Lower III learned a lot during their trip to Ufton Court this week, but perhaps above all else, they learned that a bit of rain does not get in the way of a brutal Viking battle!

During their trip, Lower III took part in three immersive activities where they put themself in the shoes of a fierce Viking warrior! Firstly, they stepped on board a huge Viking longboat, visiting different areas of Europe and learning about what the Vikings raided and traded.

Then they took part in ‘The Thing’ – A Viking court room where they learned about the types of crimes committed, the punishments given and how these punishments were decided. The most surprising part of this activity was learning that during the Viking times, murder was not considered a crime if it was announced and committed in front of others!

Last, but most certainly not least, Lower III took part in a re-enactment of The Battle of Wessex – with one class representing the Anglo-Saxons and the other playing the role of the Vikings. Despite the pouring rain and the very slippery mud, we got stuck in and battled fiercely, learning that there wasn’t really a particular winner in this battle but that there were a lot of small victories on both sides throughout the battle.

Overall, we had a fantastic trip away and were fully immersed in these Viking experiences by the wonderful staff at Ufton Court. The Lower III students were thoroughly engaged throughout and returned to school with huge smiles on their faces, they were soaked through and caked in mud but returned with a wealth of knowledge about the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings to support their learning in their current Past, People and Places topic.