Excellence in Enrichment

Sponsored by Commando Joe's Enrichment

Recognises schools or settings that provide inspiring and intentional enrichment through school sport and physical activity. Through this offer, they ensure they build character, develop life and work skills, value young people's voices, and raise aspirations for every young person. 

Finalists

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Wings School Notts, Nottinghamshire 

Wings School Notts shows how sport and physical activity can change young people’s lives. The school, winner of a National Association of Special Schools Award for ‘Breaking Down Barriers’, uses sport and enrichment to build confidence, support learning and improve wellbeing. Its approach focuses on each child, helping students develop skills needed for life beyond school. 

A key part of this success is the school’s structured Friday enrichment programme. Students earn access through positive behaviour, good engagement in learning and personal development. Activities are chosen carefully to help students build confidence, teamwork, communication and resilience. Success in enrichment is celebrated in whole-school assemblies, creating a strong culture of reward, pride and motivation. 

Student voice plays a major role in shaping the programme. Through the Student Council, learners help choose activities, plan events and influence school decisions. The school offers a wide range of experiences, including fishing, bushcraft, ice skating, trampolining and paddle sports. Many activities link to ASDAN Life Skills Challenges, giving students recognised achievements alongside personal growth and a sense of belonging. 

The impact is especially clear among the Year 11 Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) cohort. Students helped design a Friday enrichment-based careers programme, combining practical activities with visits to colleges, universities, libraries and workplaces.  

This approach has led to strong improvements in attendance, behaviour and academic progress. Behaviour incidents have reduced, and students show improved emotional regulation and classroom focus. Better engagement and attendance have also helped students make stronger progress towards qualifications and EHCP outcomes. This remarkable shift shows how the school’s child-centred approach is an incredibly successful method for re-engaging learners previously disengaged from formal education. 

 

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Arts and Media School Islington 

Arts and Media School Islington (AMSI) have reshaped enrichment, making it a core part of school life rather than an optional extra. Serving a community facing significant socio-economic challenges, AMSI supports higher-than-average numbers of students with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those eligible for free school meals. The school’s approach shows how targeted enrichment can improve wellbeing, confidence and academic success. 

Through programmes such as Set for Success, Girls Active, This Girl Can and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, AMSI has created a wide and inclusive offer. Last year, 90% of students took part in enrichment through clubs, trips or workshops. Students are encouraged to take leadership roles by running warm-ups, supporting sports events and mentoring younger pupils. These opportunities help students build teamwork, communication and goal-setting skills. 

Partnership with the Youth Sport Trust has played a key role in strengthening these opportunities. The Set for Success programme has created new pathways for students who may not otherwise access sport or leadership roles. Many participants now use sport to inspire others, with several students receiving external recognition for their leadership at the Young Changemaker Awards and Set for Success Awards. 

The impact of this work is clear. In the first Year 9 Set for Success group, over 96% of students improved their attendance by Year 10. Behaviour also improved for 93% of participants. Achievement points rose massively from 77 at the start of the programme to more than 5,000 by the spring term, showing stronger motivation and engagement with learning. 

Enrichment is also helping close participation gaps. Out of 609 students, 383 attended at least one weekly club. Engagement is strongest among under-served groups, showing the school provides a safe and welcoming environment where barriers are reduced. 

Arts and Media School Islington demonstrate how strong leadership, inclusive enrichment and positive partnerships can help every young person succeed and thrive. 

WINNER

Redhill Academy Trust, Nottinghamshire 

Redhill Academy Trust is a leader in enrichment, giving students outstanding opportunities in PE, sport and co-curricular activities. Investment in leadership - including a Trust Director for PE, a Sports Development Officer, ten Co-Curricular Co-ordinators, and specialist champions in handball, rowing, chess and boccia - allows Redhill to run a wide and inclusive programme. A tracking system monitors more than 12,000 students, helping the Trust to build a co-curricular and enrichment strategy to increase overall engagement and narrow the gaps in engagement between demographics. 

As a Youth Sport Trust Beacon Well School Trust, Redhill works with national and local partners to remove barriers to access for students. Alongside a broad co-curricular offer, the Trust has developed four core sports in partnership with England Handball, Boccia England, London Youth Rowing and Chess in Schools. Unique events, such as a virtual rowing competition, engaged 3,000 students who rowed over two million metres together. The Redhill Rowing Academy also provides a pathway from indoor rowing to inter-school and national competitions, plus on-water sessions with London Youth Rowing. 

Inclusive competition is key to Redhill’s approach. Trust Games, held during the school day, focus on students who have not yet taken part in enrichment or represented their school. This year, Boccia was included for the first time, giving over 50 SEND students the chance to compete. 

A tracking system monitors more than 12,000 students, helping the Trust make sure everyone has access to enrichment and extra support when needed. Last year, 77% of students took part in at least one co-curricular activity across 800 clubs. Tracking helps Redhill spot gaps in participation and create targeted programmes, like the ‘Girls in Sport’ working group and an inclusive sport strategy. The Trust is also piloting a project with the Youth Sport Trust to see how sports bras can boost confidence and participation for under-served students. 

Most significantly, the data shows a clear link between regular participation in co-curricular activities and better attendance. Beyond the playing field, sport and enrichment at Redhill are helping their students to succeed in wider school life. 

Full list of shortlisted entries:

  • Wings School Notts, Nottinghamshire 
  • Wright Robinson College, Manchester 
  • Gifford Primary School, Ealing 
  • Redhill Academy Trust, Nottinghamshire 
  • Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester 
  • Arts and Media School Islington, Islington 
  • Aylesford School, Kent 
  • David Ross Academy Trust, Leicestershire & Lincolnshire 
  • Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, Merseyside 
  • Hayle Academy, Cornwall