Extra-curricular activities
Well-organised, safe and stimulating activities before and after school provide children and young people with a wider range of experiences. These make a real difference to their chances at school and beyond. It gives them the opportunity to keep fit and healthy, to acquire new skills, to build on what they learn during the school day or simply to have fun and relax.
Denefield offers a wide range of out-of-school hours activities for students. These vary across the academic year but might include dance, science, cookery, music, chess, babysitting, film club, eco club, IT, and many others. On the sporting front, the PE department at Denefield firmly believes in the numerous positive benefits from regular participation in physical activity. In addition to providing our students with a stimulating and challenging curriculum, PE staff are firmly committed to providing our young people with a wide ranging extra-curricular programme. This includes both lunch time and after school clubs, off-site adventure activities such as climbing, canoeing and kayaking, and the participation of school teams in district, county and national competitions.
Each week a number of extra-curricular activities take place, together with fixtures and matches. Matches and fixtures are organised in a number of sports, depending on the time of year. Generally the autumn term will see students participate in rugby, netball, hockey, basketball and cross-country matches; the spring term mainly consists of football, tag rugby, netball, basketball, hockey and cross-country competitions whilst the summer term sees fixtures in cricket, rounders and athletics.
Students are consulted regularly to find out what activities they enjoy and would like to be involved in at school. Feedback is also welcomed from students on the current offer so that activities can be made even better. By this means, Denefield can tailor its activities to suit students’ interests and also provide them with additional study support to help them in realising their full potential. Taking part in these activities helps boost students’ confidence,
self esteem and social skills and supports them in developing key skills for later life. The sessions also give children the opportunity to receive additional support in their studies, particularly nearer exams.
There are also opportunities for children in Years 5 and 6 to join us for activities which support their progress at KS2 and which can aid their smooth transition into Year 7. Their feedback tells us they really enjoy the termly Kids College sessions which include a range of six-week courses in the arts and technology related subjects. They may also be invited to attend after school twilight sessions in science, and students identified as gifted and talented by their primary schools will be invited to take part in our regular Super Learning Days.
A full list of out-of-school hours activities is available from tutors to ensure that children don’t miss out on any exciting opportunities. Students can also find out more about what is on offer by referring to the digital displays around the school site or by asking at reception.