Dear Parents/Carers,

Our Charterhouse trip is almost here and the children, as you probably know, are very excited!  Following the exceptional effort our year 6 children have put in for their SAT’s, they truly deserve this experience.

On the morning of the trip (Monday 15^th May):

• Children should arrive with their luggage at school at 15am (if your child is booked into Breakfast Club this arrangement can remain unchanged).
• Please remember, your child will need to be able to carry their own luggage to the classroom as parents are not allowed on the school site.
• Staff will be available in the front playground to offer assistance & issue further instructions.
• We will contact those parents who have notified us their child requires medication. This agreed medication will need to be handed to Mrs Matthews at the front gate.

Packed lunch on Monday:

All children will need to bring in a packed lunch to eat on arrival at Charterhouse, but please remember this needs to be in a plastic/paper bag/wrapping, not a lunchbox. We do not want children taking lunch boxes on the trip. No nuts or nut products please.

On the day of return (Friday 20^th May):

• We plan to be back at school around 2:00pm.
• Children should be collected from the front playground at 2:15pm. A prompt collection is appreciated.
• If there is any change to this time, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Important reminders:

• There is a finalised kit list at the end of this letter to help with your child’s packing; if you have any issues or concerns, please contact the school office team.
• Please remember your child’s bedding, as per the kit list, as this will not be provided at camp.
• We do not allow snacks or sweets to be brought to camp from home. There is plenty of food available throughout the day. Please do not pack any food items unless this have been specifically agreed with the office team before the trip.
• No medicine, including travel sickness tablets, should be packed into your child’s luggage. All medicines will be accounted for prior to the trip and the necessary forms completed. If you believe your child requires medicine and you have not been contacted to complete any medication forms, please telephone the school office immediately to discuss this. Children cannot carry or self-administer medication on this trip (except inhalers). We will take blue inhalers that we have in school for children with asthma.
• The children can take some pocket money (no more than £5 please). This is to buy some sweets in Cheddar or a souvenir from the gift shop.
• The weather forecast for Charterhouse week is very similar to now, but it is always changeable, so please make sure your child has a sunhat and suntan lotion, just in case the sun decides to shine!
• Please remember to pack two, labelled black bin bags, for wet/dirty clothes. This is essential to keep mud and water from other items of clothing. Please pay particular attention to the kit list re the water activities.
• You can follow the children throughout the trip via our Charterhouse Twitter account. This is a closed group and will only be open to parents of the children attending. Visit Twitter and register or sign in. You can find us at Charterhouse@Y6UphillVillage and request to follow the account. We will accept parents’ requests over the coming week. We take lots of photos to keep you informed and you can see just what they get up to! If you have a Twitter handle that will be difficult for us to identify you from, please telephone the school office, to let us know. We cannot accept requests from grandparents, friends, siblings etc.

Please don’t hesitate to speak to any of the staff if you have any questions before we depart.

We are very excited and looking forward to a fantastic trip.

With regards

Year 5/6 Team

Charterhouse 2023 – KIT LIST

All clothing should be clearly marked and the older the better as it is likely to get muddy. Please do not buy new kit – shop at a charity shop if there is something you don’t have!

Essential

• 2 x Black bin bags (with a label attached with your child’s name). These are for dirty/damp clothing. One bag will be specifically necessary for the watersports.
• Please label all luggage clearly.

Clothing/Kit

If possible avoid bringing denim clothing as this can get heavy when wet and take a long time to dry. You will also need to bring enough changes of clothing for the whole stay.

• Tracksuit type trousers/leggings x 3 (minimum)
• Warm jumper/sweat-top/hoodie/fleece x 3 (minimum)
• T-shirts/Tops x 4 (minimum)
• Thick socks x 4 (minimum)
• Waterproof coat
• Waterproof trousers if possible (do not buy these especially)
• Wellington boots & long socks (Needed for Caving & Gorge Walking)
• Walking boots/shoes or pair of sturdy trainers for walking
• Small day rucksack
• Reusable plastic water bottle
• Sun cream & sun hat (weather dependent)
• Hats and gloves (weather dependent)
• Underwear
• Indoor shoes/slipper
• Warm pyjamas/nightclothes
• Toiletries/wash kit & Large Towel
• Bedding: pillow and pillowcase, sleeping bag or single duvet, bottom sheet. This can be packed into a separate bag.
• Torch (for night hike)

Water Sports Kit (in addition to above)

• 2 sets of clothing:
  • 1 set that can be worn on the water and is very likely to get wet,
  • 1 dry set for returning to camp in.
• 2 pairs of closed toe shoes:
  • 1 dry pair for coming from and returning to camp. This can be the same pair as listed in the main kit list.
  • 1 pair that can be worn in the water. Old trainers that can get dirty & wet or alternatively wet suit type shoes/beach shoes but do not buy new.
• A towel. This is in addition to the large towel listed above.

Optional Extras

• Teddy bear & book
• It is suggested that children can bring around £5 to buy some sweets in Cheddar on Wednesday and a souvenir.

Items NOT to Bring

• NO snacks; crisps, chocolates or sweets. If found, these will be safely looked after by staff until we return home.
• NO mobile phones, radios, MP3 players, electric games etc.
• NO jewellery is to be worn including watches.