We are extremely proud of the wealth of opportunities we provide for students to go ‘beyond the curriculum’, which exist to enhance their personal development and support their cultural and social awareness, so that can flourish into well-rounded individuals. This underpins our commitment to values, care and achievement. Below are examples of the types of experiences we can engage with, as well an example of our Extra-Curricular Timetable, which changes every term.
Extra-Curricular and Enrichment Opportunities
Extra Curricular Timetable
Sporting Opportunities
The school has an excellent sporting reputation and the PE department are committed to providing a varied range of extra-curricular activities, which change each half-term. Additionally, we have staff who are also willing to give up their time to encourage students to develop new sporting passions. Here are just a few examples of what’s on offer:
- The PE department enters a number of sporting teams into local and regional competitions, runs inter-house competitions for several sports including: Basketball, Football, Hockey, Netball and Swimming. Additionally, the department also hosts the school’s annual Healthy Week, which sees external visitors come in and showcase different sporting activities not pursued through the curriculum. The week culminates in Sports Day, which the whole-school (including staff!) are involved in.
- Each year, keen golfer Mr Hunt recruits interested students (and those affiliated to a golf club) to take part in the first tier of competition for the National Schools’ Golf Championship – something that many schools don’t participate in.
- The annual Year 9 Sponsored Bike Ride, run by Dr Osman is a chance for students to put their cycling skills to good use, whilst putting into practice the school value of compassion, by raising money for a local charity.
Outdoor Adventure
AHS prides itself on going ‘beyond the curriculum’ and this includes getting students outdoors! Mr Goldsmith and Mr Sheridan, as well as other willing staff volunteers, work hard to ensure students can complete the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) should they wish.
Students can start their DofE journey by completing the Bronze award in Y10 and have the option to achieve the Silver award in Y12. The DofE is a fun challenging and rewarding, experience for all involved and gives participants an opportunity to improve their communication, problem solving, map reading and interpersonal skills.
Arts and Crafts
Our Art and Textiles departments are second-to-none and teachers are happy to give up their time at lunch and after school, so that students can take part in a variety of activities, examples of which include:
- Mindful Colouring, which takes place in the Autumn Term, offering KS3 pupils the time and space to relax with some mindful colouring, whilst listening to tranquil music.
- Animation Shorts Club, which takes place in the Spring Term and introduces KS3 and KS4 students interested in animation to a range of independent short animations, showcasing a range of styles and techniques for students to discuss.
- Textiles Club, which seeks to encourage students in developing their dressmaking and interiors skills.
Hobbies and Interests
Staff at AHS are committed to encouraging students to develop their hobbies and interests, as well as introduce them to new ones! In addition to some of the clubs on offer (of which, a few examples are listed below), staff also provide students with the chance to try something they’ve not experienced before, or spend time doing something they love on the final Friday of Enrichment Week. This might involve learning how to create henna art, or spending time lost in a good book for an hour.
- We are very fortunate to have our very own allotment on site. Mrs Clarke runs a club, which allows students to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables, whilst looking after the butterflies and newts that inhabit the space so they can learn how to be a little more eco-friendly.
- Based in the RE department, the new and exciting ‘Cross Over Club’ is open to all students. There are six lunch time sessions, which take place throughout the year and bring together craft, construction, design and problem solving, so that students can apply RE in a practical setting. For example, students can learn how to construct a mosque and then have a go at designing and building one for themselves.
- Feminism Club offers up controversial and stimulating topics for weekly debate along with engaging and varied weekly reading to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding. What is debated changes each half term. In the past, students have covered issues relating to gender and sexuality and will be looking at race and the legacy of empire in the 21st
- Mr Webb’s ‘Debate Club’ also provides an opportunity for students to improve their knowledge and understanding of ‘topical issues’. The aim is to improve students’ oracy, whilst discussing topics that impact on their lives.
Performing Arts
Head of Drama and Theatre Studies: Miss Darlington offers a variety of ways for students to engage with performing arts. Each week, she holds ‘Drama Club’, which is open to all, as well as a number of theatre trips throughout the year for drama students and those who we’re seeking to boost the ‘cultural capital’ of. She also ensures there is an annual school play for students from all year groups to get involved with.
Backstage Club (ran by Mr Gladstone) supports Miss Darlington’s efforts by enabling students to use cameras, manage lighting and visuals required to enhance a performance.
And finally, the Music department provides numerous ways for students to engage with whatever genre they feel best suits them. We have a number of choirs, a youth orchestra and a soul band; all of whom support the school at a varity of events including, our much celebrated annual Christmas Carol Service at the historic York Minster.
Enrichment Week
A week with a twist…
Our annual AHS Curriculum Enrichment Week offers the whole school community the opportunity to work together in new and exciting ways. Through a mix of in-school and out-of-school activities we hope to get students ready to enjoy their summer holidays by providing enriching and fun whole-day experiences.
The week gives departments and subject teachers the opportunity to work with students in different ways that are not possible during the normal working day.
Whilst the structure of the week is fixed, the content varies every year, allowing us to timetable new and exciting topical, yet thought provoking, sessions.
Some students will be out of school on international experiences with school trips to places like Paris, Munich, Taize, or even Iceland! Those remaining in school will take part in a varied programme, which includes two Subject Enrichment days, one Sport Enrichment day and a year group-based Reward Trip. The whole school then comes together on the final day for mixed activities chosen by the students from an enormous list of choices.
Enrichment Week Booklets
Year 7 Booklet
Year 8 Booklet
Year 9 Booklet
Year 10 Booklet
Trips and Visits
Archbishop’s prides itself on the wide range of trips and visits both locally and internationally that play a vital part in enriching the curriculum and giving our students valuable life experiences that will linger in their memories long after they’ve left school. This is part of our commitment to the Personal Development of students centred around the words of John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
This begins in Year 7 where the whole year group go on a residential to Bewerley Park to help foster a sense of community and begin to develop skills for life that we believe are essential to their development as well-rounded individuals.
Students in Year 8, as part of their MFL experience, will get the opportunity to attend abroad residential trips mirroring the language they are studying. Those studying French will travel to Paris and those studying Spanish will travel to Barcelona – a great opportunity to soak in the culture and history of these beautiful, historic cities. Those studying German will also be able to immerse themselves in German culture through their residential trip to the Rhineland – a beautiful place to visit, especially in the summer!
The experiences continue as students travel along their AHS Journey – as part of the Technology/Engineering curriculum, students have the opportunity to travel to Munich from Year 10 upwards and visit places like the BMW factory to learn more about technology and industry. Students also visit Italy to help develop their artistic skills and geographical knowledge and understanding.
We also have an excellent programme of culturally enriching local trips as part of Year 9 for students completing the Silver Arts Award. These run with a third of the year group completing each on a rotation in December, February and April. These trips allow students to experience Art Exhibitions and Museums including the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the National Science and Media Museum and the Royal Armouries. Whilst these trips are a prerequisite for completion of the Silver Arts Award, we very much believe students will find a great deal of enjoyment and enrichment beyond this for each of these three visits.
At AHS, we also run a host of trips for Pupil Premium students throughout the year. This year, we have trips planned for students to Liverpool, a residential trip to London in the summer, as well as local visits to sites in York as well.
Finally, we also host an annual ski trip and visit to Auschwitz in conjunction with the Holocaust Education Trust, as well as those once in a lifetime visits, which have seen us travel further afield to India, Kenya, Vietnam, South Africa and the United States.
We wholeheartedly believe that educational visits can enrich learning. Our trips and visits are reviewed and planned on an annual basis to provide opportunities for students to go ‘beyond the formal curriculum’. Each year parents receive a ‘Key Dates’ document which includes all pre-planned events for the year, including trips.
Young Leaders
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The Young Leaders Award is a unique active citizenship programme which empowers young people to make a difference in their local community whilst growing in key leadership skills at the same time. The course has been developed by the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust and is delivered across the North of England. Archbishop Holgate’s School was proud to be part of the development of the course and one of the first school’s to deliver the course to all of our Key Stage 3 pupils.
The Key Stage 3 award is an exciting set of materials designed to engage young people not just with faith heroes of the past and the present, but also to engage them with the idea of community and the wider world… and how they can be a part of something much bigger. The course involves students individually making a difference to their local community as well as working collaboratively on a project.