PUPILS and their families at Camelford Community Primary School in Cornwall enjoyed an exciting trip to Theatre Royal Plymouth to see ‘Play Opera LIVE – Shipwrecked’ by the Welsh National Opera.

The grant-funded trip saw pupils across the school, as well as their siblings and parents, travel together to spend a day in Plymouth, including an afternoon at the opera. More than 200 members of the school community picnicked on The Hoe and enjoyed some pre-opera activities before heading into the theatre.

For many of the children, it was their first time seeing an opera and they were enthralled by the music, costumes and stage design. The children immersed themselves in the interactive production and engaged wholeheartedly in audience activities.

Joshua, a year six pupil at the school, said: “Hearing a full orchestra with opera singing was so powerful.”

The school was able to deliver the trip thanks to generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation, which is supporting pupils at the school in accessing a rich programme of educational visits throughout the year.

Anne Howard, the head teacher at Camelford Community Primary School said: “What a fantastic performance and excellent experience for our pupils to be able to share with each other and their families. For many of our pupils this was their first time attending an opera or even a national theatre and, from the expressions on their faces, it was clear how much they enjoyed and were inspired by the production.

“Our sincere thanks to the Clore Duffield Foundation for their incredibly generous support which has facilitated this and a wide range of other trips for our pupils this year. Experiences like this are all part of how we deliver an enriching education to our children and help them to broaden their horizons beyond the classroom.”