Enrichment Opportunities

At St. Paul’s the staff are committed to running a variety of after school clubs linked to our school vision ‘Thrive in the Gift of Life’, which the children attend in high numbers.

Sport Clubs

This year the School’s Sports Partnership will run a sports club afterschool each half term. Different year groups will be invited to participate in each club. The clubs planned for this year, 2024-2025, include:

Autumn Term

Multi-sports
Yoga

Spring Term

Dance
Cheerleading

Summer Term

Dance
Multi-sports

In addition to sporting clubs and competitive teams, we also organise clubs and teams to develop the children’s leadership, mindfulness and wellbeing. Each class from Year 1 - Year 6 will have the opportunity to join ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ this year which is a live streamed club that is shared with other schools.

The Page Turners

Mrs Hayward is passionate about reading and her love of books is evident all around school! For the past few years she has hosted a book club for children called ‘The Page Turners’. They meet weekly to discuss their current shared read and to enjoy activities all about books! Mrs Hayward keeps us all updated via her Reading Newsletter which is published each half term.

Wellbeing Wonders

Sports Leaders from Year 5 run a club called ‘Wellbeing Wonders’. This is a club which is just for Reception and Key Stage One children which focusses on happiness, mindfulness and encompassing our school vision - Thrive in the Gift of Life. Each week the children will take part in a fun filled activities planned by the club leaders.

Music Clubs

We are lucky in our school to have teachers who are enthusiastic about music! Mrs Oaten, Mrs Quinton and Mrs Hayward have come together to create and host our school choir. We have lots of Key Stage 2 children who are actively engaged in this club and we can’t wait to hear them perform again. The choir take part in both internal and external singing events e.g. church services, visits to the community and Let’s go Sing! performing at Blackburn King Georges Hall. The choir also perform at St. Paul’s Church as part of the Sunday service at 11am at least 3 times a year for the Harvest, Advent and Easter services.

Alongside our choir, Mrs Quinton also runs a recorder club for Year 3/4 children. Year 2 children all learn to play the recorder as part of their curriculum and are invited to continue with this learning during a lunchtime session with Mrs Quinton.

Dance from the Heart

During the Summer term, all children from the EYFS to Year Six are invited to join in with a dance that all schools in the Sports Partnership take part in. Rehearsals begin in late Spring term with children in Year Five and Six teaching the younger children the dance moves. It has proved to be a great opportunity for children to teach other children and achieve their end goal. During the summer term, the whole school perform the dance, including the staff!

Eco Group

This is a new group that has been established to encourage the children to reduce, reuse and recycle. This group of children are conscious about the presentation of the school and its grounds. Their aim is also to support the local community in keeping our environment clean and tidy whilst also being aware of the impact it has on the local wildlife. It has been a great opportunity for the children to be courageous advocates for our school.

Football Referees

Football is a very popular sport for children at playtimes. Children who play football in school are encouraged to do so by playing fairly and with an understanding that anyone can play, regardless of team membership, the football team supported or ability. By appointing Year Six children to be referees, the children are reminded of the rules that need to be followed and school expectations. The school referees are able to encourage children to play fairly and accept when they are not and need some time out.

Library

We are fortunate in school to have a well stocked library that is popular with the children. Volunteers come into school to help the children each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Children from EYFS to Year Six are able to come to the library and read books, share books with others, have a story read to them. Older children read to other children and discuss the book, do activities about the book and take the book home if they wish to do so.

Club	Overview	When/Who
Football Coaching	EYFS-Year 2. Football coaching led by Year Six children. Encourage fair play and knowing and understanding the rules of football.	Monday-Wednesday Year Six children.
Ethos group	x6 Upper KS2 pupils to promote our Christian distinctiveness/spirituality in school	Monday lunchtime Mr Eccleston
Children’s Chaplains	KS2 Children	Monday and Tuesday - with a visit to the Warm Cafe in the Church Hall and a lunchtime meeting Mrs Napier
School Council	Represent the pupil voice in school	Mrs Parker
School Choir	Weekly choir culminating in a performance at King George’s Hall. Also sing at St Paul’s Church	Thursday lunchtime Mrs Oaten supported by Mrs Quinton & Mrs Hayward
Wellbeing Wonders	Mental health and wellbeing for KS1	Monday lunchtime
Football/Netball	Girls/Boys teams in Y5/6 for competitions	Tuesdays 3.20-4.10pm Miss Walmsley
Art	KS1	Wednesday lunchtime Mrs Porter
Recorders	Spring term	Mrs Quinton
Computer Coding	Summer Term	Mrs Quinton
‘The Page Turners’ Book club	Y3 Autumn term	Tuesdays 3.20-4.10pm Mrs Hayward
Homework club	Y6	Tuesday lunchtime Mrs Hayward Mrs Forsyth

Enrichment	Further Information
Sports Day	Takes place annually. An opportunity for Key stages to come together to compete in a variety of athletic based activities.
Sport’s festival – once per term	School games organisers visit our school each term to run a sport themed festival. Children throughout the school are given the opportunity to try a new sport.
KS2 intra-school’s competitions cricket netball football girls’ football sports hall athletics quad kids (outdoor athletics) tennis dance competition gymnastics cross country tag rugby dodgeball orienteering	We have a full competitive calendar which gives children in KS2 the chance to compete against different schools and different counties.
Swimming & Swimming Gala	Year 4 attend swimming lessons weekly as part of their PE curriculum. From 2025, Year 3 will commence with their swimming from Summer Term. To support our commitment to ensuring that every child who leaves our school can swim 25m and perform water rescue, we also provide top up swims for children beyond Y4.
Brownlee Triathlon	Each year a group of children are selected to take part in a children’s triathlon in Manchester.
Forest School	As part of our school’s curriculum, we provide forest school for Y1-Y6. Each class attends forest school for 12 weeks each year. Reception attend Welly Wednesdays with their class teacher as part of their EYFS curriculum.
Dance from the heart	The whole school learns a dance which is taught to them by dance leaders in upper KS2. In the Summer we perform the dance for our school community.
Inter-house games	In the Summer Term we arrange inter-house competitions to build teamwork and resilience.
Boules	One class will visit the local bowling club to build strong community links.
Cycling proficiency	YR have Tots on tyres which starts with balance bikes and progresses towards pedalled bicycles. Y3 have Scoot Smart to build their confidence and safety on scooters. Y6 have ‘bikeability’ to learn how to ride bicycles, maintain them and ride them safely on a road.
Robinwood	Y6 children visit Robinwood activity centre for outdoor adventurous activities as a residential. They do this at the start of the year to develop strong relationships and resilience in preparation for Y6 transitions.
‘Bring yer Wellies’	Y1 visit ‘Bring yer wellies’ as their annual enrichment activity for outdoor adventurous activities.
River study and outdoor walk	Y4 visit Cuerden Valley park to study the river and the surrounding natural environment. They take part in a large country walk.
Well-being Wednesday’s yoga mindfulness strategies for moments of still & calm reflections	Each class is offered a half-term of Well-being Wednesday’s which is provided by an external coach who is trained in children’s mental health.
Lancashire Mind	Run well-being activities for KS2 children to promote positive mental health and resilient minds. This will support children with transitions.
Sport’s Leaders	This is a programme of sports leadership training that we run for pupils in Year 5& 6. It teaches leadership skills through a whole range of games and activities. In celebration assemblies the Sport’s leaders are able to congratulate their peer’s accomplishments.