Wider Learning Week 2026 - Year 9
Wider Learning Week (WLW) is one of our favourite weeks in school, as students come off their usual timetables to participate in enriching learning experiences—in both familiar and new contexts. Throughout the week, students are challenged, with activities designed to promote wider understanding and develop independence. During the Year 9 week, students selected one pathway and stayed with it all week. Find out more below - this website also has reports on the Year 7, Year 8 and Year 12 weeks.
Codebreaking
The week began with a trip to an escape room in Wandsworth, where students had to work as a team. Throughout the week, students learned about code-breaking through the ages to the present day, as well as enjoying a trip to Central London to visit the immersive spy experience, SpyScape (pictured above). Students finished the week creating their own code-based challenges.
Computing
Students learned about innovative technology, like robotics at Legoland (pictured above), consoles at the Science Museum and gaming at the University of Westminister. They also had a 'learning to code' session at the Apple Store and enjoyed a special Java-based workshop, as well as coding their own Apps in school.
Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award
Year 9 students enrolled on the the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award prepared for their assessed expedition and then spent two nights in the Surrey Hills, putting months of training to good use. The boys showed great resilience in the intense heat to complete their expedition safely.
Engineering
Students conceptualised, designed and then built a working lamp over the week, utilising the school’s specialist equipment including the metal lathe. Students loved getting hands-on with the spray paint. They also visited the Design Museum at the start of the week to get inspiration flowing.
Journalism
Students learned basic journalistic skills before putting them into practice - interviewing students and taking photographs. The boys also enjoyed a trip down the road to Sky, where they used the green screen and created their own short film. Pictured is a student on the other trip to Osterley Park - enjoying a reference to his house's namesake, Robert Adam!
Medical Makers
All activities focused on different aspects of the body - they learned about dentistry as well as skills of dissection, suturing (stitching), and phlebotomy (taking blood, pictured above) on a plastic arm. They also saw real-life specimens at London’s Old Operating Theatre Museum.
Music Production
Students used our Apple Macs to examine the nuts and bolts of producing music. Then, students acted as mentors to Year 5 students from local primary schools, taking the younger students through the process of recording a jingle. The boys also learned about podcasts and beatboxing!
Sports Week
Always popular, this pathway focused on sports that students may not usually play! This included Hounslow Golf as well as tennis at Thisleworth, beach volleyball, trampolining and high ropes to finish the week.