Curriculum Enrichment and Cultural Capital
At Our Lady's we know the importance of personal development and extending the curriculum beyond academic achievement. We aim to add value, purpose and enjoyment to our curriculum and help children develop their interests and talents. We try to offer new experiences which broaden horizons and open doors of opportunity, hope and aspiration for all children, regardless of their circumstance.
Enrichment helps provide children with a rounded, culturally rich education through activities that enhance their learning. It gives children opportunities to try new and varied activities that may not strictly fit into the curriculum, but that develop character, resilience and motivation, and encourage them to pursue wider goals.
It helps to teach life skills that benefit children beyond the classroom, and can develop an appreciation for cultural and community issues, teamwork and social responsibility.
Our curriculum extends beyond the National Curriculum and includes a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day. This includes an extensive programme of after-school clubs, that support the core curriculum offer, as well as those which develop specialist skills. A primary focus of our curriculum is to raise aspirations, engender a sense of personal pride in achievement, and provide a purpose and relevance for learning.
The school takes pride in providing a highly inclusive environment, where learners demonstrate high levels of enjoyment in their education and make very good progress across the curriculum. Children at all levels are helped to achieve their potential. Those who are most able are challenged and supported through being offered tasks which provide opportunities for greater depth and those who can struggle are encouraged and given targeted support to embed skills, to develop at their own pace or simply to learn in a style that best suits their individual needs.
Nurture and Catholic Care Support
Our school has a family support worker and Catholic Care counselling. Children who experience domestic violence, bereavement, anxiety, and any other life experiences that may affect their emotional well-being are identified and supported either through regular 1:1 or small group support. The school supports the child in their specific needs, meaning the pupil is at the heart of the school focus and their learning is understood developmentally.
Whole School Theme Days/Weeks
Throughout the year, themed days/weeks are woven into the curriculum to extend and enhance the breadth and balance of opportunities we offer our pupils. These include, Anti-Bullying Week and Safety Day, Creative Arts Week, World Book Day/Week, Black History, Sport & Health Week, Geography theme week and Passport to the World, Science Days, Internet Safety Days, RE days/weeks and any others we feel will enhance the curriculum.
Educational Visits and Residential
School trips and visits are an integral part of the education at Lady's. We value the opportunities such visits offer our pupils and the commitment of staff and adults undertaking them. Trips include class visits aimed at bringing learning alive and providing first-hand experience; extra-curricular outings such as activities with the school choir, or sporting events; and attending or taking part in performances or competitions.
Every child has the opportunity to experience a residential visit. The adventure of spending time away from home with friends provides boundless opportunities for children to develop skills such as collaboration, independence and resilience. We are delighted that these long established visits are exceptionally well attended each year and children return buzzing with many happy stories to tell.
Visitors into School & Workshops
Visitors have a valuable role to play and can contribute to many aspects of the life and work of the school. They deliver talks, workshops and full day activities across a wide range of subjects, giving pupils access to outside experiences and expertise. Visitors provide a link with the wider community – children have the opportunity to work alongside artists, musicians, authors, health professions and others.
Some visitors/workshops in 2023 included: The History Squad, Lego Coding, Leeds United, Leeds Rhinestones, Rock Kidz, DSide (drugs), Northern Arts (drama), Shake, Rattle and Boogie, Burley Banksy (artist), Tiny Tales, Ping Pong Pete, Bikeability, Active Outdoor Discovery, Green Moon (Forest School), Well Schools, Phil Earle (author), Rhythm City (drumming), Aurora (planetarium), West End in Schools, Happy and Glorious (Kings Coronation Workshop).
After-School Clubs
We are committed to providing the very best for all children to enjoy and achieve. This includes having the widest possible range of opportunities both within and beyond the curriculum. We offer extra-curricular opportunities through various types of provision delivered by school staff, external providers, and independent clubs – all with a view to increasing the range of experiences that children have, enabling them to make informed choices for adult life. Activities are designed to be fun and cater for a wide variety of interests. Clubs that have been offered include: football, netball, choir, gardening, art, homework, gymnastics, multi-sports, recorder, guitars, ICT, dance, drama, knitting, cooking, magazine/newspaper, cricket, basketball, ping pong, athletics.
Music, Art & Drama
Our Lady's provides opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of musical activities and performances where they are encouraged to sing, compose, and work creatively. Through active listening, pupils’ awareness, understanding and appreciation of a wide variety of music are developed. A range of opportunities are provided within and beyond the curriculum for children to showcase their skills and talents, for example: every class takes part in two class assemblies each year and at least one other school production, whether it be Christmas, Easter or the End of Year. Children in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument - this at present is guitar or clarinet. Visits to the theatre further enriches pupils’ cultural development. We also have Northern Arts Theatre Company working in school one afternoon ensuring all children participate and develop their drama skills. Research reveals that drama had a positive impact on children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development.