Intent

AGFS’ Co-Curricular provision seeks to:-

• Extend beyond the academic curriculum and support scholars to develop in diverse aspects of life.
• Provide a clear pathway for elite scholars to excel at co-curricular activities at local, regional and national level and to liaise with outside agencies to build confidence, resilience and independence.
• Give all scholars a wide range of opportunities to look forward to throughout the course of the year to increase the joy factor.
• Create ‘well-educated and rounded adults ready to take their place in the world’ (DfE Character Education Framework 2019).
• Give scholars the opportunity to make an impact in their local community

 

Implementation

Our extensive co-curricular programme ensures that scholars receive a well-rounded education where life enriching opportunities are experienced and important personal skills are nurtured through the character programme, enrichment, extracurricular clubs, drop down days and student leadership.

1. Character Programme – read more about our character programme click here.

2. The Enrichment Programme is offered to all Year 7-9 scholars and takes place on Wednesday afternoons during period 7. Enrichment clubs fall under a school value and scholars will complete two enrichment clubs in an academic year. For example - under ambition, scholars complete a careers Enrichment Club and a Russell Group University Club. Fellowship includes team sports such as cricket and table tennis. Under scholarship and ambition, scholars take part in Wallace Chess Club, Science Club and First Aid. Please find the rotation of clubs for each year group in the table below: 

 

Year Group	School Value	Subject
7	Scholarship	First Aid
7	Ambition	Careers
7	Fellowship	Badminton
7	Scholarship	Art
7	Scholarship	Media Literacy
7	Fellowship	Table tennis/ rounders
8	Scholarship	Cooking
8	Growth	Spanish
8	Fellowship	Badminton
8	Fellowship	Table tennis/ rounders
8	Ambition	Life Skills
8	Scholarship	Wallace Chess Club
9	Scholarship	Science
9	Growth	Music
9	Growth	Debating
9	Fellowship	Handball/ Cricket
9	Fellowship	Drama
9	Ambition	Life Skills
9	Growth	JP Morgan

 

3. Throughout the academic year we also have twelve Drop Down Days. During a Drop Down Day, scholars come off their academic timetable and participate in workshops or trips. The aim is to provide scholars with experiences outside of the classroom. Year groups may participate in a whole school cross country day, trips, STEAM and house competition days. Activities week takes place in the last week of term. (Please find a map of these days here)

4. Our Extracurricular Clubs offer a breadth of activities before and after school. The clubs aim to develop each of the school values, reward scholars, and help break the cycle of interventions for scholars so they can simply enjoy participating in an extracurricular enriching activity. Please find our extracurricular provision map here. Please find club trajectory here. Please find elite club trajectory here.

5. Outside Agencies are used to allow a variety of extracurricular programmes to take place beyond teacher expertise. The agencies also provide clear pathways beyond school for high levels of performance. Find the external club links programme on P.15 of the ECP booklet here. Find the list of outside agencies used within the Co-Curricular programme here:

 
i) The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Intent - To secure the bronze and silver DoE for scholars who opt to complete this award.

Implementation - DoE has a weekly club and scheduled practise and assessed DoE expeditions in the school calendar

ii) Royal Academy of Dance - Step Into Dance

Intent - For scholars to complete elite dance workshops

Implementation - Club takes place on a weekly basis with planned competitions in the school calendar

iii) Wallace Chess Club

Intent - For scholars to receive expert training in chess strategies and competitions.

Implementation - Embedded into Year 8 enrichment on Wednesdays and weekly after school club to scholars who chose this club and those targetted by the Maths and Computing Team.

iv) LAMDA tuition

Intent - Creating a fun and nurturing environment where they can develop important life skills, such as confidence and self-belief in speech and drama.

Implementation - Weekly workshops

v) Alex Kashis Professional Athletics Coach

Intent - For scholars to receive elite athletics coaching

Implementation - Weekly workshops

vi) Greenwich Titans Basketball

Intent - For scholars to receive basketball training

Implementation - Daily lunchtime training

vii) Peripatetic Music teachers

Intent - For scholars to train in a specific musical instrument

Implementation - Scheduled music lessons

viii) Debate Mate

Intent - For scholars to develop elite debating skills to be able to compete nationally

Implementation - Regular workshops and competitions scheduled in the school calendar

ix) Mandarin Excellence Programme

Intent - The Mandarin Excellence programme is a partnership between the Department for Education, UCL Institute of Education and the British Council, and is delivered through state secondary schools in England. The innovative language programme will help scholars learn Mandarin Chinese benefitting from a more intensive language learning programme, which starts in Year 7.

Implementation - Weekly sessions

x) UK Maths Challenge

Intent -  This challenge encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. The problems on the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge are designed to make students think.

Implementation - Scheduled sessions and events in the school calendar

 

6. The Student Leadership Programme aims to develop leadership skills, soft skills and raise the profile of student voice. Scholars will have the opportunities to volunteer and help at school events, receive leadership training, complete duties and hold student voice meetings. 

The student leadership team at AGFS is comprised of the senior team made up of Year 10-11 scholars. This team includes:

 

The senior team goes through a rigorous selection process, which includes completing an application form and providing a reference. Shortlisted candidates attend an interview with former alumni as the interview panel. Those successful, move through to the next stage and participate in a debate that takes place during assembly. Fellow scholars and staff cast their votes and Mr Spiers selects the final team when he reviews the results. This senior team will be in place from the beginning of next term. Year 7’s will have a similar opportunity at the beginning of the year to put themselves forward as a form rep. Young student leaders and senior student leaders lead their own student voice meetings. Senior student leaders complete lunch duties, contribute and lead school events and receive leadership training. Our student leader team are proud to bridge the gap between teachers and scholars, have a say to improve the school whilst developing leadership qualities that prepare them for the real world.

 

7. Residential Trips aim to give scholars an extended opportunity outside of the classroom to build on the school values and dispositions whilst also gaining new experiences locally, nationally and globally. Please find the residential provision below:

Year	Residential
Year 7	Team Building Residential at Stubbers Activity Centre Whole School Ski Trip to Les Deux Alps Whole School Water sports trip to the Isle of Wight
Year 8	The Big AGFS Camp Out Lille Christmas Market Trip Whole School Ski Trip to Les Deux Alpes Whole School Water sports trip to the Isle of Wight
Year 9	The Big AGFS Camp Out Whole School Ski Trip to Les Deux Alpes Whole School Water sports trip to the Isle of Wight
Year 10	GCSE Music Choral Residential GCSE History Berlin Whole School Ski Trip to Les Deux Alpes Whole School Water sports trip to the Isle of Wight
Year 11	Whole School Ski Trip to Les Deux Alpes Whole School Water sports trip to the Isle of Wight

 

Impact

Ofsted, (2020) denotes ‘All scholars have access to plenty of enrichment opportunities. Scholars in Years 7 to 9 have these timetabled into their school day. This is so that everyone benefits from them. Scholars in all year groups enjoy regular ‘Drop Down Days’ that allow them to participate in experiences outside of the regular curriculum’.