Last week, sixteen intrepid Year 6 students from Norwich High Prep School embarked on an unforgettable ski trip to Aprica, Italy, joining forces with three other GDST Prep Schools: Northwood, Nottingham, and Kensington. Led by Miss Holloway (on her fifth ski trip), alongside first-time ski trippers Mr. Wistow and Miss Read, the girls returned home buzzing with excitement.

The adventure began with a flight from London Stansted to Milan Bergamo, where the Norwich High contingent connected with their sister school, Nottingham, for a shared coach journey to Aprica. This provided a fantastic opportunity for the girls to forge new friendships before even reaching the mountains.

Our travel was expertly managed by Halsbury, with reps Frankie and Leanne providing invaluable support throughout the week. The trip saw a total of 113 girls and 17 staff members from across the four GDST schools, a wonderful opportunity to experience GDST community at its best.

The girls were divided into ski groups, each named after iconic Italian cities and towns, including Bari, Milan, Perugia, Siena, and Venice. The progress made by every student was truly remarkable, with many, including Miss Holloway, conquering their first black slopes!

Despite the changeable weather, featuring both glorious sunshine and challenging visibility, the girls embraced the fresh snowfall and made the most of every moment. Many groups even ventured to the highest point, Colle Passo, at an impressive 2,300 meters. Every Norwich High girl experienced the thrill of riding a magic carpet, button lift, chair lift, and the Palabione gondola.

The evenings were filled with fun and camaraderie, with icebreaker games facilitating interaction between the schools, a talent show showcasing the girls’ diverse talents (including fantastic dance and singing performances from Teddy and Cressie, Georgia and Beth, and Jasmine and Charlotte D), and a lively disco.

The ski instructors recognized the girls’ achievements with medals and booklets detailing their progress according to Italian ski school criteria, which will be proudly displayed at a Celebration Assembly back home at the Prep School. Daily certificates were also awarded to girls nominated by students from other schools, those who impressed their ski instructors, or those who showed remarkable resilience after overcoming illness.

Thankfully, there were no injuries among the Norwich High girls, although Mr. Wistow provided some comical entertainment with a slow-motion fall on the first day!

Overall, it was a brilliant week filled with progress, laughter and the creation of lasting memories, solidifying the bonds between the GDST Prep Schools.

Other quotes from pupils included:

“I really liked breakfast and also trying out bump skiing. I’d only ever tried skiing on dry ski slopes before so it was really fun to get to ski on real snow” – Jasmine

“It was nice to get to know people from the other schools – we would go on the chairlift together and everyone would be chatting. I also really enjoyed all the fun evening activities that we did with the other schools.” – Teddy

“My favourite part was on the first day when the weather was clear and you could see all the other mountains around us.” – Cressie