Experience planner
Our experience planner lists upcoming trips so that parents and carers can consider, plan, and budget.
Our Educational Visits Co-ordinator is Miss S. Harris who may be contacted at info@harrisriverside.org.uk or on 01375 802060.
The academy believes that a student's experiences are part of his or her broader education. Trips and events provide cultural capital, expose students to new experiences and perspectives and encourage confidence and a sense of belonging. Of course, they should also be stimulating, fun, and engaging and some trips and events are directly related to the curriculum and the subjects that students are learning about.
On this page, we list for the consideration of students, parents, and carers the trips and events we have arranged or intend to arrange. Some of these experiences are in the planning stage, others have dates and approximate costs and some have confirmed details already. All trips are subject to confirmation by the Board of Governors and details may change.
When a trip becomes confirmed, it will be opened for applications and a link will appear against the trip details in the table below.
At that time parents and carers are invited to follow the link to express interest in holding a place on the trip. The expression of interest does not commit a parent to pay for the trip. At the relevant point in the finalisation of the trip - the commitment date - Miss Harris will advise parents and carers that a commitment is necessary and after that date, parents and carers are advised that places may be withdrawn if payments are not kept up to date. In some circumstances it may be impossible for the academy to refund payments made by the parent or carer should a student withdraw.
Allocation of places on a trip
- The general rule is that a place will be allocated on the trip on completion of the 'expression of interest' form linked to the table below - in other words on a first come first served basis based on expression of interest.
- The academy will never allocate places on the basis of first come first served on the basis of payment of a deposit since we believe that this is a disadvantage to those parents who will want to work out budgets and cash flow before committing.
- On occasion, the academy may allocate a small number of places to students who have not had the chance to attend a previous trip or experience or who have won a place due to a reward or in the opinion of the Principal who would particularly benefit from a place
- On occasion, it may be necessary to allocate places to ensure representation of student groups; for example to ensure that there is an appropriate split of girls and boys where this is necessary to satisfy trip requirements or adequate supervision; occasionally external funding for trips depends upon representation of certain groups of students - for example, the academy may receive external funding for a trip provided that a certain number of students study a certain subject.
Please be advised that our students are particularly enthusiastic about trips and experiences and so parents should not delay in expressing an interest when the academy opens the trip link. Parents are free to change their minds after requesting a place but before the commitment date. After the commitment date, the academy has to pay for the trip as a whole, and therefore it may be difficult for the academy to repay parents and carers who subsequently withdraw a student.
Limited financial assistance may be available at the discretion of the Principal but parents and carers who think they may want to ask for financial assistance should not delay in following the link to register their expression of interest.
Please note that trips may have early starts or late finishes and that attendance at the academy on the academy day following a late return from a trip is compulsory. Failure to attend the academy on the day after a trip due to tiredness caused by the trip will be registered as an unauthorised absence - the academy reserves the right to remove the student from future trips.
| Harris Experience Planner 2023-2024 | Scheduled | Approximate Cost | Actions needed |
| International Trip Spain, Salou Year 9: Spain Sports Tour The purpose of this visit to provide our students with an opportunity to travel abroad to Spain and represent the academy in both Netball and Football. They will have the opportunity to play against local Spanish teams and play in a tournament with other English schools. Students will also be taught by experienced coaches to develop and enhance their playing level within their sport. In turn improve their individual and team performance when coming back to the UK. Students will develop their ability to work as a team and their appreciated of other core values in sport. Students will also have a variety of opportunities to immerse themselves within Spanish culture. Students will need a valid passport which has at least 6 months left on the expiration date from the date of departure. Students will require a GHIC card, and depending on the country of origin, may require a visa. It is the parent/ carers responsibility to ensure these are all in place two months prior to thew trip. | TBC Deadline to submit interest: Monday 3rd July 23 | Estimated cost £800 | |
| International Geography Trip Iceland A once in a life-time opportunity to experience a range of physical geographical features not able to be experienced in the UK, including thermal springs, geysers and glaciers. The trip will allow them to be able to explore geography beyond the classroom. They will be able to apply their learning of the curriculum to real-life examples, as well as to new scenarios. They will also have the opportunity to meet peers from other Harris academies, build friendships, and develop resilience and team-work skills. Itinerary below:
| October 2023 | £850 | Application now closed |
| International Science Trip Year 12 Amsterdam Science Tour- 5 days, 4 nights.
This is a fantastic opportunity for our 6th Form Science students to visit and explore science exhibitions and museums in the city of Amsterdam. Possibly Accommodation- Generator Amsterdam Itinerary below: Day 1: Travel to Amsterdam via Coach and Ferry. Arrive, food and stay over night Day 2: Body Worlds Museum, NEMO Science Museum, Day 3: Zaanse Schans, Anne Frank’s House Day 4: Rijksmuseum, Free time and shopping Day 5: Travel back to the UK.
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TBC | Estimated cost £670 | |
| Year 7 Waterstones, Blue water: At Harris Academy Riverside we believe in the power of reading, and the importance of encouraging our students to read. There is no greater power than knowledge, and no greater skill than being a comprehensive reader. This half term we plan on taking all of year 7 to Waterstones so that they may select a book which they will read for pleasure this term. Students will then return their book to the academy library along a blurb as to why they think others should read that book. | September- October TBC | N/A | NA |
| Year 12 UCAS Exhibition at the Excel Centre. | TBC | £10 | |
| Year 11: Geography Field Trip: As geographer it is vital that you explore and gather information from different environments to better understand apply theoretical knowledge. The aim of this visit is to collect data from the coastal areas of Southend that can then be interpreted back in the classroom and be used as practice for the fieldwork exam element of the exam papers for both human and physical.  | TBC
| N/A | Fully booked Application closed |
| Year 11: Geography Field Trip As geographer it is vital that you explore and gather information from different environments to better understand apply theoretical knowledge. The purpose if this trip is to conduct fieldwork as compulsory part of OCR B Geography exam board requirements (two days fieldwork – one human and one physical) for the human element of the fieldwork requirements. To consolidate classroom learning from the urban futures unit of learning in the field. | TBC: 18th / 19th September 2023 | Estimated £10-£15 | Fully booked Application closed |
| All Key Stages: Harry Potter Warner Brother Studio Tour The Harry Potter Studios are magical, and an absolute must for Harry Potter fans of all ages. But it’s also suitable to those who aren’t Potter maniacs. Not only do you get to see behind the scenes of the Magical Wizarding World, but you also learn some incredible things about how films are made in general. Our students will only participate in the tour but will also take part in one of Warner Brother Studios lessons where they will learn a key skill in the art of film making.
| Mixed Key Stages Monday 2nd October 2023 | Estimated cost £45 | Fully booked Application closed |
| Year 7: Harry Potter Warner Brother Studio Tour The Harry Potter Studios are magical, and an absolute must for Harry Potter fans of all ages. But it’s also suitable to those who aren’t Potter maniacs. Not only do you get to see behind the scenes of the Magical Wizarding World, but you also learn some incredible things about how films are made in general. Our students will only participate in the tour but will also take part in one of Warner Brother Studios lessons where they will learn a key skill in the art of film making.
| Year 7 Monday 4th December 2023 | Estimated cost £45 | |
| KS4: Tate Britain: Year 11 Art students It is vital that art students have the opportunity to view and experience art first-hand in order to inspire and enrich their own craft as artists. In the first term all KS4 art students will be invited to visit the Tate Modern gallery in London to increase their cultural capital and explore a wide variety of artist’s craft. | Year 11 TBC | £15 approx. | |
| KS4: GCSE Geography Year 10- Walton on the Naze: Students are required to undertake 2 days’ of fieldwork which they will be assessed on during their Paper 1 and 2 GCSE exams. On this trip, they will be collecting data for their physical fieldwork enquiry. The aim is to plan and collect data that can then be interpreted and evaluated back in the classroom. It also gives an opportunity to apply some of the core knowledge on areas of the specification to real life scenarios. | Year 10 TBC | Estimated cost £8 |
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| UK Residential Year 13: PGL at Bawdsey Manor: The infamous PGL weekend combines are hosted on the Deben Estuary and has panoramic views across the Suffolk Heritage Coast. The centre has over 140 acres of beautiful grounds, packed with a huge range of adventure activities to inspire and motivate students. PGL weekends combine Focus sessions with adventure and are invite only. The aim of the weekend is to close gaps in students understanding in specific subject areas, while also team building, gaining confidence and resilience as they tackle adventures such as abseiling, raft building and climbing. | October 23 TBC Deadline to submit interest: Friday 30th June 23.
| Estimated cost £200 | |
| KS3: Natural History and Science Museum: It is important that young people visit museums as it expands their general knowledge and increases their culture capital; visiting museums, particularly those of an historic nature can allow students to further their awareness and empathy for others, as it removes some of the barriers between the past and the present as they are exposed to real life artefacts and material which they would otherwise not be exposed to within the classroom. | Year 8 TBC
| £16 approx. | |
| Year 7: The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre: Loosely based on Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet, a Disney classic and world-renowned musical, The Lion King is a must see. Puppetry and costume like you will have never seen before, and songs that resonate with generations. An opportunity for all ages to enjoy the theatre and increase culture capital. Please note there are 45 spaces available for this trip, and places will be appointed on a first-come first served basis on receipt of interest. | TBC | Estimated cost £45 | |
| Year 8: Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre: A musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda sees young Matilda navigate a family that does not understand her, and school where the head mistress is a tyrant. Thankfully there seems to be one person who sees Matilda and all her potential, Miss Honey. Winner of over 99 international awards, including 24 for Best Musical. | TBC | Estimated cost £45 | |
| Year 9: Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre: WICKED is based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire – Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It takes a look at the Land of Oz with new eyes and creates a parallel journey to the familiar The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. At the core of WICKED is friendship, in this case a very unlikely one. The blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl, Elphaba. They first meet at school and after a bumpy start, they form a strong friendship. Their journey takes a turn during a visit to Oz to meet the Wizard where during that encounter their lives take very different paths. Glinda is lured into a powerful and public role while Elphaba remains determined to be true to herself and the people in her life, whatever the cost – both paths seeing them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and The Wicked Witch of the West. | TBC | Estimated cost £45 | |
| Year 10: A Christmas Carol at the Alexandra Palace Theatre: Marley was dead: to begin with. It’s a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley. Bound in chains as punishment for a lifetime of greed, the unearthly figure explains it isn’t too late for Scrooge to change his miserly ways in order to escape the same fate, but first he’ll have to face three more eerie encounters… Not only is this a fantastic show, but it has the added bonus for our Year 10s in that it is also an adaptation of one of their GCSE English texts and will help embed understanding. | TBC | Estimated cost £45 | |
| All Key stages: Sister Act at the Dominion Theatre Featuring soul sensation and Olivier Award winning superstar Beverley Knight from 15 March, and X Factor winner and international pop icon Alexandra Burke from 10 June as diva-in-disguise Deloris van Cartier, this heavenly hit features a marvellous Motown-inspired score by the legendary Alan Menken, winner of 8 Oscars and multiple Tony Awards. Based on the beloved film, this story of music, mishaps and nuns on the run is a joyous and uplifting tale of finding your voice and singing out, with your sisters by your side.
| TBC March - July | Estimated cost £50 |
