Useful Links

Useful Links

Riddlesden St Mary

Enrichment

 

At Riddlesden St. Mary's, our family truly believes that coming to school is all about educating our children to become healthy, happy and successful citizens of the future.  We believe that learning is so much more than attainment and grades on a page but a wealth of attitudes, emotions, beliefs and skills. Learning new skills benefits children in the long term. It not only helps them develop confidence and social skills from a young age, but enrichment programs are actually considered critical because the brain is developing so rapidly at this age. Research shows that learning art, music and other enrichment skills can help children excel in many ways.

The best learning incorporates physical learning – this involves handling, observing, thinking and actually doing, learning how to learn and having the opportunity to explore new ways to learn.

Our Enrichment Programme focuses on work-related learning, community participation and personal, social, emotional development. The children are split into 6 small mixed ability groups (of around 6-10 children) across the year group and spend one afternoon per week enjoying:

- cooking

- mindfulness

- citizenship

- art

- sport and

- life skills.

 

At the end of a half-term focusing on one of the above activities, the children will then rotate onto the next enrichment activity, ensuring that all children experience all by the end of the year. 

 

Our Enrichment long term plan:

 

Click on the link below to see the overviews of each of our enrichment strands showing the focus for each year group.

 

Enrichment overview

 

Our children's testimonials: 

 

"I like that in Year 1 we have our own special enrichment where we do cooking, gardening, art and construction" - Year 1

 

"I like that we plant things with our school gardener (Joel) and then get to watch them grow over the weeks" - Mahek, Year 1

 

"I like to cook with my friends and then we even get to taste it afterwards!" - Yusuf, Year 1

 

"I have really enjoyed painting on a canvas in my enrichment because this is something I've never done before!" - Aminah, Year 3

 

"I have loved doing my cooking enrichment because we get to cook, eat it and then take the recipe cards home for our families after. Sometimes, there is time at home to make it with my family." - Riley, Year 3

 

"In our citizenship enrichment we have been learning all about different charities, food banks and endangered animals which was very interesting and in mindfulness I have learnt the sun salutation which is a yoga position to help me feel calm" - Mahek and Sufyan, Year 3

 

"My favourite thing in mindfulness was where we made a little jar filled with kind words about me. This made me feel really good about myself" - Hira, Year 3

 

"In enrichment I learnt lots of skills that have helped me be safe and help at home with my parents. I feel like I am prepared for the future!" - Hidayah, Year 3

 

"In sports enrichment, I learnt to play badminton which is something I've seen on the tv but never tried before. I loved it!" - Ahad, Year 4

 

"In mindfulness, we talked about how music can be used to help you find peace and be calm. We then made our own djembe drums out of mod-roc and even got to play them!" - Hanifa, Year 4

 

"In art enrichment we learnt all about Banksy, who is a special type of artist who does graffiti. We then got to re-create our own art, like Banksys on a canvas!" - Laaibah, Year 4

 

"Enrichment is my favourite lesson at school. So far I have learnt all about Picasso and created my own art in the style he did. My work was so good that it got put on display in school! I have also learnt all about our local bird hide and we are in the process of trying to save it!" - Hassan, Year 5

 

"In life skills enrichment I learnt how to save a life using first aid. We focused on how to save someone who is choking, unconscious or bleeding, whilst also keeping ourselves safe" - Bilal, Year 5

 

"In our mindfulness sessions we were focusing on sewing. At first I was a little apprehensive about it but I actually really enjoyed it! It made me feel calm and relaxed, especially with the peaceful music we listened to at the same time" - Areebah, Year 5

 

"In our cooking enrichment, it is amazing because we get to cook for ourselves without the adults doing it for you! In Year 6, we have learnt how to make an amazing cake just like the ones on the Great British Bake Off!" - Zaeem, Year 6

 

"In life skills enrichment, we learnt how to catch a train so that we are prepared for secondary school. We looked at timetables and also practised getting on and off the train safely." - Chloe, Year 6

 

"I really enjoyed the life skills session on budgeting and how to spend money wisely" - Dawuud, Year 6

 

 

 

Click on an enrichment strand below to see some photos of what we have been getting up to.

Mindfulness

Art

Sport

Cooking

Life Skills

Citizenship