Co-Curricular Programme 2021-2022
Co-Curricular
Developing a programme of opportunities and experiences that dovetail with our Academic and Pastoral provision, where the children can explore, discover and enjoy a wide range of activities is part of the real joy of working in a Prep School. Harnessing this enthusiasm for learning of both the teachers and pupils is key to any successful co-curricular programme and at The Prep, we are fortunate indeed. The wide range of activities on offer here is extraordinary with over 100 activities taking place within the school week, outside of the timetable! The challenges of programming and then guiding the pupils down a balanced path is crucial and a big task, but a task that is certainly worth it and one that is fundamental to our offering. The joy of learning and the opportunities for us as a school to nurture interest and develop core values such as kindness, perseverance and awareness, in each and every pupil, is a really enjoyable and important process and aim for us as a school. As such, we hope that this handbook helps to outline our CoCurricular programme and the processes involved in signing up for the multitude of activities taking place.
Huw Thomas Director of Operations and Co-Curricular
Core Areas Art We provide a diverse, stimulating experience of art making, and the appreciation of artistic expression throughout history, offering opportunities for all pupils to gain skills, develop their personalities and discover their talents. Children are able to use a variety of painting techniques, drawing, clay modelling, sculpture, printmaking, photography, image manipulation and animation, in addition to studying History of Art. We aim to stimulate a passion for the subject whilst encouraging independent thinking. We believe that enthusiasm, curiosity and experimentation are key learning tools for the development of our pupils. Every child from Year 1 to Year 8 exhibits artwork through a programme of exhibitions Artist of the week is an initiative to promote art in the school and is celebrated in assembly We offer two clubs as part of our Saturday programme We run a practical art session for parents every Lent Term The Art department offers regular drop in sessions during break times Our School Art exhibition take place annually at the end of the Trinity Term and every child in the School is represented by a piece of their own artwork • • • • • •
Drama All children in Years 3-8 have a weekly class of Drama. The focus of the subject is to develop their personal confidence and communication skills through exploring a variety of situations. They will also use creativity in problem solving whilst learning a range of performance strategies and techniques. Each year group has a standalone production each year, alternating between plays and musicals and they are a highlight of the school calendar. Weekly Speech and Drama lessons are available for children in the older years of the school. They have the opportunity to take two examinations per year, developing poetry and prose, and acting skills.
Music All children have a weekly class music lesson. In addition, there are instrumental and choral groups in which children may become involved, alongside performances throughout the year, including assemblies, concerts and weekly recitals. Our ensembles include a barbershop for boys, girls’ vocal group, jazz bands, trios, orchestras and the Dixieland band. Our pupils benefit from joint musical opportunities with the Sherborne senior schools. We also offer opportunities for pupils to receive individual tuition on a number of instruments with our peripatetic music staff. Please note there is an additional cost for this.
Sport and Physical Education The main sports for boys are rugby in the Michaelmas term, hockey in the Lent term and cricket in the Trinity term. The main sports for girls are hockey in the Michaelmas term; netball in the Lent term; and cricket in the Trinity term. All children from Reception to Year 6 have a weekly swimming lesson. Years 7-8 swim on a half termly rota. Strong swimmers are invited to join the Senior or Junior Squad. All pupils from Nursery through to Year 6 also have weekly Physical Education lessons. Years 7-8 have Physical Education on a half termly rotation with Swimming. During the year we screen all pupils in Years 3-8 as part of our collaboration with Functional Movement Systems (FMS UK). This will help us to provide a personalised programme of work as we look to develop functional movement and physical literacy across all of our pupils.
Matches Matches are usually held on Tuesdays for Years 3-4, and Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons for Years 5-8. Parents are encouraged to support their children in matches and tournaments and enjoy match teas after home matches.
Outdoor Learning This is run in the stunning Sherborne Castle Estate grounds, a beautiful 22 acre mixed-leaf woodland just a stone's throw (or a short bus ride!) from the school campus! In Pre-Prep much of the learning takes place outdoors and each class in Year 3 and Year 4 spends a 7-8 week block of timetabled sessions in the woods. The children enjoy a range of activities such as fire lighting using a fire steel, cooking snacks around an open fire, sawing, whittling and den building. Children's skills are developed carefully with small manageable steps, to build confidence and develop their ability to understand and assess risk.
Break times As is to be expected, we make the most of the break times on offer at the school. Music ensembles and choirs tend to have priority during these slots but we also offer sporting clinics and Yoga as examples of other sessions. Equally, pupils of all ages enjoy our traditional School game of Four Square and pupils are rarely off the marked out four square courts!
Optional Activities We have a wide-ranging, broad activity programme which takes place after school and on Saturday mornings. The programme offers freedom of choice however we provide guidance in order to ensure breadth in our pupils’ outlook. As a school, we are looking to develop well-rounded pupils who are independent, creative, resilient and active.
Saturday Activities The majority of our extra-curricular breadth is delivered through our Saturday morning activity programme. Saturday mornings offer a more relaxed, less formal and flexible programme for our pupils where home clothes are worn by all. It is an optional programme of three, hour-long sessions for the day pupils, who sign up a term in advance for their chosen activities. Boarders are expected to attend. The programme changes termly although the popular activities will often run all year around. Whilst the vast majority of the activities are free, some sessions do carry an additional cost due to specialist teaching and/or equipment.
Enrichment Programme Our enrichment programme runs from 17.10-18.00 on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The main aim of this programme is to provide after school care with a focus on academic enrichment in addition to a broader offering which includes some Musical and Sporting activities. Pupils sign up a term in advance but can also opt in on a daily basis. Please be aware that some of the sessions are invite only and some sessions are limited in capacity. There is an additional cost of £3.60 per enrichment session, which will be placed on the school bill at the end of term and some sessions are run by external providers which may require an additional charge.
Flexible Boarding We recognise that our parents lead incredibly busy lives and offer a flexible approach to boarding. The occasional evening is a popular option amongst our pupils who may arrive back late from matches, a concert and/or whose parents may simply be away! Our pupils enjoy the opportunity of staying over in our boarding house and we actively encourage pupils to do so through a programme of activities and themed nights where pupils develop independence, confidence and build friendships. Pupils can book Weekly or Regular boarding directly through our Housemaster, Mr Chiappa-Patching on a first come, first served basis. Many of our pupils board for a few nights each week on a regular basis. Please be aware that the cost of Enrichment, Tea and Breakfast is incorporated into the Flexi- boarding fee. Overnight stays on a Saturday evening, may well include additional costs for activities and extra meal times.
Pre-Prep We offer a tailored series of musical/sporting and academic activities to the younger members of our community, details of these are available through the Head of our Pre-Prep, Mrs Berry.