Finding your passion beyond the classroom
From Rubik’s Cube Club to Lego Club, Robotics Club to Pokémon Club, and Senior Wind Band to an early morning darts session, there is an extraordinary range of opportunities available for students to discover new interests, develop their skills and find something they love. With over 100 clubs and societies on offer, our aim is to ensure that every student at Wilson’s feels able to take part in the wider life of the school and find activities that inspire and challenge them.
This extensive co-curricular programme sits alongside a universal offer designed to enrich every student’s experience at Wilson’s. This includes residential trips to Brecon, France and Germany; day trips to Kew and Wisley RHS gardens; the Year 7 instrumental programme; Games afternoons in addition to PE; the Elizabethan curriculum in Year 9; Enrichment in Year 10; and the Futures and Philosophy curriculum in Year 11.
Beyond the classroom, students can get involved in a huge variety of activities, including sport, music, the Combined Cadet Force (run jointly with WHSG), chess, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, drama and debating, alongside myriad clubs and societies led by both staff and students. These opportunities allow students to build friendships, develop confidence, discover new talents and pursue interests that extend far beyond their timetabled lessons.
We are extremely grateful to the teachers who give their time at lunchtimes and after school to make so many of these activities possible. Form Tutors also play an important role in ensuring that students know what is available and are encouraged to explore the opportunities on offer. It has been particularly pleasing to see that every new Year 7 student attended a club before the end of September. We monitor participation and attendance closely to help ensure that all students are actively involved in the wider life of the school, and Heads of Year will soon be sharing an updated version of the Co-Curricular Offer Timetable.
It is worth remembering why co-curricular involvement matters so much. While academic achievement is an important part of life at Wilson’s, preparing students for life beyond school means helping them develop passions, interests and enthusiasms that extend beyond their curriculum subjects. For some, this might mean representing the school in a sports team or playing a musical instrument for the sheer enjoyment of making music. For others, it might be discovering a new board game, becoming absorbed in robotics or enjoying a lively philosophical debate.
A recent email from an Old Wilsonian provided a wonderful example of where such interests can lead. As a student at Wilson’s, Aran became fascinated by the backstage aspects of school productions and taught himself how to operate the lighting and sound systems in the John Jenkins Hall. That initial curiosity developed into a passion, leading him to become President of the Stage Crew Society at UCL, and he is now undertaking a graduate programme in Lighting Design. His journey is a powerful reminder that an interest discovered through a school club can develop into a lifelong passion and even open the door to exciting career opportunities.
