Enrichment
Cultural Capital at Gatton School
Whole School Theme Days/Weeks
Throughout the year, themed days/weeks are woven into the curriculum to extend the breadth and balance of opportunities we offer our pupils. These include, Anti-bullying Week, Creative Arts projects, World Book Day, Black History Month, Fair Trade Fortnight, Science Day, Cultural Day as well as CHES days.
Educational Visits and Residentials
School trips and visits are an integral part of the education of children at Gatton Primary. We value the opportunities such visits offer our pupils and the commitment of staff and adults undertaking them. Trips include class visits aimed at bringing learning alive and providing first-hand experience and bringing learning alive; extra-curricular outings such as activities with the school choir or sporting events; and attending or taking part in performances or competitions.
Children in year 5 experience a day trip to a scout centre to build team building, communication and resilience, this is then extended in Year 6 where children are given the opportunity to take part in a residential visit. These are planned to provide new and exciting experiences.
Visitors into School
Visitors have a valuable role to play and can contribute to many aspects of the life and work of the school. They deliver talks, workshops and full day activities across a wide range of subjects, giving pupils access to outside experiences and expertise. Visitors provide a link with the wider community – children have the opportunity to work alongside artists, musicians, authors, health professions and others.
After-school Clubs
As a school we offer pupils opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities after school. At any time, a wide range of clubs is on offer – our programmes of clubs and activities available is revised termly depending on the time of year and other commitments children may have.
PE & Sport
At Gatton Primary we are making use of local area facilities such as Fish Ponds Playing field to host our P.E lessons as well as using our sports hall. There are various competitions children enter throughout the year including football tournaments.
Children also get to attend various football matches and have sessions with the Chelsea Football Club.
Music, Art & Drama
Gatton School provides opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of musical activities and performances where they are encouraged to sing, compose and work creatively with sound. Through active listening, pupils’ awareness, understanding and appreciation of drumming and singing is developed. A range of opportunities are provided within and beyond the curriculum for children to showcase their musical skills and talents, for example Upper Key stage 2 has a talent show and lower Key Stage 2 has a poetry recital.
Opportunities to Volunteer
Volunteering is an activity that everyone can get involved in and benefit from. At Gatton Primary we promote and encourage pupils’ active citizenship and positive contribution to the school and wider community. We offer lots of opportunities for pupils to take on new responsibilities and be involved in successfully supporting the life and work of the school. These include elected representatives on our Children’s Council, Eco Warriors, House Captains and Head Pupils.
Pupils tell us that they enjoy the opportunity to volunteer to help make their school an even better place to be and rising to the challenge that additional responsibility brings.
Assemblies
A rounded programme of weekly assemblies helps to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and provide clear guidance on what is right and what is wrong. Once a week, assemblies are led by the headteacher and throughout the year children have the opportunity to take part in class assemblies linking into the school’s weekly theme.
Competitions and projects
Competitions and projects can make an important contribution to a child’s progress at school. As well as reinforcing learning in the classroom, projects help children to develop the skills and attitudes they will need for successful independent lifelong learning.
Cultural Capital at Gatton School
Every child and family who joins Gatton will have their own knowledge and experiences that will link to their culture and wider family. This might include languages, traditions, cultural and family heritage, interests, travel and work.
Research shows that when children and families’ cultures are valued, both the child’s experience of learning and progress can benefit (Husain et al., 2018, p. 4 and Gazzard, E. 2018 in Chalmers, H. and Crisfield, E. 2019)
Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a child can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge, and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a pupil will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.
Cultural capital gives power. It helps children achieve goals, become successful, and rise the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital. Cultural capital is having assets that give children the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.
At Gatton Primary School, children benefit from a creative curriculum that builds on what they understand and know already. We believe that exposure, not only to culture but also to situations in which the children might not have previous experiences of, is of high importance to their ongoing successes.
Gradually widening children’s experiences as they progress through school is an important step in providing rich and engaging learning across the curriculum. We plan carefully for children to have progressively richer experiences in the EYFS and beyond. These include trips to the local park, shops, and visits to places of worship, museums, sports and scout centres and a business enterprise just to name a few.
