Additional opportunities to develop talents, skills and abilities
►Responsibilities in the School Community
►The School Council
►The Prefects
►The School Receptionists
►Lunchtime and Evening Activities
►School Visits
►Cultural visits
►Personal challenges
►Charging for visits
►The Friends of Willowgarth
►Responsibilities in the School Community
It is the policy of the school to provide ample opportunities for all children to play a constructive part in the school community. During the course of a typical school year, various school and community occasions allow many pupils to assume representative responsibilities - e.g. showing visitors around school, serving as car park attendants on open days etc. Beyond this there are three especially important fixed roles. Back to top►The School Council
The School Council is elected democratically by the pupil population and has representatives from each year group. It has the responsibility of reflecting to the Senior Management Team and the Governing Body pupils' views about school life, management and organisation. Back to top►The Prefects
Pupils apply to become prefects towards the end of Year 10 and are appointed following interview by a panel of staff. The recent school records of applicants are scrutinised. Failed applicants are told in what ways they must improve if they wish to succeed at a later date. Successful applicants are expected to continue to maintain high standards and face suspension from duties or 'the sack' if they fail to do so. Prefects make an invaluable contribution to the ethos of the school, undertaking a wide range of responsibilities. Back to top►The School Receptionists
All Year 9 pupils have the opportunity to serve as school receptionists for at least a full school day. This is an immensely important job as receptionists are usually the first points of contact for any visitors to the site. Their performance is monitored and feedback is given.Back to top
►Lunchtime and Evening Activities
The following list gives an idea of the opportunities for both additional study and recreational activities, which have been available either at lunchtime or after school this year:private study
library facilities
revision classes
individual music lessons
careers library
panto or musical evening rehearsals
additional lessons (extension classes)
computer facilities
workshop facilities
badminton
softball
basketball
volleyball
indoor hockey
netball
tennis
dance
soccer and soccer fixtures
athletics
5 a-side
trampolining
rounders
The above list will change in line with changes in staffing. However, parents and pupils may be assured of our commitment to providing the widest possible range of activities to complement and extend the curriculum of the school. Back to top
►School Visits
Willowgarth High School Walking Club offers an exceptionally full programme of activities during weekends and school holidays throughout the year. These include day walks, camping and youth hostel visits, which are open to staff, pupils and parents. Owing to insurance restrictions, all visits depend upon a second adult being available, so the school is always interested in identifying parents who are willing and able to take part.Day walks are usually made to the White and Dark areas of the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales. Camping and Youth Hostel visits go further afield, depending on the length of the visit.
The longer distance walks completed in the last year have included the Wild Ways Walk (23 miles), the Royston/Carlton Boundary Walk (10 miles) and the Dales Walk (100 miles). In the school holidays extended visits have been made to Scotland, Wales and the Lake District.
Three extended, residential visits have been arranged for this year. The first, for Year 7 pupils, is to Trig Point 49 at Staithes. The second, for Year 8 pupils, is to Rydal Hall Youth Centre in the Lake District. The third, for Year 9 pupils, is to Wydale Hall Emmaus Centre near Pickering. These are all self-catering centres, where the children take part in a variety of educational and environmental activities and experience living and working together as a team. Back to top
►Cultural visits
Cultural visits - e.g., to the Houses of Parliament, museums, galleries, the theatre, the cinema - are organised by various staff to complement lessons and to enrich the children's experience. Visits abroad are a feature of Willowgarth's school year. One enables pupils to enjoy the thrills and spills of skiing; two others are focused on giving pupils the opportunity to improve their foreign language skills; another exploits the excellent educational facilities of Euro Disney. Back to top►Personal challenges
Personal challenges are integral to some of the school's vocational courses. These may involve leaving the site to engage in a wide range of activities - e.g. environmental improvement activities, working with community groups, abseiling, canoeing, ice-skating, or helping at a nursery, special school or residential home. Back to top►Charging for visits
The law prevents the school from charging for any such activities occurring during the school day, yet the school generally has no resources to pay for them itself; therefore, it invites parents to make voluntary contributions to cover the costs. Without parental contributions, many of these activities would have to be abandoned.However, it has always been school policy that children should not be excluded from school activities because their parents are unable to pay. Whenever payment is a problem, parents are asked to contact the headteacher. Back to top
►The Friends of Willowgarth
The 'Friends of Willowgarth' is the name adopted by the school's parents' association. The name admirably reflects the spirit of Willowgarth and the quality of our typical parent-teacher relationships. Our 'friends' perform many invaluable functions during the course of the school year, particularly in respect of the organisational arrangements for after-school events. All parents and carers of our pupils are automatically members of 'The Friends of Willowgarth'. The more parents that take an active role in the group's activities, the better for the school, the better for community and, last but certainly not least, the better for the children.If you would like to know more about 'The Friends of Willowgarth', please contact Tony Parkinson, our Community Coordinator. Back to top
