Co-Curricular

Enrichment and the co-curriculum are integral to The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy.  We want our students to access the very best the opportunities, so that our young people grow in learning, skills, experience and confidence, and develop their whole self in a fully multi-cultural environment where they interact authentically with a wide range of students, and experts/coaches from the wider community.

All students will take part in at least two co-curricular activities per week

All students will achieve at least one nationally accredited co-curricular qualification during their five years at the school, e.g. the Duke of Edinburgh Award; a CREST Award; national Maths or Computing Challenges, or Young Engineers; National Enterprise Project or National Citizen Scheme – “#iwill”; a grade in a musical instrument/voice; competing at a high level in a school team for sport,debating,public speaking or chess.

A “passport” will record student achievements and encourage them to participate in a wide range of activities and to set personal goals. Form tutors are the key link in guiding students to ensure that they access enriching and challenging experiences, extend and develop their learning and confidence, and complete their “passport”, which will support them in their post-16 and post-18 progression.

The co-curricular offer will be wide-ranging, including academic activities, the arts, sport and societies which enhance the curriculum – such as language clubs, film club, creative writing, coding club etc, and which extend the range of what is studied in class, e.g. in art, photography, media, textiles, cookery, engineering and construction.

Enrichment will be delivered in one-hour sessions, Monday to Thursday.  Flexibility of programming across year groups will allow for time-limited projects from short-term to long-term, such as theatre/musical productions, science projects, community projects, additional sporting activities or Duke of Edinburgh.  Pupils will opt for different activities each term and each term will culminate in a showcase event, where possible involving parents and families.

Please find below our co-curricular offer for this term.

Lunchtime Activities for 2023

Saturday Morning Enrichment/Peer Tutoring

This will be available at key points in the school year for Years 10 and 11.  It will be open to all, with particular encouragement for disadvantaged students.

Use of Pupil Premium Funding for the co-curricular offer

The following are examples of how in particular, disadvantaged students, will benefit from the co-curricular offer:

• Creation of music scholarships to enable disadvantaged students to learn to voice/play an instrument, sing/play in ensembles and bands both in school and in local, competitive brass-banding; and to develop a school choir, orchestra, band and jazz groups;
• Enrol a proportion of the disadvantaged cohort to the Brilliant Club which places PhD researchers in schools to give access to university-level teaching and project work;
• Ensure that all disadvantaged students complete their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, and financially support those who move on to Silver in Years 10-11.
• Subsidize uniform, books, trips to build cultural capital.
• Provide IT devices to support learning.