JLC Travel - Student Trip to Malta

It’s 1:30am on Thursday 30th June, 30 JLC students and 4 staff members are standing outside the college gates waiting to board a coach to London Stansted airport. Not a typical scene at the end of the Summer term but thanks to funding secured through the Turing Scheme which was awarded to the Advance Colleges Trust (JLC, Franklin and Wilberforce) a total of 90 students across all 3 colleges were about to embark on an activity-filled two week trip to Malta.

The JLC cohort began the trip on the main island of Malta and experienced temperatures in the high 30’s every day, challenging conditions to take on activities like archery, abseiling, rock climbing, zip-lining and paddle boarding but all students approached the challenges with vigour and determination. In amongst the action, students were given time to explore Valetta, time to relax by the pool and treated to a few visits to some of the island’s best beaches.

After 9 days on the main island, the group packed up their suitcases and hopped on a ferry to the nearby island of Gozo. There, the students experienced horse riding, scuba diving and a boat trip to some of the most picturesque bays and lagoons around the island.

The students were an absolute credit to the college and their families, working together and forming new friendships throughout the trip, looking out for each other and behaving in a respectful manner at all times which led to the JLC staff receiving many positive comments from activity organisers and transport providers.

Y1 student Zara Wordsworth commented:

“The Malta experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity that was truly unforgettable. I will be forever grateful that I was awarded with a place on the trip. It was amazing to get to know everyone as individuals and as a group, I think we all got on very well which made the trip even more enjoyable!!”

There is good news for those students who missed out on the opportunity or for students who may be joining JLC in September. The Advance Colleges Trust have received confirmation of Turing Scheme funding for 4 further trips in the next academic year. We will be returning to Malta later this year as well as taking students to Italy, Portugal and Switzerland in 2023. More information about the application process will be released in due course.More photos and videos of the Malta trip can be found on the “Team JLC Sport” Instagram or Facebook pages.