What we do as a school beyond the classroom is very much a reflection of our motto to, ‘Be a part of society, not apart from it’.
For example, our school is involved in the city's annual Pride parade at the pupils' request. The school's float is also a team effort: Pupils and teachers design and build the float, banners and placards. Our Dance School choreographs a piece for the parade, and our Swing Band assemble on the float to play live music as we make our way through the city.
The curriculum at the College is enriched with an extensive range of clubs and activities, with opportunities for every pupil to get involved. They can take part in our Combined Cadet Forces, participate in sports leadership courses, and develop skills in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme, for example.
We also regularly remind our pupils that they can make a difference in society – and that they have the tools, strengths and confidence to make the world a better place. This includes the school's Make a Difference Day, where we join forces with local charities to help with tasks and projects, which can include anything from caring for rescue animals, to hosting music events at care homes, or helping manage local woodlands.
Our Brigh10 Lecture series gives pupils the opportunity hear from a vast range of high-profile speakers throughout the academic year, all of whom are experts in their respective fields. A diverse and engaging range of speakers enrich our academic learning and challenge our pupils to consider new ideas and concepts.
Opportunities for academic travel, both local and international, complement and enhance our pupils’ learning. The first-hand experience pupils gain on these trips enables them to acquire an invaluable mix of knowledge, skills and understanding across a broad range of subject areas, as well as, ultimately, a wider world perspective.
Each year, we visit the former concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, for example, to encourage our pupils to consider, and learn from, the events of World War II and draw parallels between the extremism that facilitated the creation of the camps and the threats posed by extremism in our own time.
