It was business as usual at our St Mary’s School campus on Thursday, after their amazing trip to Legoland the previous day.

The students were back in lessons and working hard, spurred on after such an enjoyable Wednesday. Thursday saw changeable weather in Ascot, but there was no variation in the students’ effort levels as they applied themselves brilliantly!

The afternoon saw a change of pace as the students attended workshops designed to enrich their learning. The first was a crash course in British Sign Language, in which they learned the alphabet and how to introduce themselves, among other things.

The second workshop was Ocean Exploration, which took the students on an underwater journey. They learned about the world’s oceans and the incredible creatures which inhabit them, before moving on to imagine and draw their own fascinating sea creatures!

These workshops were not only great fun, they encouraged everyone to think about wider issues and develop cognitive and practical skills. This is another example of how the ORA programme is helping to prepare these young students for their futures.

Dinner in the evening was the usual lively and social affair, before more fun and active games such as frisbee. The week is nearing its end, but the students are still giving the programme everything they’ve got!