All pupils in Years 7 and 8 have one Enrichment lesson each week. They study each of the following in a five-week block. Thanks to this curriculum, the pupils’ experiences and interests are broadened beyond the core subjects.
In these sessions, pupils explore seminal psychological research that has shaped our understanding of cognitive neuroscience and attachment. The programme begins with two landmark case studies of amnesia: Henry Molaison and Clive Wearing. Through studying these cases pupils examine how the brain forms and stores memories, and how psychologists have developed theories to explain these processes. The course then introduces classic animal research by Lorenz and Harlow, enabling pupils to investigate how early attachments are formed and why they are so critical for development. Throughout the enrichment programme, pupils are encouraged to think scientifically, engage in discussion, and question their assumptions about the origins of human behaviour.
Sustainability enrichment provides an overview of the key concepts of sustainability and relates these ideas to our school site. The course begins with an "escape-room" style competition where pupils learn initial key terms and the background to sustainability. As much as possible, pupils complete sessions outside the classroom. From March to September, they are involved in planting and harvesting organic produce in our community garden (this is a real highlight of the course for many). They also participate in a nature walk around the site to identify sustainable features of Chigwell. The sessions culminate with pupils designing their own sustainable town.
The Introduction to Mindfulness enrichment course provides a clear, practical understanding of wellbeing and mental health, and introduces mindfulness as a simple, accessible tool for everyday life. Through discussion, short videos and guided activities, pupils explore concepts such as stress and eustress, the ‘monkey mind’, and the importance of paying attention to the present moment without judgement. They learn and practise simple techniques including mindful listening, breathing exercises, kindness meditations, gratitude journallingand mindful colouring. The course is designed to normalise a wide range of emotions, help pupils recognise how thoughts and feelings affect focus and behaviour, and build confidence in using mindfulness to manage stress, improve concentration and support their overall wellbeing.
In these sessions, pupils begin their journey into understanding the world of work and future careers. They will explore the key skills employers value - such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving - and complete a personal skills audit to identify their strengths and areas for growth.
Pupils will also be introduced to the UniFrog platform, a powerful tool that supports career exploration and goal-setting. Alongside this, they will discover how our co-curricular programme helps to develop essential soft skills, building confidence and adaptability for success in education and beyond.
These sessions enable pupils to develop essential digital, enterprise and employability skills through a series of interactive online challenges. By completing engaging tasks and earning digital badges, pupils build confidence, enhance problem-solving and communication skills, and work towards internationally recognised Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The iDEA programme helps pupils to explore topics from online safety and creativity to coding and innovation, encourages independent learning and achievement, and enables pupils to showcase their progress with a portable Record of Achievement that can support future academic and career goals. These sessions enrich the curriculum by empowering Year 7 students to grow as digital citizens and stand out as they progress through their learning journey.
By taking part in IDEA Awards, Year 7 students build confidence, broaden their experiences, and develop the attributes needed to thrive across the curriculum and beyond the classroom.
The Year 7 Business Enterprise course aims to develop students’ understanding of how research and planning are used to design successful products. By the end of the course, students will be able to carry out basic market research, interpret findings, and design a product that responds effectively to a set business brief.
Key areas covered include: understanding a design brief; market research; analysis of research findings; idea generation and product design; branding and presentation.
The course encourages creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving, while developing practical skills such as data collection and idea development.
This course seeks to hone students’ debating and public speaking skills. Drawing on the work of Parallel Histories, it uses the history of Northern Ireland as a vehicle for this. Students use primary sources to construct their arguments. Not only do they learn to argue their point of view, but they also learn to listen to, understand, and empathize with the other side. Whilst public discourse is increasingly fraught this unit teaches students to see across the divide.
Our Robotics programme offers pupils an exciting, hands-on opportunity to develop key STEM skills through programming a Kitronik robot. Working in small teams, pupils learn to write, test, and refine code that controls their robot’s movement and responses, turning ideas into real-world solutions. The programme builds confidence in programming, strengthens problem-solving and logical thinking, and encourages creativity and teamwork. By seeing their code come to life, the pupils gain valuable experience that supports classroom learning and inspires future study and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
In these sessions, pupils will develop their ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in arguments, by spotting generalizations, circularities, and straw men, all the while considering the importance of this ability in a climate of fake news, echo chambers, and political populism. Pupils will also be introduced to the principles of logic through the study of syllogisms. Finally, they will consider the nature of language and its various forms, by looking at some basic hieroglyphics and engaging with linguistic challenges from the UK Linguistics Olympiad, which the pupils can enter during Year 8.
Building on the foundations laid in Year 7, the Year 8 Exploring Mindfulness course develops pupils’ ability to apply mindfulness with greater independence and selfawareness. Pupils examine how attention works, why the mind wanders, and how unhelpful patterns such as rumination and catastrophising can impact mood and behaviour. Through practical activities such as mindful eating, journalling, mindful movement and guided body scans, pupils learn how to notice thoughts without treating them as facts and how to move from reacting impulsively to responding thoughtfully. The module places a strong emphasis on real life application, including stress around school, friendships, online interactions, performance, and sleep, helping pupils to see mindfulness as a flexible life skill rather than something confined to a lesson or a specific setting.
In Year 8, pupils take their communication skills to the next level through dynamic and interactive experiences. They will deliver a personal presentation that highlights their passions, achievements, skills, and future aspirations—building confidence and self-awareness along the way.
To prepare, pupils participate in practical workshops focused on the essentials of effective presenting, including pace, eye contact, and posture. They also explore the importance of networking and learn strategies to develop this vital skill, empowering them to connect, collaborate, and succeed in both academic and professional environments.
The business simulation enrichment course allows pupils to participate in managing their own mobile phone retail business in a competitive environment using an industry-grade software. Over four quarters, learners make key decisions involving their business, including sales, marketing, product selection, finance, staffing, leadership, and stock management. The aim of the simulation is to grow revenue and profitability while keeping a track on all the dimensions of managing the business. The performance is measured using a balanced scorecard focused on profitability, customer satisfaction, and staff engagement.
By the end of the simulation, pupils will have developed a deeper understanding of how strategic and operational decisions interact in a real-world business environment, building commercial awareness, teamwork and analytical skills.
