Co-curricular activities at NSW independent schools are taking students to exciting new places. We hear from some schools who have seen the difference it can make. From robotics to rigorous philosophical discussions, today’s students at independent schools are taking advantage of exciting ways to pursue and develop new skills and interests outside of the classroom.
For example, at girls’ school Meriden in Sydney’s Strathfield, a small philosophy club that began with a handful of participants about eight years ago has blossomed into an 80-strong group of young students who delight in constructive discussions.
Some of those students now partake in Philosothon events, which bring young people together to tackle moral or ethical conundrums in groups. “It’s a collaborative competition,” explains club leader Priscilla Curran, the school’s dean of Lateral Learning. “They’re able to have a well reasoned, calm discussion with others on big topics, and to respectfully disagree, but also make space for other people’s views.”
As well as enjoying the good-natured sparring, students are taking on some very useful life skills. “Things like critical thinking, creative thinking, working collaboratively, thinking innovatively,” Curran notes. “It’s a real integral part of giving students a well-balanced education.”
Over at Queenwood in Sydney, the school has happily discovered many of its students being drawn to engineering- and IT-focused co-curriculars, even if they’re not part of their academic program. It’s another bonus to having such a range of endeavours available, explains Greg McArdle, head of Technology and Applied Studies at the school. “You can open up other opportunities for those sorts of real-world learning experiences.”
One co-curricular activity Queenwood is enormously proud of is the QUTE Project. Now in its third year, students are continuing the journey to transforming a vintage 1975 Suzuki Carry ute into an electric vehicle. “[The students] do everything from painting to wiring to putting in all the brake lines, and building all the steering and suspension. Everything has been done by them, by hand,” says Andrew Draper, who oversees the project.
It’s just one activity among many for the school, which also includes taking part in solar-car racing and robotics — last year, students from Queenwood earned the Champion’s Award at the FIRST LEGO League tournament for the Northern Sydney Region.
Robotics is a field where Barker College’s Redbacks have also succeeded. After taking national glory in Sydney, they found themselves competing in Istanbul and then Houston where they were crowned third at the FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) Worlds tournament. “It was such a great experience for problem solving,” says Jeser Mross Becker, head of robotics at the school. “But as important is the ability to learn how to work in a big team towards a common goal.”
Students everywhere are thriving in co-curricular spaces from the inner-city to regional NSW. They’re finding mates from across all year levels in activities from environmental groups to coding to theatresports and even race-car design and technology thanks to F1 in Schools, an initiative that draws participants from schools such as Wagga Wagga Christian College.
And while many of these initiatives take the form of competitions, for schools like Queenwood, even with its impressive accolades, that’s really beside the point. “I believe the secret to our success competitively is not pushing the children to win, but pushing the children to be deeply interested in what they’re doing,” explains Draper.
In fact, the common thread across all NSW independent schools when it comes to co-curricular activities is that they allow students’ minds to run free in an environment free from pressure. “It’s a space where students actually learn for the sake of learning, because they love it, they’re intrigued, they’re inquisitive,” adds McArdle. “That, for me, is where co-curricular has the greatest power.”
This diverse and evolving wave of learning at NSW independent schools is adding a bold, exciting layer to learning. “It underpins what we want in schools,” explains Curran. “They provide a holistic education and cater to developing the whole person.”