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Clubs and Societies

Equestrian Club

This club is held at the Chatham House site for those interested in horses.

The weekly lunchtime session is an opportunity for pupils to be taught about horses and their care.  With enough interest arrangements can be made for riding lessons, visits to shows or places of interest, all of which will take place outside of school hours.

For those that are fortunate enough to own or have access to a horse or pony it is hoped to have practices and compete in local Schools Team competitions.

 

Sixth Form History Society

An opportunity for the sixth form history students to debate, discuss and present any particular historical topics which interest them.  The Society aims to encourage students to engage with topics outside of the curriculum and offers a chance to develop study habits suitable for further study.

 

Extra Curricular Sport/Physical Activity

Sport is an integral part of school life.  Throughout the year, we offer numerous opportunities for pupils to become engaged in sport.  Our competitive sporting calendar is enviable, including Saturday fixtures and mid week inter-school matches.  We compete in all major school sports as well as providing club opportunities in activities such as fitness where pupils can gain a positive practical experience in a non competitive environment.

 

Sports Leaders

Offered to Year 10 pupils once a week after school for those who wish to gain an extra qualification ahead of their GCSE examinations year.  Sports Leadership Level 2 Award is a course that teaches students how to lead sporting activities and run major tournaments both within school and in local Primary schools throughout the year.  This qualification is taught by the PE department through Sports Leaders UK.

 

KS3 Science Club

The club is for Years 7 & 8 with selected Year 9.  Activities will include looking at dinosaurs, insects, forensics, carrying out some dissections and going out of doors looking at plants and animals and possibly some exploding chemistry!  All in all interesting science that is not totally curriculum related!

 

Greenpower

Greenpower is a science and engineering project where pupils design, build and race an electric car.  It is run as an after-school club.  We attend races around the country with pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 taking part.  Chatham House is one of the country’s top teams with our car usually in the top ten of around 250 schools taking part.

 

Drama Club

Drama club provides pupils with opportunities to build on the work done in class developing their physical theatre skills, with a recent emphasis on comedy improvisation.

 

Dead Prophets Society

This is for KS4/KS5 pupils wanting to investigate about prophecy in the Bible and its relevance today.

 

Christian Lunchtime Prayer (Chaplaincy on Chatham site)

This is a 15 minutes ecumenical prayer for pupils and staff normally on a Wednesday.

 

RS KS3Homework Club (SF7)

This is for catching up with class work and homework including time for revision.  Normally during Friday lunchtime from 1.00 – 1.30pm.

 

The Chaplaincy Room (next to SF7)

This is a quiet retreat room accessible by all students (and staff) for quiet prayer, meditation or contemplation during morning break and lunchtimes.  Further details from the school Chaplain.

 

Maths in Motion

A group of up to 30 pupils from Years 7 to 13 gather weekly after school to race Formula 1 cars on a software based simulation package.  Grouped in teams of two, they work as a racing pit-team, analysing a race circuit, optimising the mechanical settings for the car, deciding on fuel loadings and the tyre changes needed for a full Grand Prix race.  The cars have to qualify for a grid position, and a variable weather forecast adds an extra dimension to their decisions.  At each stage, the teams use various mathematical concepts to calculate the optimum car configuration.  Adding in the fact that all of this has to be completed in limited time; the weekly race becomes a very competitive event!  We follow the actual F1 racing calendar for 18-20 weeks, and compete in the national competition in February each year.  Sponsored by Jaguar Cars, we were national champions at Key Stage 3 in 2005, came second at Key Stage 4 in 2006, second at Key Stage 3 and third at Key Stage 4 in 2007, third at Key Stage 4 in 2008 and in 2009 were the overall national champions!  No prior racing knowledge is needed – just enthusiasm!

 

Arts Award

This scheme is run by the Art Department for those pupils who are interested in developing skills within the arts and complete a project which documents their progress and use the fortnightly sessions to feedback and share their knowledge with each other.

Also, for members of exam groups, additional time and support is provided during lunchtimes to continue with their own work.

 

Life Drawing

Life drawing sessions will be available for Year 13 art students to develop their skills and help build an excellent portfolio of work.

 

Homework Clubs

Chatham House Site

This takes place afterschool for Years 7, 8 & 9 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3.30-4.30pm in the library at the Chatham House site.  Members of support staff and a prefect (when available) are on hand in the library where pupils also have access to computers.

Clarendon House Site

This takes place afterschool for Years 10 & 11 Monday to Thursday in the library at the Clarendon House site from 3.30-4.30pm. 

 

Literary Society

This is open to all sixth formers who have an interest in reading and follows the format of an informal ‘reading group’.  We meet on a Friday lunchtime over coffee to discuss a text the group has chosen which reflects their personal interests.  Choices range from contemporary novels to short stories and plays, or follows a theme such as ‘Books That Changed the World’.  The society is useful if you want to broaden your reading or are applying to read English at university.

 

The Carnegie Shadowing Group

This club is a reading group aimed at Years 7, 8 and 9; joining schools across the country in shadowing the Carnegie Medal, a national award that is given to the best teenage fiction of the year.  When the shortlist is publically announced, the group replicates the actual process by judging the quality of the shortlist through group discussions and by posting reviews online.  Students can read as many books from the shortlist as they wish.

 

Key Stage 3 Book Club

Following the successes of the Carnegie Shadowing Group and the KS5 Book Club, the English Faculty have introduced a book club for students in Years 7, 8 and 9.  The club will provide pupils with an opportunity to discuss literature in a less formal environment, promoting the importance of reading for pleasure across the key stage.

 

Lego Mindstorm Club

This STEM club run by the DT department meets between 3.30 – 4.30 on Thursday afternoon and is available to all students in Years 7, 8 and 9.  Students have the chance to customise and program NXT Lego Robots to perform tasks and navigate an environment.  This group will then compete locally in the First Lego League challenge with the potential to compete nationally.  We hope to run an internal competition Girls v Boys!!

 

Languages Club

There is a French and Spanish club at lunchtime run by the Foreign Language Assistants.  Pupils in Years 7-9 have a chance to play games and practice speaking.  Big emphasis will be on fun and talking.

 

Music

There are over 20 musical ensembles rehearsing weekly at the school ranging from choirs (junior boys, junior girls and flute), junior ukulele, steel pans, rock bands, junior band, advanced vocals, karaoke club, barbershop, guitars, jazz and more!  These are held at Break, lunchtime as well as after school.  Further details are available from the Music Department section on the Federation website.

 

Debating Society

The Debating Society is run by Year 12 and 13 at lunchtime.  It assembles in a Westminster format (i.e. Chairman and two speakers for, and two speakers against the motion) and meets in C2 in the CCVI centre on Tuesdays.  Sixth formers will usually chair the meetings (a member of staff shall be present throughout proceedings).  All students of the school will be welcome to attend, and speakers from all year groups will hopefully have had opportunities to debate by the end of the year.

 

Cool Cooking

Cool Cooking is an after school club aimed at KS3.  We cook a range of different dishes that are not currently on the KS3 curriculum, that are often pupil suggested, aiming at broadening the pupil's cooking skills, independence and social skills.

 

Chess Club

Chess Club is the newest and most popular club in school for Years 7- 9 and welcome all abilities.  It is held in FF1 on Tuesday lunchtime and once we are established we intend to see what competition is out there to pit our wits against.