Wow.. What an incredible few days we had in Dubai last week. This trip was all made possible by securing funding through the Turing Scheme. 

 

This funding allowed us to take 16 children to Dubai for three full days which were jammed packed full of sights and adventures creating a once in a lifetime trip.

 

Over the next few days we will be sharing some of the amazing things our pupils did whilst there and more importantly what our pupils learnt whilst in the UAE.

 

We flew straight from Newcastle Airport direct to Dubai with Emirates which was an incredible experience. Some of our pupils had not been on a plane before let alone a long haul flight so we were all very excited. The planes even had cameras on board so you could see landing and takeoff from the pilots view point as well as the world beneath as we flew over mountains and cities!

 

When we landed Dubai airport was incredible... So big and clean is that the children commented on most! By this point it was also very late at night so we were all very tired and ready for our hotel.

 

Our first morning was a trip to Arcadia British School. Our children were given a tour around the school by Mrs Scott who showed us their amazing facilities, introduced us to their pupils and informed us what a typical school day looks like for children attending. Our children joined in playtime, viewed the library and even got to watch some of the sports day games!

 

On two different afternoons our groups both experienced the desert safari which included riding in big jeeps over the bumpy sand dunes! This was so much fun but very bumpy! Next up was a short camel ride followed by sand boarding. Next up was henna tattoo's, watching belly dancing and a fire show whist enjoying a bbq tea all whilst in the middle of the desert!

 

Day two consisted of a visit to the Museum of the Future. This place was amazing and so futuristic! This was a self guided tour where we explored floor after floor of incredible technology and visual effects. There was interactive stations for the children to get involved and we even got to visit the View point which was outside in the centre of the structure.

 

On two different afternoons our groups also visited the Jumeirah Mosque and the Souk markets.

 

The Mosque was incredible and we heard about the Islamic religion, the 5 pillars of Islam and why you can hear the call to prayer around Dubai. We tried traditional tea and baked goods and got to explore the inside of the beautiful Mosque.

 

The old town Souk markets were a real treasure trove of traditional spices, crystals and souvenirs. The children were welcomed with open arms to look and smell the spices and it's safe to say we bought enough Dubai chocolate and fridge magnets to fill a suitcase!

 

We also visited the Dubai mall. A seven story shopping centre that had everything from expensive shops to a huge aquarium! We spent sometime looking around and made our way to the Burj Khalifa... The worlds tallest building. At night time this is lit up with beautiful light and the fountains are a real tourist attraction.

 

On the final day the whole group regrouped to visit the Wild Wadi Waterpark. We spend most of the day enjoying the slides, wave pool and relaxing on the lazy river... Which was very much needes after two very busy days exploring. We then visited the Beach to play in the sand whilst the sun began to set.

 

The whole trip was incredible and such an experience for children and staff. All staff involved were thrilled with how well the children coped with such a busy schedule and how amazing their behaviour was. We were all very sad to leave but what fantastic memories we all have and some incredible pictures too! 

 

Team Burnopfield