Stretch and Challenge at Waddesdon
Provision
The classroom curriculum at Waddesdon Church of England School is enhanced by extra-curricular activities, designed to stretch and challenge all students by offering a wide range of opportunities at all key stages.
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Sixth Form
Healthy Heart – independent learning project; the Paragraph Challenge; ‘The Challenge’ award
Year 8 Debating Competition; Maths Challenge; D&T STEM Day; ‘The Challenge’ award
Curriculum enrichment through educational visits designed to foster deep interest in subjects and their applications in the real world, for example Maths and Science
Model United Nations General Assembly; aspirational experience at Loughborough University; Summer Challenge (independent research and enquiry), Duke of Edinburgh
Access to Oxbridge visit to Hertford College
Extension Studies lessons; EPQ; Russell Group and Oxbridge guidance and opportunities; India Global Leadership; Debating Club and Oxford Union Debate; Wednesday Enrichment; Gold and Platinum Employability Award; educational visits; completion of MOOCs; recommended wider reading in subjects; student leadership positions
Extra-curricular Activities
Sport
Music
Drama
Art
Languages
Sciences
History
Library
General
Regular practice and fixtures in rugby, hockey, netball, football, trampolining, fitness programmes, cross country, athletics events and support for climbing, riding, shooting and snowboarding.
Choirs, Orchestra, Funk Band, A Capella Choir, Samba Band, community and school opportunities e.g. performances in assemblies, The Big Gig, Waddfest.
Whole-school show
Year group visits, exhibitions and competitions
Year 8 French visit. Year 10 French visit, Year 9 and 10 Spanish visit
KS3 Science Club, Physics projects
History trips to Warwick Castle, Berlin. Geography field trips
Chess, Warhammer, graphic novels, mental games, Calm Wednesdays
Speaking and Listening Competitions (Years 7, 8 and 9), Big Thinking Big Questions Club, World Challenge (KS4 and 5), debating competitions (Sixth Form), Music and Art experiences via assembly programme, delivering an assembly
How you can help your son or daughter
Parents and carers can support the provision of Stretch and Challenge in many ways, for example:
- Discuss current affairs and encourage your son/daughter to watch the news
- Encourage reading as much as possible. See the School Librarian for suggested reading lists
- Visit museums, galleries, events and places of interest
- Discuss topics currently being covered in subjects at school
- Listen to podcasts/radio programmes e.g ‘In Our Time’
- Visit websites that provoke thinking e.g https://www.oxplore.org/ and discuss issues raised
- Review homework and offer suggestions and guidance where appropriate
- Provide a suitable environment for your son/daughter to work in
- Help your son or daughter to understand the costs of living and budgeting e.g. involve them in costing a family holiday
- Encourage and support participation in clubs and extra-curricular activities
Other useful links and documents to support Stretch and Challenge:
https://www.bl.uk/catalogues-and-collections/digital-collections
Extension tasks
One way to students can be challenged in their learning is by accessing the many additional resources available on linked document below.
There are two ways students can do this:
- Go Deep – identify a topic that the teacher has set for work and deepen understanding by viewing it on a relevant website – g. additional exercises in Mathematics
- Go Broad – find an area associated with the study and broaden knowledge by exploring it and completing any linked exercises – g. look at other works of art which exhibit a particular style which is being studied