Extra Curricular Print E-mail
KA pupils are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities outwith the classroom.  The School has an impressive range of extra-curricular activities, including music and drama, games and outdoor activities and the CCF.  Charity and fundraising events occur throughout the year and are met with great enthusiasm.  Encouraging our pupils to develop a wide range of additional interests provides a rounded and complete education.

A list of the current session's clubs and activities are listed below:

Sport

Sporting activities are open and accessible to all.  In fact, 80% of KA's pupils represent the school in team sports.

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montage.jpg Rugby / Hockey - Senior School

Rugby and Hockey are played throughout the winter and spring term.  Each year group has one games afternoon and one extra curricular practice every week.  Older year groups may have additional training sessions.  Matches are played every Saturday morning and in addition to this there are a number of mid-week fixtures and tournaments through out the year.  Over the past few years Rugby and Hockey Tours have taken place in Holland, Italy and Spain.

Rugby / Hockey - Junior School

Pupils start Rugby and Hockey in Junior 4; at this stage, they receive two periods of games per week.  In Junior 5 & 6 the pupils have games afternoon on a Friday for 3 periods.  Matches against other schools start in Junior 5 and in Junior 6 there are matches most weekends.

Cricket

cricket 
image.jpg Cricket is played during the summer term, again each year group has one games afternoon and one extra curricular practice.  Each session we employ a professional cricketer to assist in the delivery of lessons.  Matches are played on a Saturday morning against a variety of schools.

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Athletics - Senior and Junior

Athletics is run all year round, with Cross Country and Indoor Athletics in the winter term and Outdoor Athletics in the summer term.  Cross Country extra curricular sessions are held once a week in the build up to the competition period.  Each year group has one games session and one extra curricular practice per week in the summer time.  There are also additional lunchtime practices for the relay teams.


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The Art Department runs a daily lunchtime club.  Pupils from all year groups are welcome to work on projects with the added support and guidance of a member of staff.  Throughout the year there are opportunities to get involved in projects such as the annual school calendar and the cartoon competition.  There are also regular trips to Glasgow School of Art to see the fashion and degree shows.  The School is pleased to be able to offer workshops where pupils can work up close with renowned artists such as Thomas Joshua Cooper.


CCF

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Through its Royal Navy, Army and RAF sections, the CCF offers pupils the opportunity to develop qualities of leadership and self-reliance. Apart from a weekly programme of activities, there are opportunities to join numerous adventurous training camps and courses, both during the holidays and at weekends.

Although boys and girls wear Services uniform (provided for them) for certain activities, the CCF is not a specifically military or recruitment organisation: its aims are similar to any of the uniformed youth groups, with the advantage of access to specialised training teams and equipment which the others do not enjoy. All pupils in Senior 3 must join the CCF, but they may opt out of it in later years.


Curling

The curling teams meet on a Wednesday and Friday at Braehead Curling Rink from September until the end of March.  SP to S6 play on a Friday evening from 4.15pm until 5.15pm.  S4-S6 meet on a Wednesday as part of the senior games options.  Coaching sessions are run by coaches accredited by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.  They help seasoned curlers brush up their skills and new curlers to learn how to curl, be safe on the ice and the etiquette of the sport.


Drama

blu &white.jpg Drama plays a vibrant part in school life and all pupils have opportunities to perform on stage.  A Senior Prep- S2 Club meets weekly throughout the year, allowing for creative expression alongside teacher-led activities often culminating in an informal performance.  At Senior level, the S6 play has become an established event at the West End Festival, with opportunities for all pupils to become involved.  This provides a most memorable finale to the end of the KA experience.  Ambitious recent productions include 'Pygmalion', 'Anything Goes' and 'Grease'.

KA pupils can also take part in classes which include Poetry, Public Speaking, Sight Reading, Group Acting and Theory of Speech.  Pupils may sit external examinations in all Speech Classes of the main Boards of The London Colleges of Speech and Drama.  Each year pupils participate in The Glasgow Music Festival, individually or in groups, with great enthusiasm and achieve successful results.


Eco Group

eco schools.jpg The Eco Group plays an important role at KA.  The group seeks to raise awareness about our environment and promote a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Junior Start children look after their garden, and are busy growing - and harvesting - potatoes, strawberries, beans and rhubarb.  They compost and recycle as much as possible, and the garden is full of exciting things to discover and experience (willow-tunnel, digging pit, mini-beast home).  The Junior School also operates its own recycling scheme.

In the Senior School there are several projects underway including recycling, gardening and wildlife initiatives.  The ultimate aim is to be awarded the coveted Green Flag by Eco-Schools Scotland, and that is what we as a school are working towards.


Music

junior start nativity.jpg The Music Department is a lively place.  There are weekly sessions for choirs and orchestras but also the opportunity, on a grander scale, to participate in festivals, concerts and competitions.

The choirs range from the Infant Choir (J1-J3), the Junior Choir (J4-J6), the Intermediate Choir (Senior Prep - S2) to the Senior Choir (S3-S6).  In addition there are often small chamber choirs assembled for the Glasgow Music Festival or for special occasions.  As a result of performing with the school choir some pupils have the opportunity top sing with organisations such as the RSNO Junior Chorus, the NYCoS and the Glasgow Philharmonic Male Voice Choir.

For pupils who play orchestral instruments there is the Junior and Senior Orchestras.  Both groups meet weekly and the Senior Orchestra participates at the Glasgow Music festival as well as school concerts.  Many pupils participate in 'play away' days and with other groups such as the WOSIS orchestra, the SSSO and the Strathclyde Jazz Orchestra,.

music.jpg Throughout the year there are many chances for pupils to shine individually by entering the various music competitions.  The Junior, Intermediate and Senior Music Competitions are run for those interested in competing at the highest level and outside adjudicators are brought in to assess the performances.  The House Music Competition is open to any pupil wishing to show off their musical ability.  The whole school comes to watch and pupils perform anything from Beyonce to Bach and beyond!

Pupils also perform externally and each year one of the highlights is singing at Princes Square just before Christmas.  In addition there are performances at hospices, care homes and hospitals to brighten the lives of those less fortunate.

The Music Department is thriving and there are opportunities for all.  Many pupils come to the department at lunchtimes to rehearse rock and jazz groups and the peripatetic teachers often like to bring groups together (eg. guitar and saxophone groups).  Music is for all and we hope to make it so at KA.


Outdoor Education

canoe.jpg In addition to the Activities Weeks available from SP to S3 the school continues the pupils' outdoor experience through the Mountaineering and Canoe Clubs.  Each activity is intended so the pupils learn by progression in both the technical skills and the adventure level of the activities.  These skills can be further enhanced by taking part in the numerous expeditions that take place throughout the year, varying from day and weekend excursions to summer expeditions.  So far, expeditions have included Dundonnell, The Great Glen, the Islands of Skye and Rum and the Pyrenean Mountains of Spain.

climb.jpg The clubs are available to S1-S6 pupils with the Canoe Club beginning in the new academic year and running until winter half term.  The Mountaineering Club begins after half term with indoor climbing and bouldering at a variety of locations.  The spring term sees the return of the Canoe Club although initially this is pool based.   The Mountaineering Club continues in the summer term with outdoor climbing.

Rifle Shooting

rifle club.jpg The KA Shooting Club has seen great success over recent years with pupils being selected for 'Scottish Schools' and 'County Junior' teams as well as significant individual successes.  Almost all of the club's shooting is formal small-bore shooting at 25 yards in the school range although there are frequent trips to other ranges including Bearsden Club with whom we have a special association.  Calm nerve, steady hand and steely eye are essential and with it come real responsibility and a sense of achievement.  Many continue shooting after leaving school and have enjoyed shooting competitively for the rest of their lives.



 

Young Enterprise

enterprise.jpg The Young Enterprise Programme enables students to set up and run their own company over the course of one academic year.  In doing so, they learn about all aspects of business such as market research, finance, sales production or service provision, customer service and HR.

Pupils work through the programme with support from a volunteer business advisor.  During the process pupils sell 'their wares' at the Christmas Trade Fair in Glasgow Concert Hall, competing against other schools for 'Best Stall'.  At the end of the year they liquidate the company and present a report and accounts to the YES Board.  This is followed by a presentation evening whereby the Glasgow Companies go head-to-head in a 'Dragon's Den' format to compete for the prestigious title of 'Best Glasgow Company'.  Pupils are also invited to sit the Young Enterprise exam, in association with Strathclyde Business School.



 
The Kelvinside Academy War Memorial Trust (a Company limited by Guarantee, with Charitable Status, and registered in Scotland No. SCO 03962) Registered Office: 33 Kirklee Road, Glasgow G12 0SW,
T: 0141 357 3376