We are delighted to be chosen as Runner-Up in the People Development Award at the recent East Suffolk Business & Community Awards. Thank you to ESBCA for hosting a great event and many congratulations to the winners Student Life.
The People Development Award is open to any group or individual, including businesses, schools and clubs. The winner has to demonstrate a culture that promotes learning, focusing on talent and performance as well as encouraging open communication about development needs.
Below is our submission:
Framlingham College is committed to helping all Senior and Prep School pupils achieve excellence in every aspect of their lives. This means we focus not only upon providing a first-class education; we’re also determined to deliver a balanced programme of enrichment; developing the soft skills vital for today’s world.
Our enrichment programme encourages pupils of all ages to acquire new skills, interests and experiences – all within the context of a well-balanced, holistic education. These co-curricular activities – including sport, art and technology, music and drama – help to shape the whole child, not just prepare an examination candidate.
From Years 3 to 13, pupils have several timetabled opportunities each week to try out over 150 skill-based activities. This rich and varied “Learning for Life” programme includes sessions in drama, ballet, gardening, fencing, cookery, coding, critical thinking, drone flying, debating and Model United Nations.
From Years 9 to 11, these skill-based activities take place on two afternoons a week.
All Year 9 pupils take part in the Bronze DofE Award and can choose to continue on the scheme as they progress through school. Taking part helps pupils to push personal boundaries and gain new skills, while also helping to demonstrate sustained commitment.
Typically pupils work towards their Bronze Award in Years 9 and 10, the Silver Award in Year 11 and the Gold Award during the Sixth Form. Each level gets progressively harder providing increasingly greater challenges. Participants must select and complete objectives in the following areas: Volunteering, Physical Activity, Skill Activity, Expedition and (for Gold Dof E participants) Residential.
In Year 10, Volunteering involves participation in the Framlingham Community Service Programme or the College’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
The College’s proud tradition of inclusivity ensures that almost all pupils take part in after-school Games’ team practices once a week. This counts as a Physical Activity towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as do the host of other sports activities on offer. Pupils who have music or LAMDA lessons can count them as a Skill Activity.
The school also arranges cultural, educational and recreational visits – as well as journeys of discovery. In addition, we host debates, organise visiting speakers, and encourage societies and musical performances all adding to the individual personal development of each child.
Given the demands of AS and A Levels, Sixth Form pupils make their own decisions about their level of commitment to the enrichment programme. However, we strongly urge them to participate in some form, and they all continue to have compulsory timetabled sessions in sport and exercise.
We are very proud to announce that we have just been named as the top Duke of Edinburgh provider in Suffolk. From 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 Framlingham College achieved an amazing 144 awards – higher than any other state school or independent school in Suffolk. Nationally, Framlingham’s high success rate puts the school in the top 15 in the country – and in the top 5 on a per capita basis.
