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My activity passport: foreword from the Secretary of State and how to use the activity checklist

Updated 18 January 2019

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Foreword

When I first became Education Secretary, almost a year ago, I went around asking everyone I met what they wanted for their children.

The instinctive answer that came back was never about the curriculum or qualifications, vital that these are.

What they wanted first and foremost was for their child to be happy and healthy.

As a father, that’s what I want for my children, and as Education Secretary, that’s what I want for all children in this country.

Of course, I also want them to be safe and cared for, to have a world-class education and to make a successful transition to adulthood, to be fully equipped grown-ups, active members of society and to get a job and be able to provide for themselves and, in time, their own children.

I also want more than that for our children. I want them to lead a fulfilling life. I want them to enjoy learning, to read for pleasure, to be excited by music and drama, to be curious about the world and people around them.

But when we are young, how do we know what we will like, what interests we will have and what challenges we might want to take on?

I regularly hear from teachers that it’s important that children have the chance to try things out, to get a taste of the world around them, to see and do things that they wouldn’t normally do, or go to places they wouldn’t normally go and to meet people they wouldn’t normally meet.

These things are important because a world-class education is about much more than qualifications: it’s also about your character and wellbeing.

We develop our character from taking on challenges and pursuing our interests, by doing things that are worth doing even when they are difficult and which may not give us an immediate reward.

On a visit to St Werburgh’s Primary School earlier this year, I was particularly struck by their activity passport, which was inspired by the National Trust’s ’50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾’ list.

That’s why we have produced this list of activities which we think children will enjoy and can learn from. They may find something they want to come back to again and again, but I hope that, whatever they do, they will enjoy them.

Damian Hinds

Secretary of State for Education 

Using My activity passport

Introduction

Giving young people the opportunity to try new things and develop new skills can be hugely beneficial. It can help children to grow in confidence, expand their understanding of the world around them, or introduce a hobby or passion that could last for years to come.

This is why the Department for Education have published this passport of enrichment activities, based on a version developed by St Werburgh’s Primary School near Bristol.

Whether you are developing something from scratch or want to refresh your current approach, this passport is there to offer ideas and inspiration. Below are some underlying principles that you may find useful when it comes to developing your own pupil enrichment offer.

Locally driven and supporting the community

Every school has its own unique circumstances: different pupils, a different school culture, different local geography, a different community. We know that schools are best placed to choose what works best for them, their pupils and parents, and will want to work collaboratively to identify and make clear which activities are school, parent or pupil-led.

For example, St Werburgh’s Primary School have 20 activities in each year, 15 of which are covered within school and 5 with parents. However, any split is for schools to decide.

This is why we have created the template in a way that can be edited. You can use your school’s characteristics to help adapt and build a distinctive and inspiring range of activities. And also personalise the look and feel of the template to match your school’s branding, adding your own logo.

Feedback from parents tells us this is a good opportunity to involve them in their children’s studies and to help make the activities part of everyday learning at home. Working with pupils and parents to draw up your own list will help ensure everyone is engaged in the process and will help make the activities relevant to pupils and the community they live in.

You can also adapt the activities to your local area and landmarks to encourage children to make the most of their surroundings, develop links with the local community and learn about the history of where they live.

Many schools think about how they might link with local charities or groups to undertake these activities. They identify opportunities to benefit the local community, including through social action. We know that engaging in social action can help pupils build self-confidence, project planning and communication skills.

It can build belief that they can make positive changes for themselves and others. Activities could be focused on promoting the well-being of others or helping the environment. For example, ‘making a film’ could be linked to a cause they care passionately about or raise awareness of a local social issue. Asking the school council which activities they think could best improve the school could be a great starting point.

Relevant to the curriculum

Teachers have told us that making activities relevant to the curriculum helps pupils feel more engaged in the activity and helps them see links between the different topics about which they are studying. This also helps ensure that the activities are age-appropriate.

Collaboration

By building in opportunities for pupils to undertake the activities as part of a group, you can help pupils build positive relationships and work as a team. This will also ensure activities are accessible to everyone.

Understanding the benefits of activities

As you will be aware, helping children to understand the purpose of the activity will build a stronger sense of ownership for the passport that will sustain interest over time. This can be supported by letting them make choices about how and what they do, and by sharing information about the wider context of the activities they are participating in.