Music, Drama, Sport, the Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh, Service, and Activities & Societies form the bedrock of the Co-Curricular experience at Bradfield.
The programme aims to develop skills, experiences and self-reliance within the pupils at the College, allowing them to pursue their passions, be challenged, and have the opportunity to try out new activities.
Along with the ‘home from home’ experience within the Boarding Houses and the core academic purpose of the College, it provides a vital third pillar to every pupil’s time at the College.
The Co-Curricular programme gives real opportunities for pupils to take a lead, take responsibility for their activity, for them to positively build enthusiasm for their chosen pursuit, and build a passion for life.
‘Co’ rather than ‘Extra’ Curricular, for it forms a core part of the College experience, not just an extra only for those who are interested. Each day of the week the College sets time aside for co-curricular activity. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there are no afternoon lessons and pupils are expected to make a significant commitment to theco-curricular programme.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, there is an hour and a half of co-curricular time before tea, where again, pupils are expected to be involved in an activity. Music ensembles also take place in the early evening and Societies generally start at 8.15pm.
The programme develops from the prescriptive routine in the Faulkner’s year, through to a more pupil driven experience by the Sixth Form. It is designed to develop pupils’ skills through proactive engagement, enabling them to complete their Bradfield Diploma qualification successfully by the end of the Fifth Form. Through the activities on offer pupils need to show varying degrees of ambition, curiosity, determination and self-awareness, skills so vital for preparation for life outside the College.
In addition, the co-curricular programme gives real opportunities for pupils to take a lead, take responsibility for their activity, for them to positively build enthusiasm for their chosen pursuit, and build a passion for life.
Pupils reach excellent levels of achievement in the College’s extensive range of co-curricular activities. The broad and balanced curriculum is highly successful in providing a breadth and depth of experience beyond the classroom that inspires pupils to identify and develop their own interests.
2015 ISI Inspection Report
Ultimately, pastoral support within Houses, academic momentum within the classroom and this area of co-curricular go hand in hand towards developing and nurturing a pupil’s all-round talents, skills, awareness, drive, enthusiasms and achievements.
In a world where future progress is often influenced by the quality of the person or individual, I would urge all Bradfield pupils to move towards a more dynamic and flexible approach to their co-curricular programme. Engaging in areas of interest but also developing a range of skills and experience are vital tools to any pupils success in competing in the ever competitive outside world.
Through the performing arts, sport, charity and personal development activities. Bradfield pupils are enriched and more experienced in dealing with issues of personal and social development, team building and leadership. Education is about developing oneself and learning to work with others, showing respect, integrity and tolerance to all.
Real education is about much more than absorbing knowledge. It’s about learning to get on with people, it’s about picking up useful experience from the mistakes and triumphs of others, it’s about having the rougher edges knocked off by rubbing up against peers who are not tactful or fearful of telling you that you got it wrong, it’s about discovering the joys and perils of human socialisation.
