After School Enrichment for Years 7 and 8
3rd February 2022
Dear parents and carers,
I am writing regarding after school enrichment sessions for all students in Years 7 and 8.
The importance of activities beyond academic work is well established. Extracurricular activities complement our students’ studies allowing them to develop as well-rounded individuals. Studies also demonstrate that students who participate in enrichment activities have a marked improvement in their overall grades and this can be attributed to skills they learn such as better time management to accommodate their hobbies and class activities, better organisational skills and a boost in their self-esteem. In addition, students can take up activities that are new to them and can make new friends with similar interests. Given the impact of the pandemic over the past two years, participation in enrichment activities also has significant benefits to student well-being.
It is important to recognise that employers and universities frequently give preference to those who can demonstrate that they have acquired the key employability skills that participation in enrichment activities develop. Consequently, showing that you have regularly taken part in enrichment activities can give you an edge over others.
It is our expectation that all students take part in enrichment activities during the course of the academic year for all of the reasons outlined. Consequently, from 1st March students in Years 7 and 8 will all be taking part in enrichment activities after school for a period of 7 weeks as follows:
- All students in Year 7 will take part in an enrichment activity of their choice from 3.00-4.15pm on Tuesdays starting Tuesday 1st
- All students in Year 8 will take part in an enrichment activity of their choice from 3.00-4.15pm on Wednesdays starting Wednesday 2nd
The sessions being offered have been selected to provide students with opportunities that they would not encounter in their normal day-to-day experience in school. Students will be asked to choose their option in the coming week and it is our hope that the majority of students will be allocated their first preference. If not, alternatives will be available. If a student already attends an enrichment activity on a different day of the week, this will be an additional activity to their Tuesday or Wednesday session.
We hope you agree that this will be an exciting opportunity for our students to gain new experiences and to develop further skills.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Jones
Assistant headteacher