Our Bar Mock Trial National Final competition in London was an absolutely unforgettable experience. From the early morning starts to the late-nights, the weekend was constantly packed with excitement and adventure. The atmosphere was electric, with everyone constantly buzzing with anticipation.

After winding down in our hotel rooms at Premier Inn, Blackfriars, after the long trip to London, our team split in half. Some spent the evening watching Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria and the rest sharing a meal and snapping some group pictures with the London lights in the background.

The next day, our team got to work straight away, practicing and preparing for the competition. We had to perfect our lines, get into character, and make sure we knew the case inside out. Before the competition, we had some free time to explore the city in our groups. We visited some local landmarks, went shopping, and took an absurd number of photos. That night we enjoyed a team meal at Pizza Express. It was a terrific day to have some much-needed time to relax and unwind before the stress of the competition day.

After barely sleeping, we strolled to the stunning Royal Court of Justice building on the Strand to join the other 21 schools. The competition itself was intense and most definitely stressful. Although we were up against some tough opponents, our team worked together brilliantly. We argued our cases (R v Cuthbert – ecstasy possession and supply and R v Porter – actual bodily harm) with passion and conviction, and we all felt proud of our performance. Overall the team came tenth out of twenty-two schools. We were extremely delighted when during the prize-giving ceremony, Amelia and Alicia were awarded trophies for being the Best Prosecution Barristers for their case.

On the journey home, despite being absolutely exhausted we were certainly elated. The four-hour drive home, with a minor minibus mishap, was spent valuably with blaring music to perfectly round off the trip.

From the early starts, to practises, sight-seeing, shopping, and messing around in our hotel rooms, the Bar Mock Trial Competition was an extremely valuable trip for us all. We had the chance to compete, explore a new city, and bond as a team. It was taxing work, but every moment of the trip added to an experience worth every after school and weekend we had spent practising. We learned about the legal system, developed our public speaking skills, learnt to improvise, and made memories that will last a lifetime.

A big thank you to Mr Herford and Miss Sivyer for this incredible trip to London. We are all very grateful to you for taking the time to practise and deal with eleven teenage girls – famously, not a very easy task. Your hard work and dedication made this trip possible and we appreciate it more than words can describe.