From Nursery through to Year 6, we extend the curriculum beyond the statutory requirements and further deepen our school commitments of loving learning, building confidence, building positivity and reaching high. At Springfield, enriching experiences is one of our four curriculum pillars. On their journey through our curriculum, children will embed, deepen and extend their learning through the following carefully planned enrichment activities. The timing of each trip, visit or workshop is intentionally sequenced to ensure children reap the full benefits of the experience. For example, children’s visits to museums or galleries are planned for when they have already gained the knowledge and understanding to make meaningful connections to exhibition materials such as artefacts or workshop activities. Children are supported and encouraged to ask questions curiously and to make links between their prior knowledge and the stimuli they encounter during these experiences. We share captioned pictures from enrichment opportunities to stimulate further discussions at home and to celebrate the learning from these memorable moments.

Please see our Springfield Enrichment Map for details of enrichment in each year group from EYFS to Year 6.

Please also see how we develop children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social understanding at Springfield on our SMSC at Springfield Overview

Some examples of extending our curriculum beyond the statutory requirements include:

Curriculum-enriching trips – Where our children are immersed in experiences that take them outside their classroom we aim to ignite their curiosity and encourage their imagination. We provide every class with the opportunity to go on trips to our incredible local area and beyond to deepen their knowledge, challenge themselves and experience new things. Our trips include: Walthamstow Wetlands, Chalkwell Beach, Ragged School Museum, Science Museum, Houses of Parliament and the Greenwich Observatory.

Curriculum-enriching visits –  We welcome visitors from our local and family community to enrich our children’s experiences. These include representatives from different faiths, parents and carers with a range of professional expertise and STEM ambassadors. Children in Year 4, 5 and 6 also engage in a series of high-quality workshops run by Into University. These are aimed at raising their aspirations for the future.  We also work with  Apollo Music Projects. The programme introduces children in Key Stage 2 to the instruments of the orchestra, the musicians who play them and the music they play, providing the opportunity to hear live music and the tools to understand what they are hearing.

Rights Respecting – As a Gold Rights Respecting School, our children actively participate in carefully-selected initiatives to have their voices heard, for example responding to COP and the G7 Summit focus on girls’ education. 

Forest school – Children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 attend regular Forest School sessions in our onsite forest. In Forest School children learn about being outdoors, how to make fires and shelters, how to climb trees, to identify plants and animals, to use our imaginations, to explore and ask questions and to share our thoughts, ideas and feelings.

A wide-range of after-school clubs – We value every minute of learning that happens in our classrooms and our after-school clubs provide the opportunity for children from Reception to Year 6 to extend their learning further. To further develop our commitment of learning together, they also provide a chance for children from different classes to work together. Our clubs offer changes every term and always include a mix of sports, creative activities and outdoor learning, such as gardening or forest school . To ensure that our club offer is accessible to all families in our community, we consider all applications for places. We are committed to making sure that our extra-curricular enrichment is enjoyed equally by children regardless of their age, sex, disability, ethnicity and financial situation. Places for each club are limited and are allocated fairly considering these criteria.  

Breakfast Club – Our Breakfast Club is open every school morning from 7.45-8:45am.  As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Breakfast Clubs have been proven to have a positive impact on punctuality, academic results, concentration, behaviour and attainment. We believe that a good productive start to a child’s day begins with a nutritious breakfast. Our breakfast club links healthy eating with fun and interactive games. We have a great choice of quiet activities such as reading, drawing and also the chance to play team sports such as basketball and king square.

Free breakfast bagels for all – Recognising the importance of breakfast, we now offer all children a free breakfast bagel in the playground at the start of each school day.

Year 6 Residential at Kench Hill – Every year our Year 6 children have the opportunity to participate in a residential trip to Kench Hill in Kent. The week is packed full of adventures, from day trips to the beach to archery, orienteering and visiting the local Rare Breed Centre.  These experiences are tailored to be as impactful as possible. We know that the children make memories during the week that they will treasure forever.

Friday Merit Assembly – Our Friday achievement assemblies are a time where all our classes come together to celebrate children’s personal achievement. Merits are awarded by class teachers and recognise exceptional effort, or specific examples of demonstrating our commitments, VERSE or our Springfield character traits.

Safe, responsible pupils – We welcome guest speakers and host specialist workshops for all of our children to promote safety in and out of school. These include: cycle training for Year 5, fire safety workshops for Year 2 and 5 and NSPCC Speak Out, Stay Safe workshops for all children.  Year 6 usually participate in Hackney Citizenship Scheme and visit Hackney Museum to learn about a wide range of topics from safe travel in the city, fire safety, approaching unknown animals and how to say no to knives. Every year, we participate in Anti-Bullying week as a whole school with a series of assemblies and with family engagement through social media and our newsletter.

Sharing Assemblies – At least twice a  year, our children get the chance to plan and deliver a class assembly to showcase their learning to other pupils and our wider community – parents, carers and governors. 

January 2023 – Kench Hill Residential Information Video