Enriching learning. Discovering talents. Building belonging.

At Thornton Primary School, we believe that a truly inclusive education extends beyond the classroom.

Our extensive programme of extra-curricular activities gives children opportunities to discover new interests, develop talents, build confidence and experience success in areas beyond the academic curriculum.

We are particularly proud of the breadth and variety of opportunities available to our children throughout the year. Our clubs are designed to give children the chance to try something new, develop existing interests and discover strengths they may not have known they had.

Our extra-curricular programme includes opportunities such as:

• 🏃 Running and athletics

• ⚽ Football

• 💻 Computing

• 🎵 Singing and music

• 💃 Dancing

• 🎨 Art and creativity

• ♟️ Chess

• 🏐 Dodgeball

• 🏑 Hockey

• 🏃 Multi-skills and other sporting activities

The programme changes throughout the year, ensuring that children have access to a wide range of experiences. Recent school club programmes have included dancing, tennis, football, indoor curling, hockey, multi-skills and mindfulness, demonstrating the breadth of opportunities available to pupils across the school.

More than just clubs

We see our extra-curricular programme as an important part of our wider curriculum offer.

Sporting activities develop physical literacy, teamwork, communication, resilience and leadership. Creative opportunities such as art, singing and dancing enable children to express themselves, develop confidence and discover their individual talents. Activities such as chess and computing develop problem-solving, logical thinking, concentration and perseverance.

These experiences reinforce our learning values of Resilience, Pride and Active Listening and provide authentic opportunities for children to demonstrate our school values of Love, Respect and Ambition.

Our children learn to:

work collaboratively;

communicate effectively;

persevere when something is difficult;

celebrate the achievements of others;

manage success and disappointment;

develop independence;

take responsibility;

develop confidence;

discover and develop their talents;

represent their school with pride.

Inclusion and belonging

Our extra-curricular offer is an important part of our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

We want every child to have the opportunity to participate, regardless of their starting point, ability or additional needs. Activities are adapted where necessary so that children can experience success and participate alongside their peers.

This is particularly important for our pupils with SEND. Extra-curricular activities provide valuable opportunities for children to develop friendships, practise communication and social skills, build self-esteem and experience success in different contexts.

For children who may find aspects of the classroom challenging, discovering an area in which they feel confident and successful can be transformational.

Every child should have the opportunity to find their "thing".

Building cultural capital

Our enrichment programme also contributes significantly to children's cultural capital.

We want our children to experience opportunities that they may not otherwise encounter. Through sport, music, art, technology, competition, performance and wider experiences, we broaden children's horizons and help them understand the possibilities available to them.

We work with external organisations, specialist teachers, professional sports coaches, music providers and other partners to extend the experiences available to our children. We also provide opportunities for children to take part in competitions, festivals and events beyond school. Our wider provision includes participation in sporting competitions through the Wyre & Fylde Sports Partnership and opportunities ranging from football and tennis to archery.

Opportunities for everyone

We are particularly proud that our extensive programme of extra-curricular activities has historically included a wide range of activities available across all year groups and, wherever possible, at no additional cost to families.

This reflects our commitment to equity.

We do not want a child's access to enrichment to be determined by their circumstances. We want every child to have the opportunity to participate, develop new interests and build experiences that will stay with them beyond their time at Thornton.

Our enrichment offer therefore sits alongside our curriculum as an important part of our commitment to developing the whole child.

At Thornton, we don't just want children to learn. We want them to discover what they love, find what they are good at, develop confidence in who they are and believe in what they can achieve.