Students at a Sutton Coldfield school have been trying their hands at everything from forensic science to cheerleading thanks to a ground-breaking idea designed to enrich their school lives.

Every other Wednesday, pupils at John Willmott School put away their school books for the afternoon to learn new skills in ‘enrichment days’.

The two-hour sessions, which are organised by staff members and experts who come into school, give youngsters an opportunity to try a broader range of activities in addition to their academic options.

John Willmott is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, which won Large Business of the Year at the 2019 Sutton, Lichfield and Tamworth Chambers of Commerce awards

Head of sixth form Terri-Anne Richards said: “We wanted to ensure that the children are having experiences outside of the classroom that aren’t just subject based.

“So, once a fortnight, we suspend the timetable for the afternoon. First, we asked the teaching staff if they had any hobbies or skills that they would like to share and then we also asked the students to pick what they would like to learn, from a range of 40 activities.

“It has been incredibly successful – the students love it.”

Pupils can learn how to ‘up-cycle’ – decorating and restoring old furniture - or change a tyre during bike maintenance.

An environmental group is cleaning up the school’s pond, while young gardeners are tending to the grounds. Sports from football to cycling to darts are available, while performance skills are covered by a Glee club, dance group, drumming lessons and cheerleading.

Wellbeing is promoted through meditation and mindfulness sessions, while students can try out new languages including Latin,  Urdu and Polish. There is even a class in forensic science for budding crime busters.

Headteacher Tracy Peters said: “The enrichment days are about developing a student’s cultural capital, with pupils trying activities and experiences that they wouldn’t necessarily try otherwise.

“It’s also about continuing to offer a really enriching curriculum, after children have chosen their options in year 8. We want to ensure that all students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum with access to the arts and music while sharing and celebrating the hobbies and skills of our staff.

“We hope that these sessions will encourage our students to take up new hobbies in the future providing genuine life-long learning.”

Pictured: Youngsters at John Willmott learn about solving crimes through forensic science as part of the school’s ‘enrichment days’ scheme