Extra-curricular activities

It is possible to discern a change of approach in the outside world and its attitude towards young people; employment is obviously based primarily on academic achievement, but increasingly there is a desire to employ young people who have also achieved in other fields, be it in music, sport, drama, or any worthy area.

With this in mind, the School provides a range of extra-curricular activities which seek to involve our students, to sharpen their minds and to ensure that they establish skills which will complement their academic learning. The House system is the most obvious example of this and competition between Houses is not restricted simply to the younger boys; in Years 10 and 11 there are a host of sporting, musical, and design competitions, while in Year 10 there is a Young Enterprise competition which allows students to establish and run their own business. Additionally, many boys will be chosen as a Prefect in Year 10, undertaking many crucial roles in the running of the School. The underlying principle is that a student’s involvement will allow him to raise his performance within a competitive environment.

Queen Elizabeth’s School possesses an enviable sporting reputation; in recent years boys have represented England Schools Rugby at both U18 and U16 levels and also England Schools U18,U16 and Great Britain Juniors at water polo. The water polo teams have won national titles and, along with the swimming teams, regularly compete in national finals. Rugby XVs and VIIss continue to compete at a high level, with boys representing their country, division and county. Cricket, Athletics and Cross-country enjoy regular team and individual representation at divisional and county level. Eton Fives, Basketball and Tennis field regular teams and the whole representative structure is under-pinned by a strong inter-House system.

Music is an opportunity for students to involve themselves in an enjoyable but disciplined art. A pride in music underpins the School, as can be seen in the frequency and quality of our concerts. Boys in the middle school have the opportunity not just to play, but to lead as they move from training band to concert band, from understudy to lead part. Our facilities in the Friends’ Music Rooms give ample opportunity and practice in the search for excellence and the School’s attainment of status as a specialist music school will give us further future opportunities in this respect.

A range of clubs and societies are available for the students both at lunchtime and after School; debating, art, electronics, chess, wargames, Testament (bible study), poetry are open to all pupils along with many others; a full list of their availability and timings is available at the start of the Autumn Term. As students mature, they move from being participants in these clubs to being leaders, helping and inspiring young boys as they do. Their role in leading younger boys within the School is essential.

The School looks to reward boys for their involvement at all levels; each form has a class captain and a deputy (form manager in Year 11) , students are nominated as coach captains, games captains and librarians; these are all responsibilities which we see as important. Nor are they there so that students can be a ‘CV filler’; they are there so that students can develop leadership and teamwork skills which are so important in later life. Other responsibilities include the mentoring of younger boys, assisting at homework clinics and being prefect assistants when the prefect body is on study leave. Responsibility comes early at this School and it is the individual’s task to take it.

At Queen Elizabeth’s School we are seeking to make our students able, confident and responsible. Extra-curricular activities allow all students to develop these attributes and to form a skills base which will be vital to them in the future. What is equally important is that they play a large part in the formation of the individual personality. They also represent the fact that education must be challenging, stretching but also exciting and enjoyable. The Elizabethan identity is underpinned by a belief in challenge and achievement. It is in this area of School life that every student can contribute, lead and succeed.

^ Top