Sporting chances for all children
The things pupils do outside academic lessons are key elements in their learning experience. Sarah Devine looks at co-curricular activities
Sports and co-curricular activities are a crucial part of an independent education, whether that is through PE, team games or individual pursuits and the sector has an impressive record.
Strathallan’s Charlie Guest is the school’s latest alumna to earn Olympic selection and represented Team GB in alpine skiing at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics this month.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, nearly a third of Team GB attended independent schools, meanwhile Merchiston Castle School has so far produced more than 60 international rugby players.
Even if professional sport is not an individual’s preferred route, activities outside of the classroom have a lot to offer when it comes to a child’s development.
“Co-curricular activities are important in terms of enjoyment, but also in terms of self belief, resilience and other soft skills,” says John Edward, director of the Scottish Council for Independent Schools.
“It’s a basic fact that if you are doing a lot of physical exercise, both your physical and mental health will be better, your sleep will be better, you will study better and you will grow better.
“It’s a natural thing that if you are comfortable in yourself, you are a better student as well.”
At most Scottish independent schools, education is about the whole child and a breadth of co-curricular activities is therefore essential to the learning experience.
“We have a whole range of sports
We want the girls to remain active, but to also enjoy the sports they do
and our attitude has always been to give children as broad a range of experiences as possible,” says Mark Becher, headmaster at the Compass School in Haddington.
“Sport is something that I feel very passionate about and I believe that every child, no matter their ability, can have a go at everything.
“It provides children with lots of lessons about life, but most of all it is about getting our children fit and active, while developing an attitude for life.
“It teaches the importance of taking regular exercise, but exercise that they are comfortable with and enjoy.”
Sports such as rugby, hockey and football are highly influential in a child’s progression and a healthy competition between schools encourages a high standard.
It then brings in a higher investment for coaches and facilities.
They are key to the ability of independent schools to maintain a high standard in sport.
Loretto School in Musselburgh has become widely regarded as Europe’s leading golf school thanks to a team of highly experienced experts and exceptional facilities.
“What makes that so successful is firstly down to the people,” says Graham Hawley, Loretto’s headmaster.
“We have a director of golf [Rick Valentine] who has been with the academy since it started.
“The indoor golf centre was built from our disused swimming pool, which is good for when the weather is poor or if it gets dark early.
“Because we can employ coaches, we can timetable the golf and make sure the time is used efficiently.
“If we used a club, we could not do that as well.”
Kilgraston School at Bridge of Earn also benefits from a full-sized sports hall, a 25 metre swimming pool and its own equestrian centre.
“We allow the local primary schools to use these facilities and we organise horse riding for the disabled,” says Dorothy Macginty, the school’s headmistress.
“That is great for the girls because they can then volunteer.
“We have a very strong PE department, but we also have a director of sport, Pauline Stott, who is not a teacher but an ex-olympian [a hockey player] who captained Team GB in Australia in 2000.
“She directs all of our extra curricular activity and all the girls participate in sports.
“When they get to S3 and in S4, they start choosing what they want to do.
“They don’t always have to be in teams because really we want the girls to remain active, but to also enjoy the sports they do.”
It is no exaggeration to say that a school’s sporting achievements stems from the unrivalled dedication of those involved.
Sport is often a central part of the curriculum with many schools holding regular games and activities sessions throughout the week.
“Last year there was about 100 per cent participation from boys and girls in sport, which is higher than I have seen in anywhere else I have worked,” says Mark Lauder, headmaster at Strathallan School.
“That includes national and international sport.
“We have people in national competitions and the school has a good track record of getting people into those positions.”
At St Mary’s, the prep school in Melrose, every pupil in Form 3 competes in team games against another class.
“That is valuable because it provides the ability to compete with people they don’t know and it broadens their teamwork skills and acts as a great opportunity for them to challenge themselves,” says Liam Harvey, the school’s headmaster.
“We get to see pupils develop their leadership skills as well as teamwork.”
Of course, location and school type can also influence the kinds of co-curricular activities available.
St Leonards School in St Andrews places an emphasis on golf and – being the location of the first girls’ lacrosse game in 1890 – sport remains at its heart.
“Everyone has two games
We don’t put learning in a box and it is not just something you do in the classroom
afternoons a week and then swimming and PE on top of that with matches against other schools,” says William Goldsmith, headmaster at the junior school. “That’s really important for us. “We want everyone getting outside and everyone getting fresh air as well as good exercise because it helps to develop good teamwork and spirit.”
However, co-curricular programmes are as much about music and drama as they are sport.
“We run a full pipe band and we have a ceilidh band, a string band, a choir and a brass group,” says Dan Davey, headmaster at Ardvreck School in Crieff.
“Being able to express yourself creatively is incredibly important to all people, particularly children when they are using different thought processes and learning different forms of expression. It’s a different way for children to express themselves”
Co-curricular activities keep children fit and develop a healthy, life-long interest in those activities.
The likes of music and drama are also necessary to help relieve stress around exam times for example, but they also enhance an individual’s learning experience.
“I don’t care if it’s a creative mathematician or creative rugby player, society is so focused on children providing the right answers,” says Rod Grant, headmaster at Clifton Hall.
“Being creative allows you to be wrong and to learn from mistakes.
“If we remove all those things that feed our creativity and feed our soul, we just get into very technical subject-specific outcomes. That is when you lose the great thing about learning.”
Michael Carslaw, headmaster of the senior school at St Leonards, sees every activity that a child does as a learning opportunity.
“Every boy and girl in the school takes part in co-curricular activities and everything that they do is a learning activity, be that in the classroom or outside it.
“We don’t put learning in a box and it is not just something you do in the classroom.
“It is at home, doing charity work, playing outside and everything you do is an opportunity to learn.”