Enrichment

Enrichment activities and experiences are an essential part of our school curriculum and school offer.

We aim for our children to be responsible, confident members of the community, who are willing to take risks, are able to think critically and reflect and are prepared for adulthood.  During their time at Merryhills, children will take part in:

Class Assemblies 

Throughout the year, each class will have the opportunity to take to the Merryhills’ Stage and share their learning with families.

These special performances give children the opportunity to develop their public speaking skills, build confidence and experience the excitement of presenting to an audience. They also provide a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and gain a valuable insight into what their children have been learning in school.

We are incredibly proud to give every child the chance to have their moment on the Merryhills’ Stage.

Productions

Final performances and productions play a significant part in our curriculum.  We want our children to have the confidence to speak and perform in front of audiences.  We also know that real life final performances truly bring learning to life.

 As well as individual Year Group productions, the whole school comes together each year to take part in our very own Merry Fest. This is a wonderful chance to be all together and relish in the musical talents around us. It really is a magical afternoon.  

Enrichment Activities  

At Merryhills, the children will have opportunities to take part in varied, rich experiences throughout their time at school. This could be sporting events; debating competitions; hanging their art work in our very own art gallery; dancing or singing at a festival; spelling bees and many more. Whether a child is showing courage by performing a line in a play or spreading positivity across a retirement home, it is these moments that create the memories and the magical moments connected with learning at Merryhills. 

 Debating

Debating is a prominent part of our curriculum, providing children with regular opportunities to develop the skills needed to express their ideas clearly, confidently and thoughtfully.

Throughout their time at Merryhills, children learn how to construct balanced arguments, listen carefully to different viewpoints and respond effectively to the ideas of others. These skills are progressively developed across the year groups, with children using increasingly sophisticated debating language and techniques.

Children have opportunities to put their learning into practice through showcase debates during assemblies, where they research and prepare arguments around a range of pre-determined topics.

We believe debating is an invaluable part of developing confident, articulate and critical thinkers. It encourages our children to be well-informed, consider different perspectives and communicate their thinking with clarity and purpose.

Visitors

We have had a host of visitors come to Merryhills, talking about careers aspirations; career choices; experiences in South America; training as a professional athlete; school life at Merryhills in the 1940s etc. As well as in person experiences, we have also hosted various authors online through the scholastic schools live programme. We welcome all parents and the wider community to come in and enrich children's knowledge and understanding through their own experiences. If you think you may have something to share/offer please get in contact with the school office and a member of staff will contact you. Children ask the most fascinating questions, so we think you'll enjoy the experience as much as them!