Deep Learning Day Spring 2026

Some of the highlights!

Year 7

About sixty year seven students visited the Tower of London. They experienced a session with one of the tower's professional presenters before exploring the White Tower and taking in attractions such as the crown jewels and the Tower's famous ravens!

Another group of Year 7 linguists spent the day at Kew Gardens, aiming to seeing trees and plants from all over the world. They learned about climates around the world and their impact of their countries where these plants grow.

Ms Aguilera, MFL teacher and trip lead said ‘for a day we could feel as though we were in Costa Rica, with the humidity and by seeing giant bamboos, banana trees, and coffee plants. We also saw giant sequoias from Canada, looking up at their towering canopies from the TreeTop Walkway. We also visited a Mediterranean garden with olive trees, lavender, rosemary, stone pines... and we learned that the names of many plants are very similar in English and Spanish or French’.

Year 8

Students applied critical and flexible thinking, planning and teamwork skills towards creating their board games during their session of DLD.

Students were set the challenge to design and make a board game containing, rules, counters, dice, create the board and other components of their choice to create a well thought out, strategic board game!  5 groups formed,  teamwork set in motion and learning outcomes achieved!

All students quality assured each others work by playing all 5 games on rotation for 10 minutes each, evaluated their peers’ game and gave feedback.

A very successful DLD and well done to the "Bigbacks" TEAM that won the overall deciding vote on testing! They were the team that had the most positive feedback when playing the game and all students were far from ‘bored’!

Year 9

Some of our year 9s visited PACCAR Scout Campsite and had a great time on the twin zip wires, exploring the caving system, and battling each other in laser tag. The weather was perfect for a day in the woods.

Other Year 9 students were treated to an English-led trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, where they explored the early life of the renowned playwright, William Shakespeare. The day began with a tour of Shakespeare’s former school, where students gained a fascinating insight into just how different education was in the 16th century, with lessons conducted in Latin and a school day that ran from 6am to 6pm, six days a week, a fact that particularly shocked Year 9. Students also had the opportunity to practice their pencraft and calligraphy, using authentic Elizabethan-style quills, with varying degrees of success. They then visited Shakespeare’s family home, where a guided tour brought his tumultuous childhood to life. The trip was a fantastic opportunity to deepen students’ understanding of the context that shaped Shakespeare’s work and has set them up brilliantly as they begin their GCSE Shakespeare studies.

Year 10

Students spent the day preparing for the work of work and really dressed for the occasion in smart suits and formal wear instead of the Barnhill uniform.  They attended mock interviews with guests from a variety of career backgrounds which leant some gravitas to the occasion and helped students to learn how to present themselves to future employers.

Year 11

Students went to the cinema to watch ‘Project Hail Mary’ linked to the STEM curriculum in a futuristic world.  The film follows a former molecular biologist who unwittingly embarks on an important intergalactic mission and has been ‘hailed’ a huge cinematic success.  The students enjoyed a little escapism from the challenges they face ahead of the exam season.

Sixth Form

Students enjoyed a day of activities including ice skating and ten pin bowling.  While they were on the ice, a teacher conducting some private lessons commented on the exemplary conduct of our students.  Following the ice skating students went to the bowling alley to strike it out and sparing no excuses!