Enrichment at Hathershaw College
We have seen some fantastic artwork this year through curriculum-linked enrichment opportunities and our Comino partnership. Pupils across all year groups have been involved in exciting trips and experiences outside the usual classroom setting. This marks the second successful year of our partnership with the Comino Foundation, and we are incredibly proud of the opportunities it continues to provide. As the only school in Oldham working with the Foundation, our students have enjoyed unforgettable experiences, including visiting the Houses of Parliament, learning about the Nolan Principles with Nikki Frith, and designing and creating gardens at RHS Bridgewater.
Students recently visited the Ai Weiwei exhibition at Aviva Studios, working with Factory artists beforehand to develop their understanding of activism, critical thinking, and teamwork. Year 8 and 9 students explored the motivations behind Ai Weiwei's work and his role as an activist. Year 10 Fine Art students also made their annual visit to the Manchester Metropolitan University degree shows, celebrating the achievements and talents of final-year students at Manchester School of Art.
GCSE Art and Photography students also visited The Manchester Museum, exploring the South Asia Galleries, Living Worlds and Nature Discovery. Photography students captured the museum's striking architecture and the animals in the vivariums as inspiration for their coursework.
Our Year 10 students showed exceptional commitment to the RHS project, working alongside professional gardeners in all weathers to cultivate thriving gardens. Their hard work was rewarded with a fantastic harvest, new skills and lasting memories.
Another highlight has been our Poet in Residence programme, delivered in partnership with the Manchester Poetry Library and Manchester Metropolitan University. Year 7 students explored cultural organisations, developed their creative writing and produced original poetry. We are delighted to celebrate 30 published poets in Year 7.
Our musicians attended the annual MiSST Residential at Gresham's School, where they spent three days developing their instrumental skills, learning new repertoire and performing alongside students from across the country. We were especially proud of one of our Year 9 students, who became the first from our school to receive a MiSST Residential award, recognised for their leadership, resilience and independence.
We were very pleased to be invited to participate in a Comino pilot project with Access sport at Summit up in Oldham. This project developed Sports Leadership skills in Year 7 students. As the sessions progressed, it was clear that the pupils were growing in confidence and every single one of our students reached the very top several times.
“I could not believe how high I climbed today. That was my best. I tied a knot with the instructor and we used it to climb and it worked. It's been really good again today and my confidence is getting better and I'm climbing higher.”
Year 7 pupil
Finally, for the second time our Year 10’s attended The McCanns summer at Bonis Hall. Students worked alongside professionals who design and lead powerful national and worldwide campaigns. The company presented their innovative industry insights and set the teams a brief to respond to. We visited professional studios and pitched our ideas to Vimto executives. Our ideas were creative and whilst we didn't win this year we came away with industry experience, a confidence boost and a sense of pride in what we achieved over the 2 days.
EPA Enrichment 2026
