Enriching the Curriculum 

Teaching colleagues are passionate about making learning in their subject applicable to life outside of school. At the Westgate School, pupils will have opportunities to participate in planned enrichment activities that are integral to the way in which our curriculum is taught. Examples of this might include field work in Geography, outdoor learning in the primary phase and regular theatre visits to enrich pupils’ learning in Drama. Learning beyond the classroom begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage where the concept of free-flow, children moving their learning to different settings, is encouraged and supported through the design of our fantastic buildings.

 

Similarly, we encourage pupils to learn together through enrichment activities such as participating in our regular music concerts. Our musical groups and choirs are varied and represent a range of experiences. It is also not unusual to see adult members of our school community participating in musical events – another example of our community of learning in practice.

 

In the Primary Phase, pupils will take part in music and drama, supported by older pupils and specialist teachers. A highlight of our school calendar is our carol concert in Winchester Cathedral which sees performances representative of all members of our learning community, including the participation of all pupils in Year 7. The Westgate School is a flagship school for Hampshire Music Service with whom we enjoy a close partnership to the benefit of our young musicians.

 

In addition to structured enrichment activities, the School has a wide range of clubs that support learning and foster enthusiasm for a subject. Pupils can choose to attend Art or Humanities clubs where they are immersed in extended learning and are supported informally by specialist teaching colleagues. Our Home Learning Club offers additional support where pupils can enjoy working in our Learning Resource Centre with other pupils providing support or, with the help of older pupils.

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Celebrating Excellence

The Westgate School has a long history of academic excellence; enrichment activities are not only part of this, but are central to our school’s ethos. As a member of The Westgate community, excellence is both about achieving good results and, demonstrating excellent learning skills. We celebrate this not only through academic results, but through participation; our annual Sports Presentation Evening the School’s Honours Evening recognise individual journeys to excellence in a wide range of learning experiences. Each year we mark the achievements of our Year 11 pupils with a Presentation Evening - a very proud evening for our school.

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