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Recent News
Enrichment Week - Paris
On the 4th of July, 43 Deer Park pupils set off at 5.30am on the road to Paris in France. For many of the pupils, aged 12 and 13, this was their first trip away from home without their parents, so five days away was quite a big deal. It was a wonderful week of visiting; we went to the Eiffel Tower of course, and the Trocadero for photo opportunities. We also drove around a lot of Paris so that pupils could see the Opéra, the Arc de Triomph, the Champs Elysées and the Place de Concorde where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution.
Enrichment Week - Outdoor Challenge
This year’s Outdoor Challenge was an enjoyable week and a great character building experience for both pupils and staff with lots of emphasis on building learning power. The first two days were spent at school developing the leadership and team-working skills needed to survive in the environs of Coates. The expedition was planned during this time, tents and equipment were checked and a short reconnaissance was completed to familiarise ourselves with the terrain. “TEAM – Together, Everyone Achieves More” – to quote Mr Owen.
Enrichment Week - London
During our annual Enrichment Week, a group of pupils in Key Stage 3 who chose to stay in the UK had the opportunity to participate in a ‘Capital Experience’. After spending some time researching their trip the pupils spent three days in London visiting and learning about our capital city, its history and culture. In addition to sightseeing, the pupils, under close supervision, also learnt to use the underground and explore the city.
Enrichment Week - Holland
A bleary eyed but excited group of 44 pupils and 5 staff left Deer Park School on Monday 4 July, bound for Noordwijk on the Dutch coast. Having initially expected sleep to continue on the coach (due to it being 2am), it soon became apparent that this would be a high-energy trip, with the enthusiasm of staff and pupils making the journey almost as enjoyable as the destination!
Enrichment Week - Club Correze
Wicked’, ‘hot’, ‘sunny’, ‘awesome’, ‘wet’ and ‘hilarious’ are just a few words pupils participating in our outdoor pursuits trip to Club Correze, in the Limousin area of France, used to describe their experience. And what a week it was too! There were screams of joy and nerves of steel. The competition was on. Those who did not choose this option missed out on an amazing week full of activities from water sports to high ropes. The group arrived in Meymac, for their 10 day extravaganza; 17 boys and 17 girls and 4 staff were ready to take on the challenge of Club Correze.
Enrichment Week - Music Tour
This year's music tour was to Tossa de Mar in Spain, a tradition coastal town north of Barcelona. For months before setting off pupils and staff were busy preparing a varied music programme for the 3 concerts they were to play as part of the tour. The groups involved were the samba band, steel band, classical guitar ensemble, jazz band, choir and rock band.
Enrichment Week - Glass Sculpting
During Enrichment Week this year a group of pupils worked with a glass sculptor, Ken Howell. The pupils were shown glass colouring techniques using frit and stringers; plus the technique of glass engraving. The pupils were then able to experiment with the different techniques making a range of samples. From these experiments the pupils then made a final piece of work which will be displayed in the Art & Design exhibition.
Enrichment Week - Germany
We stayed in a lovely traditional hotel in Treis-Karden near Cochem. Tom Snowball (Year 9) commented in his diary: “It sits in a valley covered in green forest and vineyards. The river Mosel runs down the middle of it and is always occupied with industrial barges. Alongside the river is a train track which follows it to Switzerland.”
On Day 1 pupils had an outdoor German lesson to prepare them for shopping in Cochem. Later we visited a vineyard and had a tour of the cellars and learnt about the industry of wine-making, followed by a small sample of grape juice. It was like a mini Science & Business Studies lesson! Afterwards we went to Marksburg Castle, where pupils learnt the difference between a “Burg” and a “Schloß” (two types of castle) as well as some interesting facts about medieval German history.
Enrichment Week - Football
A diverse group of boys from Years 8, 9 and 10 were given the opportunity to spend a week taking part in football training and a premier league club and stadium visit.
The first three days involved the pupils participating in a soccer camp run by Arsenal Soccer Schools. This involved the pupils working as individuals and in teams, performing different drills and games to improve their soccer skills, communication, teamwork and their ability to listen to and learn from a professional football coach. They trained for three days which tested their commitment, discipline, resilience, and their ability to work, even when every muscle in their body was fatigued. There were a lot of tears and sweat but as one pupil, Danny Bishop said, ‘I can barely feel my legs and I have never worked so hard, but it was definitely worth it’.
Enrichment Week - Contrasts Challenge
130 pupils took part in the ‘Contrasts Challenge’ as part of Enrichment Week. The week was (as it says on the tin) full of contrasting activities, where pupils were able to challenge themselves to take part in something new or to improve skills they already had.
The first part of the week was based around the Creative Arts with African Dance and African Drumming being a particular feature. They also showed ‘reflectivity’ when they learnt about African children and water sanitation. The task of carrying water for about a mile really helped them to develop empathy for other children and they had a greater understanding of the difficulties other children face.
