Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have a weekly Hurst4Life lesson. The Hurst4Life programme provides opportunities for all pupils to enrich their education beyond the curriculum. It focusses on five key areas:
1. Wellbeing
Pupils have the chance to explore strategies for mindfulness, learn yoga and to promote positive mental health.
2. Living in a wider world
Knowing the world around us, with all its political, cultural, and social complexities, is essential. Through the Votes for Schools programme, pupils engage with current affairs, explore important issues, and learn to question ideas thoughtfully. They also spend time around the beautiful Hurst campus, developing an appreciation for the natural world and all living things. In addition, pupils enjoy cookery lessons and learn practical life skills, such as sewing and folding their clothes, helping them grow into confident and capable young people.
3. Communication and presentation skills
This is a vital skill in all areas of Hurst, but it is within the Hurst for Life programme that pupils have a bespoke opportunity to talk, listen and learn from others and their experiences. Pupils in each year group work on their presentation skills, culminating in the The Year 6 Project, a mini-EPQ (extended project).
4. Digital literacy
For our pupils, information technology is woven into the fabric of everyday life. The programme provides opportunities such as touch typing to fully prepare them for the future.
5. Community and voluntary participation
We aim to help our pupils understand how individuals can make a meaningful difference to local, national, and global issues. It is important that they recognise how their own lives may differ from the lives of others, and how they can play an active role in making positive change. Pupils visit nursing homes, raise awareness and funds for local charities, and take part in community initiatives that encourage empathy, responsibility, and social engagement.
Swimming
The ultimate skill for life. We take our responsibility to make sure every pupil in our care learns to swim very seriously. But after that, our brand new, 25m pool is somewhere to have a lot of fun!
