Co-curricular activities are an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or an academic programme.
School trips are excellent at Eaton House Belgravia Pre-Prep, and they are a good way for pupils to really engage in a subject in more depth, whether they are residential or nearer to home.
For example, in 2020, Year 2 visited the world-leading botanical gardens, Kew Gardens. They explored plants from 10 different climate zones, including cacti, orchids, carnivorous plants and the Titan arum, which produces one of the foulest odours in the plant kingdom! They also went to The Hive, which is an enormous multi-sensory experience, and learned all about the extraordinary life of bees. This complemented and enriched the science lessons that they had taken.
Additionally, Eaton House Belgravia Pre-Prep boys met two police community officers and learned all about keeping safe on the roads, in supermarkets and with strangers. The boys asked some good questions and got their fingerprints temporarily taken – and took them away on a card to show their parents. To prove that they felt extra safe afterwards, each boy got a certificate!
Nursery
Even the Nursery enjoys co-curricular learning. Every year our littlest pupils are taken to Chelsea Fire Station, where they have fun seeing real uniforms (there are dress-up fire costumes in the Nursery to inspire their interest). They meet the firemen and are allowed to hold a real hose to feel the power of the velocity of water. Another regular treat is a visit from the Wiggly Wild Show where real animals are brought into school to complement the children’s minibeasts project. It is such an exciting way to bring the topics to life!
Competitions
Inter-school competitions, such as musical competitions, drama and sports competitions, can also prove extremely valuable for the boys in co-curricular terms. In sport, the David Lawrence Series Annual Challenge Cup is the perfect example of co-curricular excellence.
This cup comprises nine events between Eaton House The Manor and Belgravia, including football, cricket, golf, cross-country, hockey, tennis, swimming and chess and it is extremely challenging and varied for all the participants, widening the skill set demanded by the traditional sports curriculum.
