On the 23rd June the lower sixth headed to the cities of Bath and Bristol for not only further education purposes but for some "culturally enriching" experiences including a trip to Thermae Bath Spa and the original Roman Baths. After a long journey by minibus which passsed quite quickly due to the amount of singing going on we reached Bristol and headed to what was an excellent open air theatre performance of "A midsummer's Nights Dream".

An early start on Wedesday meant we were first in the queue for the "Bansky versus Bristol Museum" exhibition, where we all saw a new perspectiveon graffiti art.

Year after year we had heard about the pilgrimage to Lourdes and how brilliant the experience was. This made us feel quite nervous leading up to the trip as we were worried we would not have the same experience and were quite sceptical that it wouldnt be "life changing".

Our primary aim whilst in Lourdes was to give those children who have mild or severe disabilities a break from their normal routine and at the same time providing some respite for their carers. We were assigned to help with children, which could be anything from pushing wheelchairs to face painting, organising parties, dancing, singing, and even a Sports Day! Though we were nervous and apprehensive in the beginning, seeing the joy on the smiling faces of the children really lifted our spirits.

The AS law and politics group spent a fascinating day exploring legal London on foot.

Our day began with a visit to the Central Criminal Courts of London, more commonly known as the Old Bailey. Situated just off Newgate Street and next to Newgate prison, which is within the western part of the city. We spent most of the morning listening to various cases, which were divided up across the 19 courtrooms. We listened to some thrilling cases, which included an attempted murder in court 12. It was interesting to see the law being put into practice by the judges sitting.

In the afternoon, the highlight of the day was the visit to the Houses of Parliament. We were able to see how the Bills are passed to form the law the judges use today in the courts. We were lucky enough to spot a few familiar public figures, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, David Davis the former conservative MP, the Ex Lord Chancellor and many more.

As part of the AS Level Geography syllabus students are required to participate in field work. This is an exciting part of the course that develops practical skills in order to gain a better knowledge and understanding of field work techniques and to bring life to areas studied in class.

The Alton Convent group set off on Sunday morning and travelled to Swanage, Dorset, to begin our three day trip. The girls explored a variety of local villages to study how rural areas are managing to rebrand themselves to cope with changing circumstances in work and demographics. It was interesting to visit farms that had diversified and see community initiatives created to attract people back to rural areas. We also spent time studying coastal process, management strategies and conflicts of interest that arise in coastal environments.

When the word Conservation was said to the sixth form there were mixed reviews. A group of girls that have become quite happy to lounge around and take it easy were sent into shock when ‘pond’ and ‘sensible footwear’ were said in the same sentence!

 However as Wednesday afternoon finally loomed nearer a sense of excitement and energy was buzzing. When we actually arrived at Frensham we realised it was not digging a swamp but pulling up unwanted fir trees. We went in a line across the open space, stood there, we looked like we were on the starting blocks of a race, everyone rolled back their sleeves and pulled on their gloves, these girls were on a mission!

Alton Convent's lower sixth form have recently returned from their annual team-building and leadership trip to Tregoyd House in the Brecon Beacons. Activities such as kayaking, raft-building, archery and hide and seek in the dark, helped the students and their counterparts from Salesian College to overcome fears, learn skills and most importantly how to work effectively within a team. Exhausted but happy the girls returned from Wales with new skills, new confidence and new friendships.

The weekend signalled the start of a close relationship with Salesian College as the students continue to prepare for their joint pilgrimage to Lourdes next Easter with the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust.

The weekend of the 10th October at Tregoyd House in Wales was the beginning of a growing friendship between the lower sixth forms at both Alton Convent and Salesian College. Over the four days the groups got to know each through activities such as rafting and kayaking (where we all got throughly soaked including Mr Maher) zip wire, quad biking, fencing and archery!

In the evenings everyone participated in team building games, including hide and seek in the dark, problem solving and a disco.

We have made such good friends and are all looking forward to building on this realtionship over the next two years, especially in Lourdes next Easter.

On a sunny morning when serious matters were being discussed deep in the Bank of England, girls from AC's LVI were busy next door trying to control inflation! They tested their skill in the Bank of England museum where they were visiting the current exhibition "The Pound in Your Pocket" .

After becoming more informed about the financial world they spent time soaking up the atmosphere in Covent Garden before moving to the world of art in the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Modern. Their cultural visit was rounded off by a visit to the theatre where they enjoyed the current hit production "Wicked".