Last week, our Year 8 students traded their school uniforms for warm ski gear as they headed off to the beautiful mountains of St Johann, Austria. It was an exciting week filled with mountain challenges, plenty of laughter, and even a little bit of falling over in the snow! Surrounded by the amazing scenery, our students really got stuck into the mountain lifestyle and made the most of every single moment on the slopes.

Over the five days, the group had lessons from professional instructors. Whether they were total beginners or had skied before, everyone improved their skills as they practiced how to turn and stop safely. Of course, there were a few tumbles along the way, but our students showed great resilience by picking themselves up and helping their friends every time. They really showed our KAPP values by staying positive and trying their best, even when the weather conditions made things a bit difficult at times.

At the end of the week, everyone took part in a fun slalom race to see who could get the fastest times in their groups. It was brilliant to see everyone being so competitive and cheering each other on. A very well done goes to the students who finished in the top three for their groups. 

The fun didn’t stop when the skiing finished for the day. Our afternoon/ evening activities were a big hit, including sledging and a fun night at the bowling alley. Perhaps the best part was the karaoke night, where we found out we have some very talented singers in Year 8! It wasn’t just the students who took to the stage either; the staff joined in too, making it a night full of music and great memories.

We know that the coach journey to Austria is very long, but we hope the trip was worth every mile. These trips are about more than just learning to ski; they are about becoming more independent and making memories with friends that will last a lifetime. Well done to everyone for making the trip such a success and for representing our school so well.

What our students had to say:

“This was my first time skiing. It was the best experience ever and I had so much fun. I made so many new friends too, and got to speak to lots of new people. I would go again so many times if I could.” Maelys

“I haven’t skied before but this opportunity has opened my mind to winter sports. If you have the opportunity take it!” Zachary

“The ski trip was so much fun! I learned so much from going on it, even though we fell a lot we still got up and tried again. It was an amazing opportunity to make friends and try new things!” Beatrice

“The ski trip was amazing, the most snow I have ever seen. All of the trails made most of us fall, but we kept going. We also had afternoon activities which were super funny.” Idris

“For my first time skiing I felt like I learnt hundreds of exciting new skills and met loads of new people. I am so happy for the opportunity to go, and to see all of the amazing scenery.” William

“I have never skied before and I loved it. The scenery, the slopes, I made so many new friends. The slopes were wonderful and I would love to go again.” Ella

“I have skied before but never like this! The slopes were smooth and easy to ski on, and the activities were great.” Ryan