Exploring Cornwall: Year 4 and Year 5 Outdoor Adventures

Year 4 and Year 5 swapped the classroom for the Cornish outdoors, each taking on a walk that brought their curriculum to life.

Year 4 on the Roseland

Year 4’s walk began at Portscatho, climbing through quiet woodland before pupils paused to catch their breath and take in the views. From there, the group made for Place House, home to the Spry family for over 400 years, and its neighbouring church of St Anthony-in-Roseland. Legend has it that Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once stayed here.

The final leg brought a challenging coastal path walk to St Anthony’s Lighthouse, with sweeping views of St Mawes and Pendennis Castles across the water. Built in 1835 and home to what’s thought to be Cornwall’s largest fog bell, the lighthouse has guided ships along the Carrick Roads for nearly two centuries.

Year 5 on Bodmin Moor

Year 5’s trip to Bodmin Moor put the Belerion Award’s motto, Explore, Challenge, Grow, firmly into practice. With myths and legends on the English and Humanities curricula this term, pupils swapped the classroom for a UNESCO World Heritage landscape to bring their learning to life.

The circular route began with a climb up Stowe’s Hill, crossing a boulder field up towards views of Brown Willy and Rough Tor. Along the way, pupils learned about the area’s copper mining history, which lasted around 50 years before its collapse by 1890. They passed the Cheesewring, a striking granite stack named for its resemblance to a pile of pressed cheeses. Legend tells of a contest between the giant Uther and Saint Tue that shaped the rocks; geologists point instead to centuries of wind and weather, though pupils weren’t entirely convinced the giants weren’t involved.

Moorland ponies, belted Galloway cattle and no small number of Beast of Bodmin Moor sightings rounded out the wildlife spotting, before the walk closed at the Pipers and the Hurlers, ancient standing stones said to be dancers and musicians turned to stone for revelling on a sacred day.

Both trips gave pupils far more than a history lesson. Navigating unfamiliar terrain together builds resilience and teamwork, gives new friendships room to grow, and, for our Year 5 pupils, puts the Belerion Award’s core aims of knowledge, challenge and empowerment into practice. Cornwall’s landscape is an extraordinary classroom, and we’re lucky to have it on our doorstep.