The importance of Hinterland

The amount of cultural, academic and character capital a child has can impact how much they get from their lessons at school.

Due to differing circumstances and backgrounds, children inevitably come to the classroom with disparate life experiences and different levels of cultural capital.

Paradigm is committed to levelling this playing field, ensuring all pupils have access to high quality experiences, which is why Hinterland is offered to every student at Ipswich Academy, regardless of background. The experiences link directly into our curriculum and include high quality drama, sport and music activities.

The wide range of activities gives students an experience of independence and to overcome challenges. Pupils develop their ability to work as a team, to learn from each other and to solve problems.

How you can help

We believe we must provide these life-changing opportunities to all our pupils, irrespective of their parents’ ability to make contributions towards their cost, and we have drawn on our financial reserves to cover the losses, so no child misses out. However, education budgets are stretched tighter than ever, threatening our ability to run Hinterland.

This is why we are seeking additional funding so we can continue to offer diverse and life changing opportunities to all students at Ipswich Academy.

If you would like to discuss how you can support the Hinterland programme and help provide local children with experiences that can improve their education, and in turn their chances of leading a fulfilling life as a productive member of society, please get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Hinterland for?
Hinterland is offered to all pupils at Paradigm schools, regardless of background from nursery to year 11. The experiences link directly into our curriculum and includes high quality drama, sport and music activities.

Why is it needed?

Success in life requires further study and Hinterland aims to provide extra experiences and opportunities for growth, ambition and understanding, often reaching beyond the classroom.

How does it work with the curriculum?

All activities are assessed for their educational value. Everything is brought back to the classroom, and the teachers spend a lot of time unpacking and exploring it to ensure maximum value is drawn out of every experience.

What sort of activities are included?

Hinterland is a curriculum of thought-through systematic experiences which include going to a cathedral, visiting television studios, residentials, seeing a play at a theatre, going to the Imperial War Museum, going to a large sport event and other activities which prove beneficial to student’s learning.

Who benefits from Hinterland? 

First and foremost, the students gain from the programme, both in the amount of cultural capital they build, and in the resulting boost to their studies. Teachers can explore topics in more depth and bring subjects to life more effectively. And when the students enter the workforce employers gain better educated workers.