Enrichment
Clubs and Activities
Enrichment is an essential part of the curriculum at Alderman White, developing a whole range of life-skills and nurturing self-belief. All students are encouraged to take part in enrichment-activities whether these take the form of clubs, teams or educational visits and trips. There is growing evidence that engagement with enrichment activities impacts positively on all aspects of school-life including attendance. Please find below the current enrichment timetable. Lunchtime and after school activities are currently free of charge. There are only a few clubs where students need to register in advance – these are indicated on the timetable. Students must inform parents/carers if they are attending an after-school club. We are proud of the diversity of the enrichment activities on offer and make every effort to recognise and celebrate students’ participation and successes including contributions to clubs and events in the wider community. The vast array of activities on offer this year have included Fashion Design (submitting entries for the Fashion Designer Competition UK, rocket building in Technology, Bodhran Drumming and environmental projects.
Trips
As part of our enrichment programme we run a large range of residential and overseas trips - please see the overview below. Most trips run annually with some being specific to particular year group or GCSE specialism. We offer two overnight experiences in Year 7 and 8 for large numbers of students. In addition, students have the opportunity to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in Year 9 and Silver Award in Year 10, both of which include an expedition as well as a volunteering programme. There are several annual trips abroad including a long-standing German Exchange with the Städtisches Gymnasium in Gütersloh, a trip to Paris as well as a visit to the Christmas Markets to Cologne and a Performing Arts Tour which has included visits to France and Belgium.
Performing Arts
From the Concert Band to Orchestra, Choir and the Jazz Band there is an abundance of opportunities for students to develop and showcase their musical skills, not mention the annual Battle of the Bands and Piano Night. We are very proud of all our music ensembles which are an integral part of our enrichment programme. In addition to the many performances in school during the year, our ensembles have also been invited to play at a number of community events including The Mayor of Broxtowe’s Voluntary Awards Evening as well as local venues such as Memory Café in Beeston and Bramwell Care Home, strengthening the school’s ties with the wider community.
Alderman White also has an enviable reputation for drama productions with rehearsals taking place in the evenings which means that our enrichment provision extends well beyond normal school hours. We produce two shows each year – currently we are working on a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Between 80 and 100 students are involved in each show, whether it is performing on stage, playing in the live band or working behind stage, helping with the technical side of the production, making costumes and props or helping front of house. Student leadership plays an important part in our provision with Performing Arts Leaders managing and supporting a number of events.
The Summer Arts Festival in July brings together all our music ensembles and performers for a final outdoor celebration showcasing a range of performances from the past year as well as some new items. This year’s event will also feature our annual Art and Technology Exhibition, another key strand of our Enrichment provision.
Sport
Whether it is football, rugby, cricket, hockey, athletics or cross-country running, there are so many sports clubs on offer. The school is proud of all its successes in the sporting arena. This year our Year 10s have won the Midlands Rugby competition, our Year 9s came a proud third in the National State School Hockey Festival (and first in the Midlands competition), our athletes won both the Junior and Intermediate Trophies at the annual Broxtowe Schools Athletics Competition and our Year 7 and U16 netball teams clinched first place in their respective tournaments, However, it is not just about celebrating success in the sports arena, it is just as important to celebrate the high levels of engagement in sport. It is not uncommon for there to be two or even three sports matches per week, reflecting the large number of teams across a wide range of sports.
Leadership skills feature prominently in extra-curricular sport. Our Sports Leaders initiative enables Year 10 students to develop coaching skills so that they can support younger pupils, most notably in the KS2 Cricket Tournament and the KS2 Highland Games. Both events are examples of ways in which engagement with sport has a positive impact on the wider community.
Outdoor Learning
To find out more about what Alderman White has to offer in outdoor learning, visit the new outdoor learning website! Where you can find information pages about the outdoor groups and residential trips that we run.