Enrichment Opportunities

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At Waddington All Saints we believe it is essential to offer experiences beyond the requirements of the National Curriculum to ensure our pupils have opportunities to broaden their life experiences.

We do this through the provision of a wide range of enriching experiences and cultural capital opportunities, both within and beyond the school day. We believe that effective enrichment will help our pupils to raise academic standards, enhance performance and teach life skills that will equip our pupils for an ever-changing world.

Beyond the Classroom

Throughout the school year, we offer a diverse range of extra-curricular activities. These are provided by dedicated teachers and specialist outside agencies. Each term, a broad selection of activities are designed and offered which are focused on Sports, STEM and the Arts and Culture.

The Reading Golden Thread: Weaving a love of books

Reading is the golden thread, which is woven through all aspects of our curriculum, inspiring and nurturing a love for books and literature. We empower our pupils to deepen their understanding through books where they develop abstract thinking, problem solving, divergent thinking and creativity.

To enrich reading experiences, we hold regular reading events such as weekly reading challenges and competitions and we participate in national reading days, including World Book Day, Story-telling Week and Poetry Week. Additionally, we host termly book fairs and have a summer book bus visit our school grounds.

Every term we take part in live events, which introduce our pupils to authors and illustrators such as Michael Rosen and Liz Pichon. We have also attended workshops led by Katherine Rundell, offering incredible insights into character and plot development, inspiring our young writers.

Art, Music and Culture: Inspiring Expression

Art

Art plays a central role in school life at Waddington All Saints and its presence is evident throughout our school building. In addition to our inspirational art lessons, our art ambassadors promote and drive termly art competitions, which are accessible for all pupils. Additionally, the whole school curates our own art exhibition in the summer term to celebrate and share our achievements.

Music and Performance

To deepen our pupils’ appreciation for music, pupils can attend 1:1 musical instrument lessons, provided by the Lincoln Music Service and Rock Steady. Through these bespoke lessons pupils are able to learn and develop skills for a range of musical instruments including drums, guitar, clarinet and keyboard.

Additionally, the year 3, 4 and 5 cohorts are taught by a specialist music teacher for a term to apply their understanding of musicality to an instrument culminating in individual and group performances.

Bringing Performance to Life

Throughout our curriculum, our pupils learn and develop the skills of performance. The Waddington All Saints Choir further showcases their skills and their talents through regular performances in school and take pride in spreading joy through community performances for the local care homes.

During the year, all pupils experience the excitement and buzz of performing for an audience of parents and peers. These include:

  • The Reception Nativity
  • KS1 Christmas Production
  • LKS2 Spring Production
  • UKS2 Summer Production

These productions celebrate the full spectrum of performing arts, from singing, dancing and acting to behind the scenes roles such as costume and stage design, lighting and audio support.

By integrating art, music and performance into school life, we empower our pupils to express themselves creatively, build confidence and develop skills that will last a lifetime!

Sports: Inspiring Teamwork and Achievement

At Waddington All Saints Academy, we are committed to fostering a love for sports, teamwork and physical well-being.

Learning from Experts

Every pupil at Waddington All Saints is taught by a specialist PE teacher for at least one term in an academic year. During these sessions, gymnastics, inclusive sports, tag-rugby, athletics and dance are covered. This ensures that pupils develop a broad skill set and a lifelong appreciation for physical activity.

Competitive Spirit and Celebration

Sporting celebrations are embedded throughout the school year, with each year group participating in interclass competitions to apply and demonstrate the skills they have acquired and developed in their PE lessons.

Each half-term a sportsperson from each class is acknowledged for their development and sporting achievement, celebrating their determination and dedication.

By integrating expert teaching, competitions and recognising individual achievements, we aim to inspire confidence, resilience and a passion for sports.

Experiences: Bringing Learning to Life

To enhance our ambitious curriculum offer, we plan for meaningful experiences within our locality. These memorable visits contextualise our learning and deepen understanding across our curriculum. They give our pupils real-world experiences beyond the classroom, which open their minds to different cultures and strengthens their knowledge of the world around them.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We engage in a range of educational visits that bring lessons to life, offering hands-on experiences that make learning more impactful. These experiences provide opportunities to explore subjects such as history, geography, science, and the arts in ways that extend beyond classroom learning.

Expert Visitors and First Hand Insights

Our children benefit from a diverse range of visitors and guest speakers into the academy, which allow them to hear first-hand accounts and bring deeper expertise to a topic. Visitors have included:

  • Local religious leaders sharing cultural and faith perspectives
  • Local politicians discussing democracy and responsibility
  • Military personnel offering insight into service and leadership
  • Athletes and other professionals inspiring perseverance and dedication

Engaging Workshops and Community Partnerships

Workshops are also enjoyed by our pupils. These have been resourced to supplement our curriculum alongside raising awareness within the community and promoting wellbeing. Pupils have participated in experiences such as:

  • Lincs Mini Police through the Crime Prevention and Safer Lincolnshire Partnership
  • Bikeability
  • Online Safety Workshops
  • Planetarium by Starlincs
  • History re-enactments

Additionally, we provide STEM experiences to enrich learning in Science by participating in a chick egg hatching project through Eggucation, which develops curiosity and a love for nature and biology!

These powerful and meaningful experiences, within our curriculum, ensure pupils develop the knowledge and cultural awareness needed to thrive in an ever evolving world.

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Community Links

At Waddington All Saints, we pride ourselves on our links with our community. We have strong links with our neighbouring RAF base where personnel visit us to share their knowledge and experience of the wider world.

To mark Remembrance, we attend both the Armistice service at the RAF base and the Remembrance service at Bomber Command. We also have strong links with the Padre who delivers assemblies throughout the year to mark key celebrations.

Our links extend further to local religious leaders, who visit the school and welcome us into their places of worship. This is an excellent enhancer of our understanding of the diverse world beyond the academy.

Throughout the year, we celebrate our links with two local care homes in our community through choir performances and letter writing. We also participate in annual art and Christmas card competitions set by L.E.A.D.  Academy Trust and Lincolnshire Police.

Our annual Harvest Festival demonstrates the generosity of our pupils and their families through our food collection. Our combined food contributions are then donated to the Lincoln Community Larder.

One of our favourite things to do at Waddington All Saints is to share our learning and experiences with our parents. We do this through several workshops, pop-ins, consultation meetings and information evenings.

Our pupils relish these enrichment opportunities, as they enable them to develop a sense of pride, enhance and refine skills, and empower pupils to discover their place within the school community and wider world.