EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
Singing and Signing club
Running during summer term from April to May 2024, this club is created with the idea to have a safe space where students can develop confidence, self-esteem, express themselves and learn new ways to support their wellbeing through the music and signs.
This group allows pupils to build language and communication skills while becoming familiar with new vocabulary and signs in a fun and engaging way. We will build new connections and relationships with other pupils and staff as we have accepted pupils from EYFS to seniors.
The benefits of the music and more specifically of singing are huge. For example, developing wellbeing strategies. When we sing, we release endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. Those are the “happy” chemicals that boost our mood and make us feel happy about ourselves. Also, this improves the lung function as singing involves deep and controlled breathing, using the muscles of the respiratory system.
It is a good exercise for our brain, as we learn in a different way and we work on memory, mental alertness and concentration as we focus on multiple things that are engaging.
We move freely around the hall listening to different styles of music while we dance and sing. During this time, we have the opportunity to explore and use different resources such us textures or instruments. Here, we develop our communication, we make choices and we work in our body and space awareness while we use all our senses to express our feelings and emotions.
This also lets us observe how we all can move and express differently and maybe even discover new ways of doing things but also, develop confidence and self belief while being part of this group.
Basketball club
During the April and May summer term every Thursday evening from 3.20-4pm the after-school Basketball Club for the Senior Pupils takes place. The club is well attended and the pupils are learning to dribble, shoot, pass and catch with every increasing confidence and success. The club also aims to improve communication and teamworking skills and by developing health and well-being through Basketball to improve these areas. The pupils have lots of fun learning how to play the game and the long-term goal of the club will be able to create a Basketball team who are happy and confident in their own skills to play against another local school.
Karate club
Over the autumn term from October to December, seven pupils took up a new sport...Karate! Then learned how to perform different blocks and strikes and improved their hand-eye co-ordination working with focus pads. Finally, we performed a 21 move kata (pattern) as a class. The current World Union Karate-Do Federation European Champion came in to grade our pupils and everyone passed with flying colours. We now have 7 orange belts at our school. Well done everyone who took part in the classes.
Yoga club
After-school Yoga Club ran weekly from September to October 2023 for our Primary Classes and this was in collaboration with Kalma Life. The club was well-attended by pupils of all ages and the focus of the club has been on learning about Yoga and experiencing a new activity which helps improve health and well-being. The club ran weekly on a Wednesday evening after-school from 3.20-4.00pm and was very popular with the pupils because of its appeal to a broad range of children. The children have been learning the different Yoga positions and how to control breathing and some traditional Yoga words and phrases.