Class dismissed

Independent school life isn’t defined by stellar exam results alone. The extracurricular and cocurricular activities on offer get pupils thinking outside the box, enabling them to truly flourish, writes Charlotte Phillips

For parents considering an independent school for their child, one of the major attractions is the sheer variety and richness of opportunities in and out of the classroom. Different schools have slightly different ways of describing what’s on offer but the main terms you’ll come across are curriculum, co- or extracurricular activities and – perhaps – even the super-curriculum.

Curricular activities encompass the timetabled subjects that every ‘educated citizen’ as the government nicely puts it, needs to know.

Extracurricular activities, such as music, enrich the school experience

Co-curricular and extracurricular activities cover just about everything else – a cornucopia of clubs, societies and activities, so varied, numerous and extensive that they generally spill over into break or lunch times as well as taking place before or after school.

As Adam Greenwood, Headmaster at South London prep, The Pointer School – which runs more than 50 different clubs and societies each week – explains: “Our expectation is that this is something [all the] children [will] experience and it’s very much seen as part of the school life.”

Last, but definitively not least, comes the super curriculum. How it works – and, indeed, what it’s called, varies from school to school, but it’s often used to define any activity that drills down into an area of learning in depth.

It enables pupils with an interest in a particular subject or area to take their passion well beyond the curriculum, developing skills that will enable them to flourish not just at school, but at university and the workplace. It might involve independent research, hearing from outside speakers or gaining vital

Elstree School, Berkshire

additional experience that can be so important for those aiming for places on highly competitive courses, such as medicine.

“For us, it’s very much about providing that holistic education, and there are so many di erent aspects which go into supporting a student to be able to develop themselves,” says Dan Machin, Acting Principal at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate in Yorkshire. “[While] the curriculum is a very important part [of this], it’s only a part of what matters.”

At Wellington College in Berkshire, there’s been a conscious decision to ensure that no aspect of learning exists in isolation. Everything’s connected, says Tim Head, Deputy Director of Admissions and Teacher of English. “We didn’t like the thought that the curriculum was something you did in the classroom and was entirely de ned by syllabuses laid down by exam boards.”

Instead, it’s about “making it clear to everybody that it was a total experience,” he says. Every aspect of learning is “absolutely embedded and central to the learning experience”.

At a time when young people face a future that’s unknowable, schools are in the best possible position to make educated guesses (pun intended) about the skills that are likely to be in demand. e way that all these di erent aspects of education – curricular, co- and extracurricular, and super-curricular – are interwoven will give pupils the best possible opportunity to succeed in their future lives.

“Technology is changing the way we live and work, just as the industrial revolution (did) 250 years ago,” says Graham Spawforth, Headmaster at Ditcham Park School. As employers’ needs have changed through the subsequent decades and centuries, what – and how – children learn has continued to evolve.

Creativity is an essential skill for the future

creativity, something that will be increasingly sought a er by employers. “ e curriculum at my school is very much geared towards digital, technological and creative skills because we see these skills sets as being key to equipping our young people with all that they need to thrive in 21st century,” says Graham Spawforth.

Pupils at the school have listened to a senior representative from Google talk about what really matters when he’s interviewing potential recruits – namely creativity. Pupils have also helped launch a space balloon 35 metres above the earth’s surface and made – and raced – their own car at Goodwood. ere’s a similar wealth of opportunity elsewhere, ensuring that every bright, curious child is able to set out on a voyage of discovery that enables them to follow their dreams. At Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, pupils with an interest in engineering worked with university academics to build a 20-metre suspension bridge. “ ey had to work out the mechanics of it and the weight distribution. It was a really practical way of teaching them the subject in a way that you wouldn’t necessarily get from your core physics or maths curriculum,” says Dan Machin. “It’s going to develop your interest and enthusiasm, potentially contribute towards your subject knowledge and your ability to perform in an exam – but it’s really about getting that broader knowledge and taking that forward.”

At Wellington College, in addition to a multitude of clubs, societies and groups includes a pupil-run radio station called – what else? – Duke Box, there’s a drive towards a more collaborative approach to learning. Pupils may carry out research before a lesson, gather round a large table and work together to nd the answer to the problem that they’ve

Schools are starting to measure success outside of the classroom

been set. “Their research enables them all to contribute to the discussion,” says Tim Head.

Other schools are also rethinking their approach to learning. This September, year seven and eight pupils at Sheffield Girls’ will follow the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) which celebrates achievement both within and outside the formal learning environment. This will range from attending clubs, entering challenges and volunteering, to holding positions of responsibility, encouraging others, expressing opinions in groups, independent study, setting targets and volunteering.

“Alongside subject knowledge and skills, the PSB celebrates the development of transferable skills that will help the girls succeed at school and beyond – reflecting one of our school’s aims – to future-proof our girls for a changing world,” says Head, Nina Gunson.

Young though they may be, pupils at The Pointer School are flourishing academically and broadening the learning experience as they go. Year two pupils have relished a fully immersive project on chocolate, covering everything from where it comes from to the economics of getting it to the shops – plus making and packaging their own. The school is also rearing chess champions – they’re currently ranked third in the country.

Ultimately, it’s the ability to provide a flexible, joined-up and rich experience, spanning everything from lessons to independent research, and bring it all together effectively that makes independent schools so successful, thinks Adam Greenwood. “We can take a much more interesting approach to what you’re learning – and it’s appealing.”

• Tech enthusiasts at Ditcham Park

School proved comprehensively that the sky’s not the limit with a space balloon that soared 35 km above the earth’s surface. • 50 Pointer School pupils, the

• Middle school pupils at Queen

Ethelburga’s Collegiate plan a takeover of an historic chateau for a cross-curricular project spanning team building and leadership challenges.