Extra Curricular Activities

At St Michael’s, we believe that learning extends beyond the classroom. Our extra-curricular programme gives pupils opportunities to discover new interests, develop talents, build confidence, improve their wellbeing and take an active part in the wider life of the school.

Throughout the year, we offer a broad range of clubs and activities across sport, music, performance, creativity and teamwork. Our offer changes across the year so that pupils can experience a variety of opportunities and discover new interests.

Inclusive Extra-Curricular Opportunities

We are committed to making sure that all pupils can benefit from extra-curricular opportunities, regardless of background or additional need.

All of our clubs are fully funded by the school and free for families, helping to remove financial barriers to participation. Pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and pupils with SEND are given priority access to places, and reasonable adjustments are made where required so that additional needs do not prevent pupils from taking part.

We carefully monitor participation across our extra-curricular offer so that we know our opportunities are reaching pupils from across our school community.

Our analysis shows that disadvantaged pupils are strongly represented across the enrichment offer, pupils with SEND participate in a wide range of sporting, musical and performance opportunities, and pupils who are both disadvantaged and have SEND are consistently represented. Vulnerable pupils also make up a significant proportion of participants across our clubs.

This means that our enrichment offer is not simply available to all pupils — it is being accessed by pupils who may face some of the greatest barriers to taking part in opportunities outside school. Priority access, full funding, targeted encouragement and reasonable adjustments help us ensure that disadvantage or additional need does not become a barrier to participation.

The Impact of Our Clubs

Our clubs provide much more than an opportunity to learn a new skill.

Through taking part in extra-curricular activities, pupils have opportunities to:

• develop confidence, independence and resilience;
• strengthen teamwork, communication and leadership skills;
• build friendships and positive relationships with trusted adults;
• improve their physical and emotional wellbeing;
• discover new interests and talents;
• experience achievement and success beyond the classroom;
• develop a stronger sense of belonging to the St Michael’s community.

Staff observations and pupil voice indicate that clubs have helped pupils to develop confidence, teamwork, communication, resilience and positive relationships. Pupils have also experienced success beyond the classroom and developed talents and interests that may not otherwise have been available to them.

For vulnerable pupils and pupils with SEND in particular, regular participation can provide structured routines, trusted relationships with adults and opportunities to build friendships. This can strengthen pupils’ sense of belonging and help them to feel more connected to the wider life of the school.

Sport and Physical Activity

Sport is an important part of our extra-curricular offer.

During 2025–2026, St Michael’s provided 304 sports-club places across all six half terms, demonstrating the scale and consistency of the opportunities available to pupils.

Our sporting programme has included activities such as:

• football;
• girls’ football;
• dodgeball;
• rugby;
• basketball;
• multi-sports;
• archery;
• Quidditch;
• netball;
• athletics;
• rounders.

This broad range enables pupils to experience traditional team sports alongside activities they may not have tried before. Opportunities are planned across different age groups and change throughout the year so that pupils are able to experience a range of activities rather than being limited to one sport.

Through participation in sport, pupils develop physical skills and fitness alongside teamwork, cooperation and communication. They learn to persevere, respond positively to challenge, manage success and disappointment, build friendships and represent their year group alongside their peers.

Our participation analysis shows that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are consistently represented within our sports clubs, helping us ensure that pupils who may have fewer opportunities outside school can take part regularly.

Music and Performance

Music and performance are also an important part of life at St Michael’s.

Pupils have opportunities to take part in activities including choir, brass, guitar, instrumental tuition, ensembles and performances.

Pupil voice demonstrates the positive impact of music on pupils’ learning and wider development:

• 91% of pupils said they enjoy music lessons;
• 87% said they have learned new musical skills;
• 82% said participating in music has increased their confidence;
• 100% said music helps them to express themselves creatively.

Participation in choirs, ensembles, performances and instrumental tuition gives pupils opportunities to apply and extend their learning beyond the classroom. Pupils develop confidence, teamwork, commitment, creativity and performance skills while experiencing success and belonging through shared musical experiences.

For some pupils, sustained access to instrumental tuition has led to graded music examinations and opportunities beyond school. This demonstrates how our provision can help to identify, nurture and develop individual talents over time.

Listening to Our Pupils

Pupil voice is an important part of how we develop our extra-curricular offer.

We regularly listen to pupils about the activities they enjoy and the opportunities they would like to experience in the future. This helps us ensure that our programme remains varied, relevant and responsive to pupils’ interests.

As part of the continued development of our offer, we are introducing additional creative and social opportunities, including sewing and board game clubs, alongside further inclusive opportunities for pupils with SEND.

Reviewing Participation and Impact

We do not assume that our extra-curricular offer is inclusive simply because activities are available.

Leaders review participation throughout the year and compare representation with the profile of our school community. This enables us to identify pupils or groups who may not yet be accessing opportunities and respond through targeted encouragement, communication with families, reasonable adjustments and changes to future provision.

We continue to use participation information, pupil voice and feedback to evaluate the inclusivity and impact of our offer and to identify pupils who may require additional encouragement or support to take part.

Our Commitment

At St Michael’s, enrichment is an important part of our work to support pupils’ personal development, inclusion, wellbeing and sense of belonging.

We are proud that our extra-curricular opportunities are free to families and accessible to pupils from across our school community.

We will continue to develop a broad and inclusive programme that gives pupils opportunities to discover new talents, experience success, build positive relationships and flourish beyond the classroom.