The nature & happiness club was led by biology teacher and keen gardener, Catherine Keshishian, who shared her passion for finding comfort and happiness in the natural world. Throughout the term, students visited London locations with hidden natural wonders, and were encouraged to explore the area around them. They discovered new plant and animal species in rooftop gardens, parks, Cody Dock Nature Reserve and other exciting, biodiverse locations.

Year 12 student Sofia enjoyed the nature & happiness club especially because of the chance to visit these green spaces, saying, "I discovered that there was a lot of biodiversity in London, much more than I expected. This was quite eye opening for me since moving here from the countryside, I always had low expectations for urban biodiversity."

Students learned how to use the apps Seek and Merlin to identify the plants and wildlife around them, and enjoyed the chance to practise identifying different plants and animals. The photo below shows the app Seek identifying lichen the club found growing on the pavement in the park. Catherine says, "People thought it was just dirty old chewing gum, but it’s actually alive! A symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae."

LAE hosts a range of clubs as part of its co-curricular programme, ensuring students can practice skills beyond their studies, and discover new hobbies and interests.

Throughout spring term, students have been taking part in weekly clubs led by staff. They range from games clubs, such as Bridge and Poker, to areas of potential future academic enquiry such as criminology and linguistics.