It was an escape from the everyday and a glimpse of a world beyond the classroom.
Children from Rockliffe Manor Primary School in Plumstead, south London, headed for a day of seaside fun at Broadstairs Beach in Kent.
Some of them had never been to a beach before, and some had never even seen the sea.
I was invited to join the teachers and pupils on the trip.
Teachers were armed with first aid kits and the necessary supplies, including lunches and suncream.
Children in Year 1 arrived in their swimming costumes, with Spiderman and Minecraft ones being particularly popular.
The swimming costumes proved to be rather problematic when the children were told they needed to visit the toilets before embarking on the coach.
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They came armed with their buckets, spades and lilos.
The children were beside themselves with excitement, and it took an army of adults to get them there.
One parent said her son had been up since 5am because he was so excited about going to the seaside.
That sense of wonder is why 83% of parents say school trips help shape their child’s future.
But with rising costs and shrinking school budgets, more of these opportunities are falling away.
A recent report said 94% of parents have been forced to cut back on spending due to the cost of living crisis.
As the tide rolled in and buckets filled with wet sand, the beach buzzed with energy. Children chased each other through shallow pools, buried their teachers up to their knees, and shrieked with delight every time a wave got too close.
Andrea Braithwaite, a parent on the trip, said: “Sometimes parents don’t necessarily have the means to get to places like this. We live in London, so it takes organisation, maybe they haven’t got the time off work.”
There was giggling on the coach, and the sheer joy could be felt everywhere. There were storybooks for the long journey.
But once we got to the beach, the carefully orchestrated schedule that I was sent went out the window.
The children were in their element.
Miss Roper, one of the teachers, asked the children if they were ready to go into the water.
“Yes!” they all screamed.
They all ran in – and some stayed in the water until much later in the afternoon.
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They just couldn’t get enough.
Ms Braithwaite said: “It’s difficult to even have a swimming costume. You might not be able to have those things for their children so it’s really good that the school arranged this day for them.”
The children were ecstatic, and according to the research, a staggering 97% say they get excited about school trips.
Headteacher Nancy Cook said: “When we think about shared discussion and learning in the classroom, the children don’t have reference points to pinpoint they’re learning, too.
“It’s really hard and becomes too abstract for them. So giving children opportunities, not only are they hugely exciting, but also become developmental points that they can build on in the future.”
There were sandcastles being built and ice creams being eaten.
And as we were getting ready for the trip back to London, one child had carefully scooped sand into an empty bottle. When asked why, he looked up at me and said softly: “So I can remember this day forever.”
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As the sun dipped behind the grey horizon and the children climbed back onto the coach, sand still clinging to their socks, one boy turned around and said: “This was the best day ever.”
It was just a trip to the beach. But for many, it might be the only one.
