Extra-curricular activities

The children and young people at John Chilton School have severe or moderate learning difficulties; many have additional physical and sensory needs. This can affect the chances for them and their families to access social and leisure activities. In addition to a broad, balanced and holistic curriculum, the school aims to support families and the pupils in a variety of ways to enable them to experience a range of enriching activities.

Visits and Visitors

Interesting and engaging visits and visitors are planned to enrich the curriculum and develop links between subjects. These events enable pupils to explore the community facilities available to them.

• < > are welcomed from a variety of backgrounds including art, music, ballet, opera and theatre to extend pupils experiences and support spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of the curriculum. These also aim to promote British Values through increasing tolerance and celebration of other cultures and beliefs.

  Local Trips to shops, parks and facilities such as sports and recycling centres are arranged to promote life skills and independence.

• Day Trips are organised throughout the year. Pupils attend trips that support topics studied in lessons or to take part in sporting activities off site.

• Residential Trips are arranged for groups of pupils during the year to build self-confidence and increase independence skills.

Clubs and Extended Schools

The school offers a range of clubs and activities at lunch time and once a week across the school. The aim is to allow our pupils the same equality of access to provision that pupils in a mainstream school enjoy. Community cohesion is a strength, with outside providers often being involved, such as the Scouting movement through our Beaver unit and PACE through our Boccia club.

Our extended school provision includes a weekly sports club for Key Stage 2 pupils, a Saturday swimming club for secondary pupils and a week’s summer scheme in the summer holidays. These sessions allow pupils to have more independence and social time with their peers and friends in a safe environment; and also the parents to know that their child is safe and that they can use the time to access activities for themselves or other members of the family who as siblings to disabled children/young people, often miss out on parental attention.

Family events

We host a variety of events for students and their families throughout the year.  Such events include transition workshops for students who are looking at post 16 options; we also have assistive technology days to raise awareness about how children and young peoples with special needs can access the curriculum and control their environment.  

We host family events such as discos and barbeques where families can meet each other in a fun, lively and safe environment.