Everyone Active: Thinking, Creating and Doing

Our co-curricular programme of activities exploded back into action at the start of the term in September. The clubs play a vital role in the holistic education of our children and we encourage everyone to participate. Over 75% of the children attend one or more clubs, with many participating in three or more, of the 50+ sessions that run each week.

We are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated team that deliver a rich variety of clubs to develop every child's interest - whether that be intellectual, creative or physical. All the staff were excited to welcome back the children after the long-enforced break during Lent and summer terms, and the children have thrown themselves enthusiastically back into the sessions. 

On the rugby pitch, under the expert tuition of Mr Johns from Bournville RFC, Lower School have been working on travelling with the ball in two hands and awareness of space. They have made progress with catching, passing and running skills and have progressed to playing games of tag rugby, learning and applying the basic rules. Upper School have been developing their core passing and running skills as well as tackle technique in small groups. Mr Johns has focused on refining their tackle technique in terms of preparation and execution of an effective and safe rugby tackle. The groups have displayed a great attitude and show a strong appetite for taking part in game play.

All instrumental ensembles have been busy preparing a little earlier for Christmas this year: Beat It, our drumming group, String Orchestra, Eversfield Guitar Ensemble, Senior Guitar Consort, Swing Band and Wind Band. Mr Biggs does not want to give too much away at the moment, but he is determined not to let Christmas pass us by without some of the usual music and festivities. All the groups are well ahead with their preparations and Mr Biggs will be sharing more about the Christmas celebrations in the not too distant future.

Sadly, we have been unable to begin choir rehearsals this term and a good number of children are looking forward to the time when we can. We continue to remain hopeful that it will not be too long before the sound of choral singing can be heard in our school once again. 

Art Club have been looking at the work of Monet and Impressionism. The children have worked in oil pastel to reflect this beautiful feel and are moving on to portray this through paint. The joys of communal movie watching have been enjoyed by Film Club, in Badminton Club the focus has been on teaching new skills and playing matches, and Lego Club has continued to be hugely popular with Reception class taking on various engineering design challenges including building a model of Eversfield.

During Fizz Pop Science Club the children have been looking at science in the workplace with lots of hand on experiments and activities. They started by being detectives and by slowly eliminating their suspects were able to work out who stole the secret slime recipe and, once they had found it, everyone was able to make their very own pot of slime to take home. They have been chemists and explored chemistry in action looking at colour changes as well as working out the difference between a physical and chemical reaction. It has also been life as an astronaut as they explored how to get up into space and, once there, they looked at what they might find and tried to work out if aliens exist! 

Middle and Upper School members of the Photography Club have engaged in the genres of landscapes, architecture, the autumn season and product marketing. Whilst new participants have concentrated on their composition techniques, returning members have been honing their skills utilising best use of depth of field.

The children have enthusiastically returned to the ever popular Chess Club, and have been eager to play and learn! Those just starting out have been learning how the pieces move and playing interactive games such as Cat and Mouse and Don Quixote’s Great Adventure (the knight’s tour). Meanwhile, more experienced players have been learning opening setups, good sportsmanship and some tricky technical endgames, including the mythical Bishop and Knight checkmate.

Martial arts is about self-development and in Karate Club, Lower School have spent this half-term learning about independence. Getting their kit together, getting themselves dressed, getting in their team, lining themselves up and setting kit up for drills. Upper School are already well drilled in terms of what is expected of them when preparing for lessons and they have spent this half-term recapping some of their basic movements after a long break. Master Drayton is a firm believer that the ability to kick and punch will only help you sometimes, whereas building self-reliance and self-discipline will help her pupils every day.

The children have returned to exploring their creativity through acting and verse and prose pieces with Mrs Reynolds. From Big Bad Wolf turning veggie, to ‘a child making excuses for not doing their homework’, they have entered different worlds and characters and their confidence has grown each week. Drama games such as Night in the Museum, and Alphabet Scene, have seen the children thinking on their feet and developing spontaneity and assuredness in their own abilities.

Mr Priddy from Seafield Swimmers was delighted to welcome the children back into the pool for after-school swimming. The invitation only gala squad have been working on technique and stamina, and the very popular sessions for Upper School and Middle School have focused on boosting their swimming skills, as well as having some fun in the water.

Football has continued to be one of the most in-demand clubs this term with 31 children in Middle School enjoying the club on a Friday after school. Mr Green has been running the club for the school for over 10 years and it continues to be a fun club, that focusses on playing football matches.

Tennis Club has been a lunch time fixture at Eversfield for more than a decade, with Mr Key coaching hundreds of children over the years. The focus for the term has been improving skills to play and win matches.

Yoga Club has seen the children in Reception enjoying warm-ups, sun salutation and yoga through storytelling where they have enjoyed Goldilocks, The Three Little Pigs and Funny Bones. Through different yoga postures they work on flexibility and strength and enjoy yoga games, relaxation, breathing techniques and mindfulness. Working at a slightly more challenging level, Forms 1 to 3 have enjoyed Jack and The Bean Stalk, Jungle Adventure and the BFG. 

It’s been all about beginner basics in Ballet for Reception class where they have been learning steps such as plie, spring pointe, petit jeté, gallops, échappé to second, step together step hop and pony trots. Year 1 have continued to build on the basics and started to focus more on technique and flexibility, and have been introduced to grand battement, simple coupe, soubresauts, fondu, basic pirouette and développé.  Both groups have been learning the importance of feet and arm positions and the all-important cool downs.

In Street Dance Forms 1 to 3 have been learning the basic steps and movements of the dance style including the switch turn, shoulder walks, kick ball change, body bounces and roundhouse kicks and spins which they have been putting into a motif and routine to current chart music.

The value of the co-curricular programme is not limited to the skill or knowledge that is being developed, it reinforces wider-ranging skills such as cooperation, perseverance, problem-solving and effort.

 

Interested to Join a Club?

Sign-up for activities being run during the Lent term opens for viewing on 27th November and booking opens 2nd December. Places are strictly limited and are allocated on a first-come first-served basis.