Enrichment Programme
Harris Academy Rainham runs a broad Enrichment Programme to provide all students with an opportunity to participate in a fulfilling variety of activities to support their personal development and become their best.
Enrichment is intended to serve students well throughout their secondary school journey and beyond. Through termly choices, students have the flexibility to tailor the depth and breadth of their enrichment experience.
Extra-curricular sport
At the Academy, we run a range of extra-curricular sports clubs to appeal to a range of different sporting interests. Our extra-curricular sports have a range of benefits, not only aiding physical health and mental wellbeing but also team-work skills, discipline, and competitive spirit.
There is student demand for extra-curricular sports at the Academy and we are proud to offer a broad variety of sports-based clubs.
Students are given opportunities to trial out for selected sports teams such as netball and football and represent the Academy in Borough sports and Harris Federation sports competitions.
Examples of extra-curricular sports that we offer in the academic year are:
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Trampolining
- Football
- Netball
- Dance
- Health & Fitness Club
- Cricket
- Athletics
Clubs
At the Academy, we pride ourself on offering a broad and varied provision of extra-curricular clubs and societies. Our values state that we help our students become ‘profoundly human’. Our extra-curricular provision helps our students fulfil this. They give our students the opportunity to become resilient, confident, curious and ambitious. They give our students an opportunity to socialise with peers outside of their class groups. They are a set of experiences that take students beyond the traditional curriculum studied in lessons and increase the powerful knowledge that our students are exposed to. We believe that all students are entitled to participate in extra curricular activities and that participating in a club or society is an essential experience at HAR. Clubs take place both during lunch time and after school and we strongly encourage your child to sign up to our broad offer.
Harris Experience
The Harris Experience is a programme for the most able secondary school students across the Harris Federation. It broadens students’ cultural and academic experiences to give them outstanding preparation for some of the country’s top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
Students are exposed to a wide range of cultural experiences including special events at Christie’s auctioneers, visits to the Royal Opera House, science events at Imperial College and bespoke lectures at the University of Oxford. Find out more about the Harris Experience.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Students at Harris Academy Rainham have the opportunity to gain a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the world’s leading achievement award for young people. For the past seven decades, the charity has inspired and transformed the lives of millions of young people from all walks of life - encouraging young people to develop confidence, independence, commitment, leadership, and teamwork.
Young people have to complete three sections - volunteering, physical activities and life skills - but everyone’s programme can be different depending on own interests. You will also complete an expedition involving orienteering with a map, cooking and camping in a team.
Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a passport to a brighter future, valued by employers and universities. Any student at Harris Academy Rainham can enrol on to the Bronze level award from the age of 14 (Year 9).
Jack Petchey Foundation
Established in 1999, the Jack Petchey Foundation makes grants to programmes and projects that benefit young people aged 11-25. There are nine awards per academic year from September to June and all award winners celebrate their achievements at an awards ceremony which is held in November. Students are nominated and winners chosen by their peers.
Each winner receives £250 which goes to the department of their choice to buy something for the school, for example books, a special trip for a club, or an addition to the playground.
The Jack Petchey Foundation exists to raise the aspirations of young people, to help them take advantage of opportunities and play a full part in society.
Essential experiences
At HAR, we recognise that for students to aspire and be successful academically and in the wider areas of their lives, they need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital. Cultural capital gives a student power. It helps them achieve goals, become successful, and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital.
