St Augustine's Academy

Where we all shine

Extended Curriculum

To broaden our children's learning experience, we invite a wide range of engaging visitors to our school and take our children on a host of exciting trips and visits.  In addition, we  take part in a range of projects and initiatives, and enter our children in local competitions.  All of these activities and events enable our children to learn from first hand experience about the wonderful and diverse world we live in; they promote a sense of awe and wonder and help our children to find their interests and talents, and develop ambition.

In 2019, we were able to bring an international dimension to our school.   For the first time, some of our Year 4 pupils joined with children and staff from Caddington and Slip End Village Schools on a trip to Grundschule, Eitorf in Germany.  The  children spent 3 days joining their German friends in lessons and exploring the local town.  It really was a trip of a lifetime!  We still have links with the school and hope to carry out visits again.

Transition is another important aspect of preparing our pupils for the future.  Trips, competitions and engagement with local schools and pre-schools, help our children to form friendships with other local children, meet possible future teachers and takes some of the fear of change away.

While planning our Curriculum offer, the school carried out a Curriculum Survey with parents and an Experiences Questionnaire with pupils to find out which experiences the school could offer to best meet the needs of our pupils.   New trips to London to see the sites and trips on public transport have already been introduced as a direct result of our questionnaire outcomes.

Below, is a list of some of our trips and experiences:

       

Projects 

NEW* Vocabulary Velociraptors - A Building Back Better project with The Schools of Tomorrow Fellowship

The 'HELLO' Project with The Schools of Tomorrow Fellowship  - Developing  Communication Skills in the Early Years

 The CHILL (Children's Health in London and Luton) Project - Investigating Air Pollution in our area and the effect it has on our children's health

 Reading Fluency Project - Year 6 project with CBC

  

Trips and Visits

Whipsnade Zoo - Year 1

NEW* Mead Open Farm - Year 1

 Affinity Water - Year 2

 Kew Gardens - Year 3

Queen's Park Faith Tour - Years 3 and 4

Hazard Alley - Years 3 and 4

 Grundschule, Eitorf in Germany  - Year 4

Stockwood Park - Year 4

 London Site Seeing - Public Transport - Year 4

 London Eye and The Tate Modern - Public Transport - Year 5

NEW* Science Fair at St Albans Abbey - Year 5

Rock UK - Year 6

 The PAD End of Year Showcase - Years 4, 5 and 6

 Cinema Visit - Years 2, 3, 4 and 5

  

Competitions

 Times Tables Challenge - Using the Flurrish App,  local schools competed to find the times tables champions

Britain in Bloom - WINNERS in 2022 

Anglia in Bloom - WINNERS in 2022 and 2023

Dunstable in Bloom - WINNERS in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023- 'Best School Garden'

Bedfordshire Police - WINNERS in 2019 and 2020, and Runners-up in 2021 - 'Bling a Bauble'

  

Visitors

NEW* Photographer - EYFS

NEW* Visiting Artists - EYFS and KS1 

First Aid Schools - Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6

Alternative Sports Day

Junk Orchestra

ZULU Nation - Whole School

 Pantomime - Whole School

Circus Skills - EYFS

Great Fire of London History Day  - Year 2

Farm Visit - Year 1

Dunstable Fire Service - Year 2

Bedfordshire Police - Junior Police Squad - Year 5

Sustrans - Bikeability and Scooterbility - Whole School