Societies and Clubs

A vast range of activities is offered to ensure that our girls have plenty of scope for fun, relaxation and challenge ‘outside the classroom’. All Departments run clubs or societies in the lunch hour, early evening or at the weekend, catering for a wide variety of interests. These will change according to popularity, but this year the following clubs meet regularly:

The Art Club gives all girls the opportunity to try their hand at printing or working with mixed media.

Book Groups: There are three reading groups in College: ‘Spilt Ink’ for years 7 and 8; ‘Middle Earth’ for years 9 and 10 and ‘Read that Book’ for the senior forms. A pre-arranged book list is discussed, with novels that have a theme in common. Discussions range widely through the novels themselves, TV and film adaptation, similar and contrasting stories and strong likes and dislikes. There has been a passionate defence of some authors and wholesale rejection of others. Get-togethers are very informal, mixing critical awareness with the qualities of block buster appeal. Books read recently include Noughts and Crosses, alias grace, The Great Gatsby, The House at Riverton.

The Business Breakfast Club is open to senior girls who are interested in keeping abreast of current affairs. Topics are discussed over a healthy breakfast.

The Chocolate Society is an occasional society for sixth formers – in need of a little comfort after the rigours of A level study. At HLC, we realise that ‘seven days without chocolate makes one weak’.

The Debating Society holds regular weekly meetings, mostly in the autumn term for the seniors (in preparation for competitions) and in the spring for the juniors. The pupils at Harrogate Ladies’ College participate in three of the annual national debating competitions, The Mace, The Cambridge and the Oxford. We also enter the Daniel Nelstrop, a northern schools event. During weekly sessions, the seniors help train the juniors in the use of terms, the format of the debates and building of confidence and style. ‘Room 101’, Balloon debates, the Rebuttal game and other warm up and fun exercises are played, as well as serious competitive debating. The society always welcomes new members.

Drama Workshopis open to girls in the lower school and their work leads to a school production.

The Young Engineers Club is open to girls in year 7 and 8 and meets on Fridays. The main task is to design and build a full size, off road go-kart, powered by a motorbike engine. In preparation for its construction, they cut, drill and file strips of metal, weld them together, get their hands dirty, laugh at barrier cream and discover Swarfega! Finally, they will drive it!

The Food Club speaks for itself. Mmmm – wonderful aromas!

The Geography Society is open to girls in the upper school and deals with contemporary issues.

The History Society is a film club for all.

The Magazine Group is made up of girls from U6 who edit the annual school magazine.

The Music Department: in addition to the school orchestra, there are recorder, string, brass and wind groups, plus 2 choirs: the Chapel Choir and the Gallery Choir.

Muzzle Paths Live is the Maths Department’s ongoing puzzle competition. Girls of all ages can take part, solving a range of different questions, three each month. Points are awarded and eventually prizes. Other extras include the chance to take part in the UK Maths Challenges, both for individuals and the team events. An innovation this year was finding out about World Maths Day where our girls, and those from our prep school, Highfield, competed against pupils all over the world in arithmetic quizzes on line

The PE Department runs weekly clubs in all the school’s main sports.

Pottery Club: A specialist potter demonstrates a range of techniques from modelling and carving, to coiling and slabwork, with pieces decorated using scraffitto, underglazing, oxides and lustres. Work is fired to both earthenware and stoneware temperatures and some projects have involved a sawdust firing and a Raku kiln. Students are encouraged to learn new skills and to attain a high standard and the teaching takes into account ability and age range. Projects have involved making teapots, masks, gargoyles and a range of styles are explored from Art Deco and Art Nouveau to Cubism and Surrealism.

The RS Department invites younger girls to a philosophy club once a week.

Sailing Club takes girls to a Knaresborough club for coaching once a week over two terms. There they learn to sail, fall in, recover, fall, recover, eat fish and chips afterwards and gain their first stage awards.

Saturday Activities are open to all pupils. Activities include rollerblading, pyrography, badminton, squash, cookery, swimming, aerobics, craft, rounders and gymnastics. In some activities, such as martial arts, canoeing and trampolining, girls are encouraged to work towards awards and certificates issued by the sport’s governing body.

The Science Club embraces Biology, Chemistry and Physics: girls design and carry out their own experiment – which is then filmed. Watch this space!

Sculpture Club: Both 2D and 3D skills are explored and work produced aims to bring out the creativity of the individual in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Most of the themes are a group decision and will take into account the needs and skills of the individual student. Projects cover multiple media and past themes have been influenced by Gaudi. Girls have produced mythical animals using modroc and grouted tiles; jewellery; magic lanterns made from wire; stained glass; funky fashion from recyclable materials and a puppet theatre.