UIV’s Activity Day: Beaumanor Hall and the National Space Centre
23 October 2026 - Co-Curricular
For their Activity Day this September, UIV enjoyed two memorable days in Leicestershire, beginning with an overnight residential at Beaumanor Hall and ending with a visit to the National Space Centre. From high ropes and team-building challenges to space exploration and planetarium shows, the trip offered plenty of opportunities for adventure, learning and friendship. Read more about the trip below from some of our UIV pupils:
Through the Forest and Beyond
‘Bright and early on a crisp September Thursday morning, we set off for Beaumanor Hall, which the older years and Miss Pritsou had promised would be one of our most exciting activity trips yet. We boarded the coaches filled with anticipation for the day ahead, catching up with friends (and some sleep!) during the two-hour journey to Leicestershire.
We had three activities to rotate through for the rest of the day, including archery and my personal favourite, the nightline. My group completed it after dark, so the double blindfolds did not make much of a difference! We lined up, held on to a rope and followed it through the forest and around an obstacle course. To keep everyone safe, we had to call back to the rest of the line and warn them about what was coming up, while having a singalong during the journey. I think it also made us have faith in each other and helped build our trust as a group. It was definitely a little scary at first, but we soon got the hang of it and had a great time together.’
Eleni
UIV
A Residential Full of Adventure
‘This year’s UIV Autumn Term residential was amazing.
There were enjoyable activities such as zipwires, the high ropes course and team-building activities, which required a bit of critical thinking and teamwork, with archery and nightline at night to finish our day (there were different groups, so people would have had a different order to these). Organised mostly by Houses, we slept in cabins overnight, and it was great to have time to socialise before we went to bed.
On the second day we went to the National Space Centre, where we went around the different exhibition sections and sat down in a planetarium within the space centre. There was an amazing tower with a spaceship inside that we could walk up.’
Elizabeth
UIV
Rising to the Challenge
‘On our residential to Beaumanor Hall, we discovered new skills and interests that we might never have found out about ourselves.
On our trip, my favourite thing was the high wires. Some expectations were as high as the wires, while others wanted to stay on the ground, afraid of falling. I already knew we would enjoy it and had been on things like this before, but for most it was their first time. They were afraid of being so high in the air but still tried it. They took the course slowly and had help from others.
We all showed resilience and determination across the entire trip, but this took special physical and mental determination for some more than others. At the end of the day everything worked out, and no one got their ropes crossed while crossing the many wires.’
Sara
UIV
An Out-of-This-World Finale
‘On behalf of UIV, our recent trip to the National Space Centre was an out-of-this-world experience.
The highlight of the trip was probably stepping onto a simulated spaceship for a mission to Mars. We were all given our roles as scientists, engineers, explorers and much more. Once we landed on Mars, we jumped right into action, with our scientists inspecting different samples, our engineers testing out parts and fixing them, and our explorers facing the dangerous mission of going onto the surface of ‘Mars’.
Another exciting part of our trip was the planetarium, which felt like flying directly through space. We learned how to spot different star patterns and discovered the story behind Draco the Dragon, a massive constellation that sits across the northern stars.
Finally, we explored the rest of the exhibitions, with everything from alien space theories to life-size rocket towers. It was truly an incredibly fun and unforgettable day.’
Kaelyn
UIV
Together, the two days provided UIV with opportunities to challenge themselves, strengthen friendships and explore new interests, creating memories that will undoubtedly stay with them for years to come.