What is Enrichment and Wider Curriculum?

Enrichment and wider curriculum activities are the opportunities we provide beyond the classroom and beyond the school gates. They allow children to experience the wider world in safe, structured, and exciting ways. This includes visits, trips, and community experiences, as well as themed days and creative projects in school.

Every activity is designed to support all four areas of SEND need; Cognition & Learning, Communication & Interaction, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, and Sensory & Physical, while following the Thrive approach. These opportunities help pupils practise essential life skills such as teamwork, empathy, resilience, and self-regulation in meaningful contexts. Enrichment helps our children thrive not just in school, but in everyday life and in the future.

Why do we teach Enrichment?

We know that children learn best when education feels real, purposeful, and connected to the world around them. That’s why we take pupils into the community and offer experiences beyond the school site, giving them access to opportunities that may not otherwise be available.

Enrichment

•  Supports Cognition & Learning through practical problem-solving and memory-building tasks.
• Develops Communication & Interaction through authentic conversations, teamwork, and collaboration.
• Strengthens SEMH, helping children to regulate emotions, build self-esteem, and experience success.
• Enhances Sensory & Physical development through movement, coordination, and real-world sensory experiences.

These opportunities also reflect our values:

Belong – pupils feel part of a community, in school and beyond.

Believe – they gain confidence by trying new experiences and recognising their strengths.

Achieve – they celebrate progress, take on challenges, and succeed in a range of different settings.

Enrichment provides cultural capital by broadening horizons, raising aspirations, and preparing pupils for life beyond school.

How we teach Enrichment?

Our enrichment programme is planned, purposeful, and inclusive. Pupils engage in a wide range of activities both in and out of school, from community visits and outdoor learning to themed curriculum days and creative workshops. These experiences connect directly to everyday life and future opportunities, ensuring that children see the relevance of what they learn.

Staff use the Thrive approach to make enrichment supportive and meaningful:

• Attunement – noticing and responding to how children are feeling.
• Co-regulation – providing calm, supportive adults so pupils feel secure to take part.
• Containment – creating safe, structured routines for every trip or activity.
• Repair & Reflection – giving time to think about what went well, how challenges felt, and what was learned.

Through enrichment, pupils have opportunities to:

• Leave the school site to access new experiences and broaden their view of the world.
• Express themselves in creative, physical, and social ways.
• Build resilience and motivation by overcoming challenges in unfamiliar settings.
• Engage with their community, developing cultural understanding and real-world life skills.
• Experience success in many forms, preparing them to thrive in education and beyond.

At Vermont School, enrichment ensures pupils don’t just succeed in the classroom, they belong, believe, and achieve in the wider world.