Extra Curricular Activities & Clubs

The extensive variety of clubs and extra-curricular activities at S. Anselm’s adds an enriching dimension to school life.  From chess to cookery, drama to den building or fine art to high altitude ballooning, children are eager to immerse themselves in the diverse experiences that are on offer.

Learning and enrichment at S. Anselm’s don’t just stop when lessons finish – far from it.  We offer one of the most extensive programmes of optional clubs, learning extension opportunities, ensembles, sports and activities that complement and extend the many opportunities available to our children in lessontime.  

During a typical weekday there will be extra sports training, music ensembles, study skills sessions and other crafts available at break times and during lunchtime break. 

Competitions that inspire wider interests and learning abound.  In English alone, these include: debating (termly), public reading, creative writing (Michaelmas Term), persuasive writing (Lent Term) and poetry writing (Summer Term) competitions.

Our programme of clubs is renewed and published termly to reflect seasonal activities.  All clubs are optional but are extremely popular, and children sign up at the start of each term, making a termly commitment.  Four club choices are given for each weekday evening.  Some clubs are open to all, some are designed for specific year groups and some have restricted numbers due to safety and/or logistics and operated on a first come, first serve basis, such as sailing and scuba diving.  A timetable of clubs for the current term is available in the parents’ area of our website.  Parents of day pupils are asked to consult this to ensure they are familiar with pick up times for the clubs their children have selected.  Some families also opt to use the flexi boarding option for the nights their children are staying for clubs.

A sample of clubs offered are as follows:

 

  • Advanced Hockey Training (Prep School)

  • Airfix Modelling (Prep School)

  • Board Games (Prep School)

  • Chapel Choir (Senior Prep School – by audition)

  • Chess (Prep School)

  • Cookery (Prep School)

  • Cricket Nets (Prep School)

  • Debating (Prep School)

  • Den Building, Exploring & Team Pursuits (Prep School)

  • Drama (Prep)

  • Engineering Club (Prep School)

  • Fine Arts (Prep School)

  • Football Club (Prep School)

  • Garden Gnomes (Pre-Prep)

  • Gymnastics (Prep School)

  • Indoor Climbing (Prep School)

  • Innovation (Prep School)

  • International Club (Prep School)

  • Junior Choir (Junior Prep School)

  • Junior Science Club (Prep School)

  • LEGO Robotics (Pre-Prep)

  • Mandarin – basic and intermediate (Prep School)

  • Number Crunchers (Prep School)

  • Pottery Club (Pre-Prep and Prep School)

  • Robotics (Prep School)

  • Rock Band (Prep School)

  • Sailing at Carsington Water (Prep School)

  • Self Defence (Prep School)

  • Spanish Club

  • Swim Squad (Prep School)

  • Swing Band (Prep School)

  • Textiles (Prep School)

  • Touch Rugby (Prep School)

  • Ukulele Club (Prep School)

     

Further evening study clubs are also available for pupils working towards Common Entrance.

Other evening activities

In addition to our regular clubs, pupils are also encouraged to participate in and/or attend the many calendar events that take place in the evenings, from Termly Concerts (Michaelmas, Lent and Summer), to Arts Evenings (College) and fascinating talks and lectures given by visiting speakers.  Recent examples include:

  • The Treaty of Versailles 100 Years On,  by Mr Allard, Head of History at Oundle School
  • Moon Landing Anniversary Talk,  by Peter Williamson, Astronomer & BBC Correspondent
  • The Fall of the Berlin Wall 30 Years On, by Mr Pattison, Head of History at Uppingham School

For full time boarders, there are further events and treats including the annual Boarders’ Got Talent evening, the Michaelmas Boarders’ Feast and debating evenings.