Pancakes, Fossils & Theatre Drama

Morning arrived, and thankfully so did breakfast… and pancakes!  Safe to say they were a huge hit, despite a few tired faces and the occasional grumpy morning mood (we’ll let them off!).

First stop: the Natural History Museum. We saw fascinating fossils… Even Mr Taylor!

Next up, a quick bite and then on to the stunning V&A Museum, exploring incredible art and textiles. But the highlight? A spontaneous paddle in the sunshine, surrounded by beautiful architecture. Pure vibes.

The Great Dinner Dash

Then came… traffic. Lots of it.

We arrived AN HOUR late for tea at Pizza Hut and had just 15 minutes to absolutely demolish our food before rushing to the theatre.

Back on the coach… and yes… MORE TRAFFIC. At one point, it genuinely felt like we were about to recreate Challenge Anneka just to make it in time.

But at 7:30pm…

Hamilton started… and we made it JUST in time to be in the ‘room where it happened’!

As we sat down, the curtain rose – perfect timing! And WOW… what a show. Everyone was completely blown away. Worth every second of the chaos!

Back at the hotel, we were greeted with an unexpected late-night activity: Fan assembly squad – we watched on as people were assembling fans as the air con had decided it needed a rest.

Day 3: Shop ‘Til You Drop

Another morning, another round of pancakes (no complaints here!) before heading out for some shopping. Let’s just say… some people were VERY excited.

Armed with shopping bags (and probably less money), we hopped back on the coach ready for home.

The Journey Home… Featuring the Drama Queen Coach. Everything was going smoothly, we even had a surprise song from Faye - that was definitely a surprise!

As I said, everything was going smoothly - until we hit Preston. And then… the coach decided:

“You know what? I’m done.” 

We broke down:

Outside the fire station (blocking the entrance… sorry!)
At a roundabout
Near Tesco
At the Spar
By Subway
And AGAIN near school

At this point, it felt less like a journey and more like a guided tour of Preston breakdown hotspots.

BUT… through teamwork, patience, and a LOT of laughing, we finally made it back to school. Slow and steady wins the race!

Final Thoughts

From world-class performances and dance workshops to museum exploring, paddle moments, and an unforgettable (for all the right and wrong reasons!) journey home…

This trip had it ALL: Talent - Culture - Chaos - Pancakes

And most importantly, an amazing group of students who made the whole experience unforgettable.

London Trip 2026