Activities
Shapwick Prep
The Shapwick Prep experience reaches beyond the confines of the classroom to include a wide range of activities at the end of the perceived school day. Opportunities include the art club, chess club, music club, origami club, French, first aid, computer club, nature club, lego club, athletics club, cross country club and all major sports training.
Shapwick Senior
Education at Shapwick is not just about examination success. Public examinations are given due attention and pupils achieve excellent results, which are all the more outstanding in light of the challenges presented by their dyslexia. However, great emphasis is also placed on the development of a wider range of interests.
A comprehensive range of activities are offered for pupils after formal lessons each day, which include paintballing, photography, marketing and website building, card making, netball, rounders, media studies, gardening, bird watching, walking, chess, guitar, wall-climbing, films and trampoline.
The list of activities is flexible and new activities can be arranged in response to pupil demand.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Shapwick pupils are encouraged to complete the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. Many complete the award in Year 10, with the remainder during Year 11.
To gain the Award pupils must complete four sections, involving an expedition, a physical activity, a skill and voluntary service in the community.
The qualifying expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is usually on the Mendip Hills, camping overnight at Longbottom Farm. The pupils begin at Bleadon Hill, in groups of between 4 & 6, navigating their way to Priddy via Shipham, Velvet Bottom, Black Rock, Bradley Cross and Draycott. The purpose of the expedition is to look at footpath erosion along the route. This expedition follow training sessions and a practice camp on Exmoor.
For the volunteering section of the award the students study how the Police in Somerset carry out their work in the community. The course is organised by Bridgwater Police Station and include many busy practical evenings from the scenes of crime officers, the riot squad, the firearms officers, the dog handling department and the Courts. The students visit Taunton Magistrates Court where they are given an excellent tour and talk culminating in seeing a court case first hand. They also visit Bridgwater Police station where they are able to experience one of their peer group being ‘arrested’ and taken through the procedures in the custody suite. The various cars and vans used by the Police are fun to sit in and learn about.
In addition to the Expedition and Volunteering sections of the award all participants have to complete a physical activity of their choice and a skill that is non physical outside of normal lesson times. Pupils tend to use the afterschool activity time to complete this half of the award. Typical physical activities include outdoor pursuits, rugby, football, table tennis, swimming, kayaking, netball, cricket, walking for fun, horse riding, judo, basketball and triathlon and the skills are: piano, guitar, gardening, card making, mahjong, wildlife walks, drums and lego club.
Many Shapwick pupils continue the award in their post 16 education with a view to reaching gold as it is open to all until the age of 25 years.
Outdoor Pursuits
Outdoor Education is provided as an option to year 10 and 11 students who may choose the Outdoor Education option in Physical Education. Each term a schedule is created from the following activities.
• Climbing (Outdoor rock & Indoor wall climbing)*
• Abseiling
• Low & High ropes courses
• Hill walking & Scrambling on Quantock and Mendip
• Orienteering
• Mendip Caving
• Dry slope skiing
*Students participate in the NICAS (National Indoor Climbing Assessment Scheme) offered through the British Mountaineering Council. The Bristol Climbing Centre is a validated venue and the teacher in charge conducts assessment at each level.
The aim of the Outdoor Pursuits course is to provide qualifications and experience essential for students who wish to progress into college, university or work place furthering a career in Outdoor Pursuits or Education.
Alternatively, the activities may be continued purely for recreational and social purposes and the skills and experience allow the students to continue in the FE College Climbing Club.
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