Societies and Clubs

Being a boarding school there are many hobbies and activities on offer for the girls’ recreational time in evenings and weekend. They change according to popularity, but at the time of writing they are:

School Council is a pupil-elected body which meets each term to discuss suggestions from all forms Lower 3 to Upper 6. The delegates are the girls who have been voted in as form representatives, assisted by an Upper 6 Prefect with responsibility for that particular form. Matters range from food quality (many and passionate discussions), locker space, socials with “boys of the opposite sex”, number and length of down-towns and so on. The items approved by the Council pass to the Headmaster for his opinion.

Chess Club needs little explanation – small boards in classrooms and big board in the playground.

Sports Clubs are continuations from games lessons. Teams use these to hone their skills for competition. Some girls have gone on to gain national qualifications as lifeguards and lacrosse umpires.

Book Club meets in a lunchtime and girls (particularly juniors) will go and say to the supervising member of English staff “I enjoy books about teachers getting murdered in haunted castles” and her advisor will recommend a book that is well-written, appropriate for her age and which she will enjoy. If the paperback is not in stock it will be ordered for her. We also run a Reading Partner scheme whereby a young girl will read to a senior once a week and will be helped. It also acts as a bonding session: the young one can ask all those questions about College life and get an informed and practical answer. This scheme is enjoyed by juniors and seniors alike.

Religious groups for want of a better description, but in fact these are no-holds-barred sessions open to all, when measured hostility has even been seen! They look at moral questions from a religious or spiritual perspective but imposing no obligations on the girls.

Confirmation Classes prepare willing girls for full membership to the Church of England. If necessary the girl is baptised first. These are more focused than the previous group but even so, there is scope for plain speaking. Even the Chaplain would not claim to have all the answers! Questioning is all part of spiritual development.

Chocolate Society is an occasional society for sixth form run by a member of staff with an addiction for chocolate. The rules of the Society are as dark as the chocolate itself but everyone has a good time. Note – the member of staff is perhaps the slimmest in the staff room, and anyway, dark chocolate is supposed to be good for you.

BAYS (British Association Youth Section) is aimed at GCSE and A level girls but open to “non-scientists” also. A visiting speaker – often from a university – will present a scientific topic and take questions afterwards.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme We have groups working for their Bronze (Lower 5) and Gold (sixth form) Awards. There is strong competition for the places on the Scheme and numbers are limited for safety. The elements are expedition and orienteering, personal interests (hobby) and social service. The Gold Award especially is highly coveted and a valuable attribute to university or job application.

HSBC Bank The School Branch opens twice a week for deposits and withdrawals. Girls apply and are interviewed for the positions by full-time HSBC staff, who keep an oversight of the operation. It serves two purposes: a very practical way of keeping money safe for girls, and giving valuable training, experience and CV-lineage for the girls entrusted with running the Bank.

Saturday morning activities are offered to all girls, day and boarding and are taken up by many of the junior and middle school pupils especially. The activities have included canoeing (in the swimming pool), trampolining, roller blading, fencing, self-defence, cookery, jewellery making and pyrography.

Junior Drama Club meets weekly and allows interested girls to extend their theatrical experience at an age when they might be too young for a part in the main school production.

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.