At Newport Primary School in rural Yorkshire, enrichment is part of how we help children develop confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. It connects classroom learning with experiences that broaden their horizons.
Some pupils have limited opportunities to travel beyond our village. We want to help them experience the wider world while building on the strengths of our community.
We listen to pupils, make the most of local skills, and give children chances to help their community. For schools looking to do more, start by asking pupils what they’d like to try, and explore local partnerships in your area that could help bring those ideas to life. There may be more skills and enthusiasm nearby than you think. The examples below share what’s worked for us and could work in your school too.
Listen to pupils
Our most important lesson is that enrichment works best when pupils have a real say in shaping what’s on offer.
Every class, from Reception to Year 6, elects two class council representatives. Through discussions, votes and surveys, they gather classmates’ ideas about what they want to learn, experiences they value and opportunities they feel are missing.
When pupils asked to learn practical life skills, particularly cooking, we launched Community Cupcakes. Classes take turns hosting parents, grandparents and residents from a nearby care home. Guests hear about recent learning, play board games and enjoy food prepared by pupils.
A cooking activity became an opportunity to develop communication skills, build confidence and bring generations together. Pupils could see that their ideas had led to something meaningful.
Make the most of local expertise
Enrichment can take many different forms, and some of the best opportunities can come from making the most of what is already around you. We draw on staff interests and the knowledge of residents, volunteers and businesses to create opportunities rooted in our local area.
In our gardening club, pupils grow plants and vegetables with community volunteers and take part in regular swaps. Residents share memories of village life, while farmers help children understand food production and the environment. Coastal visits bring classroom learning about erosion to life.
Give pupils a community role
Through work linked to the Market Weighton Canal Trail, pupils helped create QR-code resources about local history and biodiversity. Knowing that the public would use their work gave the project purpose and showed children they could contribute to their community.
These examples offer a starting point for other schools: what do pupils want to experience, who locally could help, and how could their learning benefit others? Sharing the answers can help schools learn from one another without needing to copy an activity exactly.
Practical steps for schools
For leaders and teachers looking to strengthen enrichment, our advice is:
- Start by listening to your pupils
- Look for expertise within your existing staff team.
- Build relationships with community partners.
- Take a fresh look at your offer: what’s working, where are the gaps, and who isn’t taking part?
- Think about where activities can complement your curriculum learning and bring what pupils learn in lessons to life.
- Focus on what works for your school - providing a good range of meaningful experiences.
Start small. Begin with a purposeful activity that reflects pupils’ interests and local strengths, and build from there. At Newport, co-creation helps us broaden horizons while staying rooted in our community.
Find out more
Explore the Enrichment Framework for more case study examples and practical resources to help develop your school’s enrichment offer.
Find out more about the new Enrichment Alliance, a network bringing schools and partner organisations together to share and test practical ideas, while listening to children and young people about what works for them.
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