Co-Curricular

Taking place in the penultimate week of the school year, Activities Week, involving pupils from Years 3-10 is a hugely popular programme of diverse trips and activities. As part of the week Year 3 pupils spend a few nights away from home at an educational centre at Hooke Court, Dorset. Their activities include fossil hunting, a trip to Charmouth Heritage Centre, visiting the RNLI in Lyme Regis as well as enjoying on-site orienteering, low ropes and campfire activities.

Years 4 and 6 get the opportunity to take part in many activities when they spend a few days at Skern Lodge Activity Centre in Bideford, North Devon; these include climbing, abseiling, archery, assault course negotiation, canoeing, raft building and surfing.

Year 5 pupils go to Saint Malo in France for a week to increase cultural awareness and to practise their French in shops, markets and cafes. They visit Dinard, Dinan, Baie de Mont and St. Michel.

We aim to support a variety of charities here at the Junior School and we firmly believe that the children develop a wider sense of helping others and a greater appreciation of community spirit by being directly involved in fundraising for local and international charities. This raises the profile of the charities concerned and provides the children with a real goal for their fundraising events. The School Council chooses two or three charities a year for which they raise money.

In addition to the charities chosen by the School Council, we support a wide number of other charities and events across the year, such as Ted’s Big Day Out, Operation Christmas Child, Children in Need, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK.

Drama is fun, energetic and exciting, and as a co-curricular activity in King Edward's Junior School, its popularity is ever-growing. We understand and appreciate the enormous benefits of this subject in the educational, social and emotional development of our children. Therefore, we provide drama as a co-curricular activity for all age groups, throughout the whole year.

Hearing the applause of so many people whilst I was acting has given me so much confidence.

Ryan

In Drama Club, pupils have the opportunity to perform and respond in a variety of different ways, through warm-ups, games, short plays, poetry, mime and debate as well as dance and choral routines. With biannual Creative Week and Whole School Musicals, our annual Speak Out celebration and, more recently, our performances in professional theatres with the Shakespeare Schools Foundation, the children have plenty of opportunity to revel in all the joys of drama at King Edward’s Junior School.

Performing Romeo and Juliet at The Egg Theatre with the Shakespeare Schools Foundation was amazing, I want to do it again next year.

Albert

We are committed to providing a range of musical experiences for all our children in order to deepen and broaden their musical interests and skills. As well as whole class music lessons, individual instrumental lessons and musical ensembles, children have many opportunities to perform and showcase their talent.

General Music Making in School

Music is at the heart of our school and all pupils are encouraged to take part in our ensembles. Music groups which meet each week include: Lower school choir Chamber choir Orchestra Wind band Brass group String ensemble Percussion ensemble Saxophone ensemble Steel pan group Ukulele group

There are regular opportunities to perform at school, including informal concerts to allow pupils the chance to showcase their music to family and friends. The highlight of the year is the Prom Concert which is in the Summer term. This is a wonderful evening which celebrates the children’s commitment to music throughout the year and it is thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Pupils also perform at St Michael’s Without during the School’s Christmas and Easter services in addition to singing at local hospices and homes for the elderly in the area. These community performances are important to us and the children and reinforce how powerful music can be in bringing people together.

Individual music lessons are available on all of the Orchestral instruments and our pupils enjoy success in their ABRSM exams which they can take at school.

We are proud to be part of the Bath Abbey Singing programme and are fortunate to have Shean Bowers, Assistant Director of music at Bath Abbey and Choral Director for Schools to teach our children singing technique once a week. A growing number of Junior School pupils are also members of Bath Abbey Boys’ Choir.

We have a musical production each year which alternates between one year group and a whole school production.

Individual Tuition

We are very fortunate in having a dedicated team of specialist instrumental teachers who teach individual lessons for clarinet, saxophone, flute, piano, keyboard, brass, cello, percussion, bassoon, violin, guitar (including electric), ukulele and singing.

We offer an extensive range of trips throughout the year to enhance school work. Some examples
include:

• Harvest Festival at St Michael’s Church
• Easter Celebration at St Michael’s Church
• Roman Baths
• Westonbirt Arboretum
• Victoria Art Gallery
• Buddhist Centre in Bristol
• Battle of Lansdown site
• Medieval Bath Walk
• Architecture Walk
• No.1, Royal Crescent
• National Gallery in London
• Kew Gardens
• We The Curious
• Hindu Temple
• Cardiff Castle
• 3-Day Sports Tour
• Easter Experience at Bath Abbey
• Lifeskills Centre in Bristol
• Local Primary Schools to read story books
• 2-Day Camping Trip at Stowford Manor

Our aim is to encourage all our children to develop a love of sports and to lead healthy and active lives. We aim to develop better physical ‘intelligence’ by engaging children in a firm, clear and varied movement programme. This is delivered through a year-round sporting calendar, including competitive fixtures against local schools in the major sports of rugby, netball, hockey and cricket as well as an extensive PE programme all of which encourage team work, resilience and leadership. In addition to timetabled lessons we have an wide range of lunchtime and afterschool sporting clubs from swimming and cross country to football.

In the Autumn Term, girls play hockey and boys play rugby in their timetabled lessons, in fixtures and in squads after school. In the Spring Term, girls play netball and boys play hockey and football. In the Summer Term both boys and girls play cricket, tennis, and athletics. Sports Day is a real highlight of the Summer Term. There is always a healthy spirit of both camaraderie and competitiveness as each child aspires to do their best both individually and for their House. Our optional co-curricular clubs include an extensive variety of clubs, for example: fencing, judo, jujitsu, gymnastics, yoga, street dance, flamenco dancing, multi-sports, cross country, jungle gym and table tennis. Many of these sessions are led by specialist instructors from outside school or specialist trained games staff within our school. These activities are run in addition to our squad sessions for all the major sports we provide.

Every other year children are taken on an Activities day out, with recent activities including cycling, cookery, go-karting, skating, rock-climbing and caving. These days out offer a chance for children to bond with their classmates and to learn new skills outside the classroom.

Each year we also organise a sponsored cycling event one Sunday at Castle Combe for children, families and friends. This is a fun afternoon, cycling around the track and raising money for charity. Nearer Christmas, some of our musical pupils perform to invited senior citizens, who also enjoy afternoon tea at the School.

A highlight for Year 6 pupils and their families is the leavers’ event at the end of the Summer Term, which provides a wonderful way to celebrate their time at the Junior School.