Students at St Mary’s Catholic College take once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland

St Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey recently ran two student trips to the picturesque capital of Iceland, Reykjavík.  

Students from years 10 to 13 enjoyed a four-day trip to the home of the Northern Lights. The trips took place during the February half term and allowed 68 students to experience the unique culture of the European country.  

Ran by the geography department, the trips included jam-packed itineraries, which saw students soak up the iconic sights and experiences.  

At the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power plant, students experienced a unique and exciting opportunity to learn about geothermal power and sustainable energy in Iceland After a quick demonstration of cutting-edge carbon capture technology in action, a snowball fight was on the cards.  

During a full-day expedition, students enjoyed the thrilling sights of the Golden Circle tour. The Golden Circle tour is one of Iceland’s most popular excursions, with tourists able to experience the hot springs at Geysir, the water shaping land at Gulfoss, and the tectonic plates at Thingvellir National Park. It is also home to the site of the first ever parliament.  

In Reykjavík city centre, students visited the harbour to learn about the importance of the country’s fishing industry and spent time immersing themselves in Icelandic culture. 

During their final day, students ventured to the famous Blue Lagoon Thermal Spa, where they spent three hours in the natural geothermal pool. In typical Blue Lagoon style, students had a silica mud mask and enjoyed drinks from the bar while soaking up the milky waters.  

One student said: “The trip made me excited because I was learning about different cultures and experiencing new things.”  

While another added: “The trip made me feel more respectful toward how lucky we are to live on Earth and how we could change how we use water and electricity.” 

When asked if the trip helped them work on the college’s core values, one student said: “It helped me work on pride because I wasn’t just representing the school, I was representing the United Kingdom.” 

Kevin Maddocks, headteacher at St Mary’s Catholic College, said: “Our mission is to ensure all students develop individual excellence, embrace opportunities, and build communities with the Gospel values at its heart.  

“This trip is just one of the many initiatives we have introduced to expose our students to new experiences, cultures and opportunities. The trip was a huge success and plans for our next trip are well underway. Well done to our students who were incredibly respectful and represented the college fantastically.”