6th May 2026
Year 3 – River Deben - Source to the Sea
Dear Parent/Carer,
We are writing to inform you about an exciting trip we have organised for our Year 3 children in line with their Summer 2 enquiry topic ‘How does a river get from its source to the sea?’. On the day, the coach will make four stops at different places on the River Deben so that the children can learn about the stages of a river. The children will visit the source of the River Deben at Debenham where they will take measurements of the water flow. Then they will visit Brandeston to see what lives on the river bed. Next, they will go to Woodbridge for lunch and observations of the changes in the river. The final coach ride will finish at the beach in Bawdsey for beach combing and natural art depictions of the course of the river.
As space is limited for this trip, the classes will be going on different days:
Rabbits – Thursday 4th June 2026
Owls – Thursday 11th June 2026
Badgers – Thursday 18th June 2026
We will leave school at 9am. With this in mind, children will need to arrive promptly at 8.40am on the day of the trip. Your child will require a packed lunch, drink (no glass bottles, sweets or fizzy drinks please) and a snack. To enable the children to gain the full experience, the coach will arrive back later than the usual end of day time. At the end of the day, we will endeavour to return to school by 4:30pm, however, we will give updates on the day due to traffic etc.
Please indicate on the attached permission form if you wish to order a lunch from the kitchen.
We would like to encourage your child to dress in comfortable clothing that you do not mind getting dirty. Please also send your child in welly boots (please see overleaf) as they will be taking measurements along different points of the river, along with a spare pair of socks. We will be outside for the majority of the day. If the weather is cold, please make sure that your child wears a layer underneath their clothes and a coat. If the weather is hot, please consider sending your child with sun cream on and a sunhat.
At Whitehouse, we value educational visits as they enhance learning and provide first-hand experiences. This trip forms part of the curriculum, and we expect all children to attend. If you have any concerns, please contact us to discuss these.
The cost per child is a voluntary contribution of £13.00 which covers the cost of coach travel. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to experience ‘hands-on’ geography.
Payments can be made either via the school office or on Arbor. Please return the enclosed consent form by Friday 22nd May.
If you have any questions about the trip, please ask your child’s class teacher.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs Anderson, Mrs Cousins, Mrs Millson, Miss Rees and Mrs Padbury,
Year 3 Teachers