Beyond class
Activities outside regular school are invaluable for a broader education
An exceptional programme of co-curricular activities and events is a key part of an independent education, where valuable learning continues way beyond the confines of a classroom.
Scotland’s independent schools provide an unmatched range of opportunities, allowing individuals to discover hidden talents and gain new experiences.
Former pupils educated in the sector who have gone on to have successful sporting careers of late include the High School of Dundee’s Eilish Mccolgan, who recently achieved a silver medal in the inaugural European Championships this year, where Strathallan School’s Duncan Scott also scooped three gold medals for swimming.
Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh has produced no fewer than 67 international-level rugby players.
Jonathan Anderson, who took over as headmaster of the school this year, says: “Co-curricular is all about the development of the wellrounded young men we want to produce, who learn as much outside the classroom, on the rugby pitch or the tennis court, as they do inside.
“That way, they learn resilience and teamwork as well as how to cope with and respond to set backs.
They learn resilience and teamwork as well as how to cope with and respond to set backs
“They learn through a dedication to training, rehearsing and achieving and it is a very useful and valuable part of school that they need to take on as they move into an ever-changing world.”
Loretto School in Musselburgh is home to the Loretto Golf Academy, which is under the direction of golfer Rick Valentine and his team of professional coaches.
Sports are a traditional part of Scotland’s independent schools, but there are many diverse co-curricular options available to develop skills for life.
Dr Graham Hawley, Loretto’s head, says: “We have a wide-ranging co-curricular diet of sports, music, drama, debating and engineering.
“Dance has proved to be particularly popular in recent years, so we put in a dance studio. I think we are very strong at outdoor education and expeditions as well.”
When a pupil is excelling at a sport or co-curricular activity, their academic timetable can usually be tailored around it.
At Strathallan School in Forgandenny, Highers are taught over two years instead of one to allow pupils to flourish and train for high-level sport, music or drama.
Mark Lauder, the school’s headmaster, says: “For us, the academic and formal education is supported by the learning outside of that.
“Pupils are therefore learning a lot about themselves and their limits and boundaries in a context other than the academic.”
He also believes that co-curricular activities can also benefit teachers, as they allow pupil relations to develop outside of the classroom.
“The relationships in learning are critical and it has to be based on trust and respect,” Lauder adds.
Alex Hems, head of St George’s School for Girls in Edinburgh, agrees that the co-curricular learning benefits the academic.
She says: “The co-curricular is so important because this is the chance for every girl to find something that she can do and that she didn’t think she could do – we always talk about a ‘yes we can’ mentality.
“In the lower school alone, there are more than 40 activities to choose from, including sailing, the Combined Cadet Force with Merchiston Castle School and our Young Engineers Club.
“We have a group of girls who are going to be restoring a Triumph Spitfire Car next year. It is a complete wreck at the moment, but they will bring it back into working order.”
It is often the teaching and support staff who run a school’s co-curricular programme, and at Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools in Edinburgh it is believed this definitely helps pupils and teachers get to know each other in a different setting.
Principal Linda Moule says: “There is a hillwalking club, which children can be part of along with staff, operating on Sundays.
“At the end of S1 and S2, there is a project week with day activities in and around Edinburgh.
“They might go wake boarding, surfing, sailing, hillwalking or even learn circus skills – a whole range of activities are organised for them.”
Moule also maintains that co-curricular interests can develop teamwork skills and inclusion.
“If you learn an instrument in school, part of the deal is that you are then part of a group, so you have the opportunity to play and perform because music isn’t just about you as a solo.”
With co-curricular activities at the heart of an independent education, many schools aspire to blend it into the academic curriculum as much as possible. The High School of Dundee has established an integrated curriculum, through which co-curricular elements are woven into the school’s daily life.
Rector Dr John Halliday says: “Skills learnt in the classroom can be taken out to the Duke of Edinburgh programme, and skills learnt on the sports field can be brought into the classroom or indeed into pastoral situations, such as developing resilience. That can be brought into dealing with difficult wellbeing situations.”
He adds: “Creativity is one of these core values that goes right across the curriculum, because I think it is not just restricted to music and dance – creative thinking is required in Latin and physics.”
To ensure this creativity is nurtured, focussed and developed as much as possible, it is important to start the process at an early age.
Ardvreck School in Crieff, Perthshire is a full boarding and day prep school. Head Ali Kinge says: “We firmly believe that every child learns life lessons outside right from our nursery, which is fully-versed in forest school skills.
“We have a brilliant outdoor pursuits instructor, who is also our head of geography.
“We do actually go outside to learn – which is great – and that is part of the timetable, because I think it creates a deep-rooted resilience in every child to have all these challenges in the classroom.”
With sandy beaches, historic sites and stunning golf courses right on their doorstep, pupils at St Leonards School in St Andrews also make the most of their picturesque location.
Head Dr Michael Carslaw says: “Outdoor learning is a big strength of the school and a lot of it is happening outside. That could be through Duke of Edinburgh schemes, bushcraft or the beach school.”
“We are 200 metres from one of the loveliest beaches, so it is just really taking advantage of where you are.”
Maureen Crandles, owner of Early Days Nurseries in Edinburgh, adds: “We are really into teaching life skills, so we check the weather and see what to wear that day because if we are going on any trips we need to ensure we’re dressed appropriately.
“No matter what the trip is, the children are really good at this now. It just leaves children much more confident because they know what to expect.
“That is transferred on to mathematics – they will explore and confidently try out new things, because they have experience in the other aspects of the preparation that we give them for life.”