Our purpose
Enrichment runs throughout our curriculum offer. An enriching curriculum moves beyond basic rote learning to offer deeper, broader, and more engaging educational experiences. By incorporating hands-on activities, cross-curricular projects, arts, sports, and real-world problem-solving, it impacts student development across several key areas. Our range of experiences broaden our young people’s lives beyond academic learning. Through clubs, visits, workshops, practical activities, sport, arts and social opportunities, students discover interests, enjoy new experiences and develop confidence, friendships, independence and a sense of belonging.
Our offer is inclusive and adapted to our neurodivergent students. It supports the SDP priority to increase participation, particularly among reluctant learners, and improve engagement, confidence and wellbeing. Our values of Respect, Resilience and Engage and students’ interests shape the activities we provide.
Enrichment
Examples at The Courtyard
Activities take place during and beyond the school day. Subject-linked visits and practical experiences enrich learning without making academic attainment the sole purpose. Specific bookings, club choices and residential arrangements are confirmed through the school calendar.
Staff plan varied opportunities and supported first steps for students who are reluctant to join in or attend less regularly. Support draws on communication, sensory and emotional needs and relevant SaLT, OT and pastoral strategies. Staff work with families and the attendance team where barriers affect participation. Staff consider costs, transport and other practical barriers early. Activities follow school safeguarding, consent and risk-assessment procedures. Where an activity is not accessible, staff explore adjustments or a meaningful alternative. Reward trips sit alongside the enrichment offer available to all students.
• Senior leaders coordinate the overall offer and resources with subject, pathway and activity leads.
• Club, trip and workshop leaders plan activities, communicate arrangements and record participation. Subject staff also identify relevant applied learning experiences.
• Tutors and pathway teams review individual access each term and follow up gaps or barriers with activity leads.
• Students and families share interests, preferences and feedback to help improve the offer.
A simple shared tracker records each student’s trips, clubs, workshops, applied learning lessons and other enrichment. It shows the student code, date, term, activity type, activity, attendance and staff lead. Brief notes can capture learning gained, support provided, reasons for non-participation or a next step. Staff use one row per student per activity or dated session. They distinguish opportunities offered or planned from those actually attended and update attendance after the activity. Filtering by student shows their individual record. Existing registers and evaluations can be referenced to avoid duplication.
Each term, tutors and pathway teams review each student’s access, including Monday clubs, and identify gaps or repeated non-participation. For students receiving targeted support, staff note their starting point, agree a small participation or confidence goal and review progress. Leaders check whether reluctant learners are accessing more opportunities and what support is helping.
Student views and brief staff observations show changes in engagement, confidence, wellbeing, friendships and independence. Offsite activities, including ShiftEd, Forest School, dance, sport and woodwork where provided, are reviewed for their personal, pastoral and learning benefits. Findings inform adjustments and the next term’s offer.
Updated 2 November 2026 for school leadership review. This strategy supports SDP priorities for Personal Development & Wellbeing, Curriculum & Teaching, Inclusion, Attendance & Behaviour and Post-16 independence. Monitor termly and review in July 2027. Read with the enrichment calendar, careers programme and school safeguarding and visits procedures. Keep individual records secure.
