Banbury students enjoyed trip that's out of this world

The special trip for the pupils from years 7, 8 and 9, was a reward recognising excellent attendance, positive behaviour and a diligent approach to learning across the curriculum. The school, which is overseen by Aspirations Academies Trust, places a strong emphasis on cultural capital and enrichment, and staff accompanying the trip were gratified by the students’ engagement with the interactive galleries and other activities centred around space exploration.

“The Space Centre links in perfectly with some of our Science and Applied Learning topics,” explains Science Teacher, Lize Joubert, who organised the trip. “It has a real rocket which students could explore and they absolutely loved the planetarium. It was a great place to learn outside of a classroom environment.”

Wykham Park Academy runs reward trips throughout the year for children who ‘always show up and go the extra mile.’

“This trip relates to the Aspirations values of self-worth, engagement and purpose which underpin our curriculum,” adds Lize. “By identifying this group of hard-working students we helped raise their self-worth, creating a sense of belonging and accomplishment. Through their engagement in the Space Centre we helped to inspire curiosity and a spirit of adventure and we fostered a sense of purpose by recognising the students who take action to reach their goals. We were really proud of the way the students behaved throughout the day; the trip proved just how effective genuine incentives can be in encouraging children to commit to attendance, behaviour and learning.”

Thirteen year old Eldho Joby’s verdict: "It was amazing as I was able to see the things that astronauts use."

Year 9 students Bea White and Morgan Campbell agreed the trip had been a great success:"We thoroughly enjoyed the planetarium; it truly immersed us in outer space!"