Timetabled Enrichment

Enrichment is a critical part of life at Pioneer, allowing all pupils the opportunity to learn about their interests and hobbies, to step outside their comfort zone and to spend time pursuing their passions as they grow into young adults.

Enrichment is built into our school timetable: all pupils take part in enrichment every week. In addition to this, we have a wide-ranging offer of extra-curricular activities, encompassing the arts, sports and academia.

Timetabled enrichment programme

• Year 7 experience a range of enrichments through a carousel model to expose them to new interests and challenge them
• Year 8 have one enrichment on a carousel, to ensure this exposure to new experiences continues and one which they choose, as they embark on defining their own passions
• Year 9 choose both sessions, pursing their interests from a selection of creative and academic enrichments from both sessions
• Year 10 & 11 have one choice of enrichment from a selection of creative and academic enrichments and a second related to their subject passion and potential future pathway
• Year 12 & 13 will assist in the running of one enrichment in KS3 as part of their leadership development & take part in a second enrichment, scheduled through the week in an area linked to their future career pathway

In order to resource enrichment effectively, we evaluate the staff skill base on interview, discussing enrichment with every new team member. We ensure that we capitalise on the breadth of staff skills – for example staff with expertise in a specific area such as yoga, photography, aspects of academia (e.g. criminology), sports and music. We also provide training for staff to support the effective delivery of enrichment, for example Duke of Edinburgh Assessor training. All teachers and teaching assistants support aspects of enrichment.

Pupil voice is incredibly important to us. We survey pupils anonymously twice a year, have regular focus groups with specific pupil sub-groups as well as random groups and we discuss insights, questions and actions with our Pupil Council leaders. Feedback has been very positive, with most pupils articulating that it is their favourite aspect of our school provision. Pupil voice has been taken into account with the addition of rugby, photography & the Duke of Edinburgh qualification.

We quality assure enrichment so that all children get the best out of these sessions. Enrichment leaders have a template for planning the rotation activity or term’s enrichment progression. In teams, we co-plan enrichments run by more than one team member, for example Spanish and coding. We conduct regular learning walks through enrichment and feed back to individual staff so we can develop consistency and a high standard of enrichment offer.

Our pillar days are drop down days where pupils are off timetable. They are staggered throughout the academic year. Pillar days allow us time to explore aspects of our six pillars and our four core values including:

• Delving into aspirations, exploring university, apprenticeships and careers
• University visits in person and online virtual tours
• Developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the apprenticeship route (with support from the ASK Apprenticeship programme and national resources)
• Learning more about our personal development, for example healthy relationships
• Building necessary life skills including First Aid training and financial planning and budgeting
• Developing key dispositions and skills including digital and online skills and oracy
• Team building activities that develop collaboration skills, build resilience and develop a sense of community (including school Sports Day)

Sports Enrichment:

Inclusive sports

• At lunchtime, pupils have the opportunity to play sport as part of our social time provision. They can enjoy football on our MUGA, basketball on our courts outside and table tennis in our Activity Studio every day.
• Throughout the year, we run a variety of interform competitions to encourage participation in sports.  Competitions for each year group are set out below:
• December = Football, Netball and Badminton interform
• March = Basketball, Rugby and Badminton interform
• June = Athletics, Cricket and Rounders interform

Elite Sports

• Our sports teams have trials at the start of each term and are then selected into squads for specific sports. This is also reviewed within the term with opportunity for students to join squads throughout.
• Our sports teams practice weekly in preparation for competitive fixtures within the borough of Barnet and Ark Network
• We compete across the borough of Barnet and the Ark Network in an array of a different sports.
• We also encourage individual athletes to push themselves

Duke of Edinburgh Award:

The Duke of Edinburgh is a life-changing experience for young people, allowing them to have fun while developing essential skills for life and work. 

14-24 year-olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.

We offer a DoE taster as part of the enrichment rotation (see table above) in year 9. Pupils can then embark on the bronze award in year 10, which takes place on Wednesdays after school.

Our expeditions are planned for April & May

We will offer the Silver award to year 12 pupils & we will also invite KS5 pupils to mentor and support younger DoE participants as part of their development.

Music enrichment:

We encourage pupils to take up learning an instrument – they can join the programme at the start of any term. We subsidise lessons for all pupils, offer individual and group options and subsidise significantly for FSM pupils. About a quarter of our pupils are learning an instrument with us currently, which take place during the school day, through the week on a rotating timetable. We offer lessons in:

• • woodwind instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet
  • string instruments: violin, viola, cello, guitar (acoustic, electric, bass)
  • percussion instruments: drums
  • keyboard instruments: piano
  • brass instruments: trombone, trumpet, French horn, saxophone
  • Theory lessons: preparation for ABRSM exams
• We encourage pupils to collaborate and play together including in our:
  • Strings ensemble
  • Concert band
  • Rock bands (there are several)
  • Ark network Fusion Orchestra
  • Barnet Youth Orchestra & Wind Ensembles

• Our singers have lots of opportunities to shine. The choir rehearses through the year and takes part in school events including assemblies, our annual concert and are part of the Ark network Spark Choir.
• Notable music events in the calendar include:
  • Pioneer Spring Concert – Featuring individual musicians, our choir, bands and ensembles performing key pieces for our school community
  • ‘Sing into Spring’ – Annual Ark network competition for young singer/songwriters and musicians
  • ‘One Voice’ choir in ‘A Night of Movie Magic’ at the Albert Hall (9/11/21)
  • Ark Gala at The Barbican Centre – July – featuring all 39 Ark schools including group and ‘spotlight’ performances
  •  Inspiring Excellence Music scholarship available annually for young Ark musicians (two of our pupils awarded it in 202122)
  • Barnet Music Festival: solo and ensemble performance opportunities

• School Production: Our first & second school production, ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Bugsy Malone’ have been a real success. We encouraged pupils across the year groups to audition to take part, and they practice during enrichment and after school.  
• Each autumn term, we produce a drama production. Last autumn, pupils from years 8 – 10 performed an adapted version of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’.

Developing leaders and encouraging excellence beyond our curriculum:

Pupils are encouraged to get involved in whole school events and competitions. These include a range of academic opportunities and application of learning well beyond the prescribed curriculum, including: