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Learning extends beyond the classroom with an exciting range of sports on offer, and a huge array of extra-curricular activities. Clubs include: drama, art, boxing, eco, debating, coding, skateboarding and science, to name just a few.
Extra-Curricular at Brighton Girls
PlayClubs
100+ clubs and activities offer students exciting opportunities during lunch breaks or after school. Some sports clubs run seasonally. We also have clubs that link with school events, such as the school play or musical. Clubs are weekly or fortnightly, run by staff and experts as part of our community partnerships.
Juno: Our Skateboard Scholar
Juno was awarded our skateboarding scholarship last year and has shown true perseverance and growth in the sport. As a result of her dedication, Juno was invited to take part in the GDST spotlight series. This series showcases students across GDST schools who are challenging gender stereotypes and demonstrating great talent in their chosen fields.
Sport
Sport for every student
Sport is an essential part of our curriculum. It develops teamwork, fair play and builds self-confidence, in addition to health benefits. Our co-curricular programme goes beyond traditional sports to encourage students to try new activities, including skateboarding, boxing and water sports.
Core sports include Netball, Hockey, Football, Cricket, Gymnastics and Athletics. Teams compete locally, regionally and in national GDST tournaments where we frequently punch above our weight against larger schools.
We have students playing regional Netball, an alumna playing netball for Scotland, and students dancing competitively at a national level. We support sport in the local community and are home to Brighton Gymnastics and helped establish Brighton Bees Netball club.
Facilities: well-equipped sports hall, mirrored dance studio, modern gym, netball courts, a cricket and rounders lawn, plus our Radinden Manor Road Astro turf sports site.
Music
Individual music tuition is organised on a rotating timetable up to Year 9 and then at a regular, fixed time in Years 10 to 13.
There are clubs for singing and instrumental and opportunities to perform and to go on trips.
Speech & Drama
Speech and Drama lessons promote confidence, communication and performance skills. Taking these classes will encourage your daughter to stand tall, produce a clear, confident voice whilst having fun. When she feels ready she can choose to take grades in ‘Speech and Drama,’ ‘Devising’ and ‘Acting,’ which in the higher grades also count towards UCAS points ..
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an internationally recognised programme that encourages young people to challenge themselves by participating in a wide range of activities that include volunteering and an expedition.
Students can register for participation in the Award scheme at Bronze Level at the start of Year 9, and for Silver in Years 10. Students wishing to move on to the Gold Award will have the chance to pursue this in Y11 and into Sixth Form. Training sessions for the expedition section are provided within school, and both the Practice and Qualifying Expeditions are arranged by school staff using an approved activity provider.
Brighton Girls Boughrood Field Centre
We have our own Field Centre that is used regularly for school trips and situated in the beautiful Wye Valley in Wales. Activities include canoeing, orienteering, climbing and visiting the Centre of Alternative Technology
The main building houses the living accommodation, which includes a two-level dormitory sleeping up to 30 in bunk beds. The adjoining staff house sleeps a further six in three double rooms.
STEM
The activities offered as part of our extra-curricular programme are extensive and constantly evolving dependent on student needs. They are run by staff and Sixth Formers – with the range as diverse as our students’ interests and aspirations.
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Robots and First Lego League
This is where girls learn how to design, build and code a robot, using Lego Mindstorms and Sphero robots.
We also take part in the First Lego League. This involves developing a robot to compete in a series of challenges. Spring and Summer terms are spent building and practising with the robots – ready for the International Lego League every autumn.
3D Design and Print
Here students learn how to design objects in 3D and then to 3D print them. Once girls have mastered the basics they can move on to more complex designs.
If they’re already able to create 3D designs they can find help, and gain access to the school’s 3D printer, in STEM Club.
There’s virtually no limit to what can be created. They could even enter their creation for a CREST Award or into the Big Bang competition.
STEM Club: CREST Awards and the Big Bang Competition
Any project that involves an aspect of science, technology, engineering or maths can be entered for a CREST Award or into the Big Bang Competition.
It could be investigating melting chocolate, building an environmentally friendly house, developing an app or constructing a model from 3D printed pieces.
The CREST Award is recognition that students have completed their own personal project. Whilst the Big Bang Competition offers great prizes for innovative projects.
Studying STEM subjects in the future
There are many courses, scholarships and enrichment opportunities on offer for STEM subjects.
We’ve successfully supported Year 11 students in applying for an Arkwright Scholarship for future engineers. And we have a number of girls who have won places on Headstart, Inspire and Smallpeice Trust courses.
British Science Week
We have House events running throughout Science Week with a whole host of related activities. This year included “Jaws n Claws” where students got to safely handle a python, a Bearded Dragon, a Blue-tongued Skink, a Bay Tarantula and quite a grumpy scorpion.
Other year groups saw the return of legendary Dr Richard Robinson, who this time entertained students with an engineering and physics challenge involving the trajectory of seagull poo!
LEGO
We take part in the First Lego League. This involves developing a robot to compete in a series of challenges. Spring and Summer terms are spent building and practising with the robots – ready for the International Lego League every autumn.
Temple Project Qualification – TPQ
Every year, between the end of the summer term and November, Brighton Girls runs the Temple Project Qualification (or TPQ) for Year 7 onwards. This is a voluntary part of our enrichment programme, aiming to encourage girls to pursue their own interests, to develop their intellectual curiosity and to push themselves to organise and complete their own projects, with the guidance of teacher-supervisors. The name references Thomas Kemp’s home, which has been home to the school since 1880 and which he called the Temple.
The Temple Project Qualification is designed to challenge and inspire students and is a voluntary extra-curricular qualification. There are four different levels across Years 7 to 11.
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Because it is an independent project TPQ is launched in the summer term so that the bulk of the research and planning can be done over the summer break. The deadline is halfway through the autumn term of the next academic year.
This voluntary qualification is part of the enrichment programme at Brighton Girls. It supports our mission to provide students with an education that will “…empower them to think for themselves and to discover the excitement which intellectual curiosity brings, as well as a sense of self-worth and individuality.”
It also provides an excellent grounding for the nationally recognised Extended Project Qualification that is taken in Sixth Form. Universities recommend this qualification and it’s increasingly requested with higher A-Level grades.
Successful TPQ tasks often set a question or problem to give the project focus and purpose. It aims to demonstrate research acumen, creativity and the development of new skills. It’s a challenging but hugely enjoyable qualification and completing a TPQ is something to be proud of.
STEM Disneyland Trip
Year 9 and 10 students will have the opportunity to study and experience STEM, through real life experiences at Disneyland Paris.Having the chance to go backstage at Disneyland Paris will provide an invaluable insight into how Science and technology are thought about and used in designing and running the park.
World Challenge Expedition to Nepal
This years trip to Nepal includes seeing and climbing parts of the Himalayas, working with a women’s empowerment charity in Kathmandu and working with local farmers to develop irrigation systems. World Challenge run a sustainable course where students take part in an environmental course and fundraise their portion of the cost. Whilst away, the students take control, making decisions for the team and exploring. We will be carrying out sustainable charity work and working with local organisations.
