Meeting the needs of our rapidly changing world
"Your C. V. may get you the interview, but character will get you the job."
Tim Peake - Astronaut
In 2016, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released their list of skills that children would need to meet the needs of our rapidly changing world.
A third of these skills were the traditional "hard skills" - reading, writing and arithmetic - knowledge. These could be regarded as IQ skills.
The other two-thirds are what could be described as "soft skills". So what are these skills? In 2018, the WEF released a further list: Judgement, decision making and people skills; Critical Thinking; Complex problem-solving; Cognitive flexibility; Emotional Intelligence and service orientation; Creativity; Coordination and Negotiation.
Developing a thriving enrichment program is essential for our young people of today. We believe enrichment promotes employability, academic attainment and teaches students the skills they need to make good, informed choices. A successful enrichment program can promote the life-skills needed for everyday life, develop “soft skills” that employers and universities look for, while also giving students the opportunity to find out more about their interests and passions.
Our Enrichment Programme
The ethos of enrichment at Sherfield centres around the school’s motto – Ad Vitam Paramus - Preparing for Life.
The AVP Diploma broadens and deepens the curriculum. Pupils volunteer and support in the community, gain further qualifications, fundraise and develop their environmental awareness and much more.
The initials AVP form the backbone of the activities:
A – Accreditation – a programme of study to receive a recognised award.
V – Volunteering – give something back to the community.
P – Practical – learn a new and useful skill.
This is a high-quality enrichment programme that equips our young people with the skills they need to make informed life choices. They record their progress electronically, forming a useful evidence log for higher education destinations and future employers, further developing improved employability.
Pupils are able to choose from a wide range of activities in consultation with their parents at our Enrichment Fair at the start of the year with staff on hand to offer guidance and support. There is something for everyone and most importantly, an opportunity for them to track their progress and maintain a permanent record of achievement.
Each year, pupils will progress through the programme and work towards the Bronze, Silver, and ultimately the Gold and Platinum Diploma.
The pupils track their progress using an online record which can then be saved as a document to show how they have extended their skills, and their reflections, of this when applying for the next stage of their education/career to set them apart from other applicants.
Enrichment Activities
Our Enrichment Programme takes place on Friday afternoons and is suitable for Year 3s all the way up to Year 13 and can encompass pupils from across all the year groups working together.
Accreditation
Junior Prep - Green Flag Award, RHS Gardening and First Aid.
Senior Prep - As above plus Bikeability, Real World Maths and Sports Leaders.
Seniors - As above plus GCSEs in Astronomy and Dance, Wings of Hope, CREST Award and Sports Leadership.
Volunteering
Junior Prep - Applewood Care Home, Gordon Brown Centre and Community Arts Projects.
Senior Prep - As above plus Junior Rotary.
Seniors - As above plus Global Citizenship.
Practical
Junior Prep - Model UN, Young Writers, Robotics, BSL and Green Power.
Senior Prep - Model UN, GEMS X, Green Power, Safecracking, BSL, Theatre Production, Music Tech and Geocaching.
Seniors - Model UN, BSL, World Scholars Cup, Theatre Production, Safecracking, Young Writers, Geocaching, Orienteering, Music Tech and GEMS X.
For further information please view our Enrichment handbook below: