Vision and Ethos

Thurs Sept 25 2025

Mon June 16 2025

Wed July 16 2025

Thurs July 17 2025

Year 7

Good and Evil

AIMS: Pupils take part in activities looking our school motto, ‘Therefore Choose’ and taking part in various activities and reflections.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community, faith.

ACTIVITIES: Pupils take part in activities focused on how they can make positive choices in life. They visit Blackburn Cathedral.

Year 8

Mosque visit / human rights

Pupils spend half the day visiting Blackburn Mosque and the other half taking part in Performing Arts activities exploring the theme of justice and human rights.

AIM: To build faith bridges with other religious communities.

To explore social justice through the medium of Performing Arts.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community, justice, peace, hope.

ACTIVITIES: Pupils visit a Blackburn Mosque where speakers talk to them about their religious beliefs and customs.

They also take part in practical based activities within Dance, Drama, Art and Music exploring various human rights through team building activities.

“Celebration” / Blue Planet visit

Pupils take part in these days in tutorials, with 801-04 working together and 805-808 working together.

Pupils spend one of these days visiting the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire. This is to inspire pupils’ creativity in their art and design work.

The other day is entitled ‘Celebration’ as pupils prepare for the end of term service.

AIM: To use creativity exploring themes and preparing for the end of term service.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Creation, community, justice, stewardship

ACTIVITIES: These days are used annually to prepare pupils for the end of term service and the themes which will be explored in this.

Year 8

Teambuilding and diversity

AIM: To explore aspects of diversity and equality and take part in some physical teambuilding activities

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community, peace, justice

ACTIVITIES: This day is in two halves. Pupils take part in teambuilding physical activities which require both mental and physical strength. Pupils also look at diversity, exploring immigration and the situation for refugees.

Year 9

STEM DAY / Blackpool Zoo visit

Pupils spend the day at Blackpool Zoo taking part in workshops and then looking round the zoo.

AIM: To have a day dedicated to sustainability and stewardship with a focus on Science, Maths, Engineering and Technology.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: stewardship, creation.

ACTIVITIES: Pupils take part in workshops and then look round the zoo, with the day focussing on sustainability and stewardship and appreciating the importance of working together as a global community.

Pupils attend both the visits on different days depending on their tutorials:

Grasmere Geography field trip

AIMS: Pupils explore the impacts of tourism on Grasmere village and the importance of stewardship.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Creation, thankfulness, stewardship. 

ACTIVITIES: Pupils complete a number of data collection tasks to explore how tourism has affected this honeypot site. They will explore both the positive and negative effects of tourism and why stewardship is so important in this village.

History visit to Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds.

AIMS: Pupils visit Thackray Museum to extend their learning in the classroom and prepare them for their GCSE course.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community, compassion, wisdom, justice

ACTIVITIES: Pupils will have a guided workshop called 'Disease Street' and a self-guided tour of the rest of the museum. Should pupils choose to opt for History in Years 10 and 11, they will study medicine through the ages and this visit will therefore enhance this course.

Year 9

Bangdrum

AIMS: To give pupils the experience of another culture through the Performing Arts.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community

ACTIVITIES: Outside group Bang Drum allow pupils to experience the culture and rhythms of Brazil. Pupils have a presentation of different styles of world percussion and dance, touching on the history and culture of styles from Egypt, West African and Cuba. They then take part in Art, Dance and Music.

Year 10

Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award expedition

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Creation, endurance, wisdom, trust

June: training day for expedition

Pupils are completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award during their Curriculum Enrichment time in Year 9. This culminates at the end of the year with the expedition. In June the pupils do a training day, where they learn how to pack a rucksack, complete some walking, revise map reading skills, trangia cooking and pitch a tent in preparation for the real expedition in July.

Tues July 15 and Wed July 16 Bronze DofE expedition 1

Thurs July 17 and Fri July 18 Bronze DofE expedition 2

Pupils complete their expedition over two days, one of which is a July Enrichment Days. Pupils complete this in a half year group whilst the other half of the year take part in the activities below:

Synagogue visit / ICT

Pupils will take part in a visit to the Manchester Synagogue to again further build bridges in the community. They also spend half a day focussing on skills in the KS4 programme of study for Computing.

AIM: To build faith bridges with other religious communities. / To learn about programming and online safety.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community, justice, peace, hope.

ACTIVITIES: Pupils visit a Machester Synagogue where speakers talk to them about their religious beliefs and customs.

Pupils are involved in ’Super Sleuthing’ using data programming to find treasure. Part of their day is also focused on safety online.

University experience

Pupils will spend one day visiting the University of Central Lancashire.

AIM: For pupils to aspire to continue in higher education.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Hope, wisdom

ACTIVITIES: Year 11 attend UCLAN. They will select from a range of courses to investigate for a taster session, spend time listening to a speaker informing them about university life and have a look round the university. This forms part of our Careers Education programme.

Year 10

SMSC Day

Social, moral, spiritual and cultural day

AIM: Pupils take part in a range of activities enhancing their SMSC education.

English / oracy / interview practice

Pupils take part in debating activities developing and practising skills needed for their GCSE English speaking exam. They also look at interview techniques.

Citizenship / SMSC

Pupils spend two lessons looking at Democracy and the UK. They explore the model of democracy compared to other forms of government, and how democratic the UK is compared to other countries. It is designed to build cultural capital and develop critical thinking skills.

Part of the day is dedicated to SMSC, with pupils looking at immigration, Prevent / radicalisation, mental health and wellbeing.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Trust, community, justice.

ACTIVITIES: See above

Year 11

Runshaw College Sampling Day

AIMS: To give Year 11 a taste of college life and explore ideas for their future.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Hope, wisdom

ACTIVITIES: Year 11 attend Runshaw College. They select various subjects and courses to explore which interest them and then take part in these as taster sessions.

Work Experience

AIMS; To give Year 11 a taste of life after school and an experience of a workplace.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: hope, wisdom, endurance

ACTIVITIES: Pupils are informed about Work Experience at the start of Year 10 and are expected to find their own placement. They are given considerable guidance and have a careers lesson once every four weeks.

Work Experience particularly satisfies Gatsby Benchmarks:

5. Encounters with employers and employees

6. Experiences of workplaces

Year 11

Alton Towers

AIMS: To celebrate dedicated diligence and give pupils a well-deserved fun day.

CHRISTIAN VALUES: Community

ACTIVITIES: Pupils go to Alton Towers for the day as a special treat for their hard work and commitment. Pupils benefit greatly from this break from work!

Year 11 have left

Year 11 have left

Year 11 have left