September 2008 saw a lot of changes throughout the school, one of them being a new name for the Learning Support Department, which started the academic year as ”The Enrichment Department”.

One of the reasons for the change in name is our recognition that we are working to enrich the opportunities and experiences of students of all abilities. We enjoy having them around, helping them with their studies or having interesting and sometimes animated discussions with them! Working with our students in a positive, pleasant learning atmosphere is an enriching experience for both students and staff. We are also fortunate enough to welcome some Sixth Form students to our Department during their study time.

There are a lot of other events happening in the Enrichment Department, such as:

• Welcoming Years 7, 8 and 9 students every morning for their Successmaker sessions (a programme to reinforce spelling-reading skills)
• Enrichment sessions available to students in Years 10 and 11, where they can get extra help with homework
• 1:1 sessions for students where classroom work can be reinforced and consolidated
• Literacy Groups for Years 7 and 8 covering basic literacy skills

As you can see, a variety of work takes place in the Enrichment Department. Amongst them, the staff have lots of knowledge and experience in supporting young people.

The Enrichment Team feels very privileged to be able to work with such a wide range of students. If your child is one of them, please feel free to come and visit the department and savour the calm and positive atmosphere for yourself.

Catherine Garot, on behalf of the Enrichment Team