Extra Curricular

What Extra Curricular activities are available?

St Thomas the Apostle College has become well known for academic excellence, but that is really only half of the ‘STAC experience’: we place equally great emphasis on what goes on beyond the classroom and on the development of character.

While we are proud of the intellectual poise, rigour and ambition we instil in our students, these qualities on their own are not enough to fulfil our wider mission to produce young men and women who are confident, able and responsible. Nor, indeed, are they sufficient to secure places at the world’s leading universities, which require applicants to demonstrate that they are well-rounded young people who will make a positive contribution to their wider communities.

Far from being an ‘exam factory’ then, we enable and equip our students to explore new horizons and to follow their passions. With each passing year, we provide and encourage more and more enrichment opportunities for our students. Significant resources are devoted to major areas of extra-curricular activity, such as music, sports, drama, debating and chess, and there are many others besides. In fact, a club, society or team exists to suit almost every interest or aspiration – and if, by chance, boys and girls do not find what they are looking for, they will be supported to establish something new. For in these endeavours, boys and girls are encouraged to develop and display skills of leadership, organisation, coaching and support – to grasp opportunities and create new ones for themselves and others. Beyond the classroom, we want our students to develop and broaden their experiences. Our clubs and societies offer this and the opportunity to socialise with students from other year groups, to organise events and to take on leadership roles.

All students also become a member of a house when they join the school, who they are able to represent in various events throughout the year, yet another opportunity to get involved in the whole-school enrichment programme. to download the detailed Extra-Curricular timetable for 2022-2023.

We have categorised our enrichment activities into three main areas – the 4Cs:

CLICK HERE to download the detailed Extra-Curricular timetable for 2022-2023.

Care	e.g. volunteer, advocate for issues such as the environment, mentor, teach, assist at school events
Challenge	e.g. debate, research, present, compete academically
Compete	e.g. stay fit, cycle swim, run, play for school teams
Create	e.g. paint, act, perform, dance, play an instrument, sing in the Gospel choir

Pupil Case Studies