Co-curricular Programme
Our co-curricular Forder Programme is named after our pioneering second Headmaster, the Reverend Forder, who believed passionately that schools should offer more to the education of young people than classroom learning. In the pursuit of passions outside of the classrooms, Junior School pupils encounter a variety of experiences for personal growth and development. Our ambitious, forward-thinking programme is sufficiently broad to give each individual the freedom to carve out their own unique journey.
We believe that all pupils in the Junior School have the potential to become whoever they want to be, and our ambitious, varied and unique Forder provision allows pupils to select activities that excite and challenge them, enabling them to uncover new skills and talents that they may never have known they had before. Activities run daily before and after school, during lunch breaks and as part of our timetabled curriculum.
We are also thrilled to work with a wide range of external providers who offer bespoke after school activity programmes to our Junior pupils including: M:Tech, Munchkins Sports, Champions Theatre Arts, BEAM Academy and TypingsCool. This offers parents and pupils the opportunity to access these specialist activities conveniently on the school site.
Each Forder activity sits within one of our five College Values to encourage diversity of skill acquisition and experiences for all pupils:
Core: The core strand of the Forder Programme includes activities relating to sport, wellbeing and mental health. Our state-of-the-art facilities including a 30m swimming pool, extensive fields, rock climbing wall, indoor gym, multi-use games area, hockey pitches, netball courts and cricket pitches. Core activities are designed to promote positive wellbeing and lessons in mindfulness are offered to pupils throughout the Junior School.
Core Pre-Prep Activity Examples: Ballet, Disney Dance, Munchkins Sports, Yoga, Mindfulness, Stretch and Breathe, Catch It Throw It, Cricket, Martial Arts, Tag Rugby, Superhero Training, Pilates, Golf Fun
Core Prep Activity Examples: Street Dance, Climbing, Golf, Cross Country, Football, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Swimming, Netball, Hockey, Swimming, Land Training, SDC Circuits, Fitness Fanatics, Rugby, Cricket, Aussie Rules, Rounds, Tennis, Aqua Fun, Swim Squad, Stretch and Breathe, Mindfulness, Mindfulness Colouring, Yoga, The Calm Club
Courage: This profile inspires our pupils to be ambitious, push their boundaries and challenge themselves to try something different, developing the skills of perseverance and facing challenges along the way. Pupils in the Junior School are celebrated for their individuality and our supportive staff encourage pupils to embrace new opportunities to continually develop a broad range of skills and talents. Staff organise activities that they are passionate about and this enthusiasm is echoed in the pupils, who quickly develop the courage to build their confidence and be ambitious when making their choices, strengthening both resilience and endeavour.
Courage, Pre-Prep Activity Examples: Mandarin, First Strings, Puzzle Fun, Record Breakers, Building, Nature Detectives, Let’s Get Cooking
Courage, Prep Activity Examples: Young Architects, Podcasts, The Apprentice, Debating, Junior School Journalists, Project Pioneers, Design and Build, British Sign Language, First Aid
Compassion: Junior School pupils have a plethora of opportunities to engage actively in the local community through a number of exciting projects. Compassion, care and understanding for others are taught from the earliest of days in the Junior School and pupils are actively encouraged to become forward-thinking in the knowledge that their small actions can make a big difference, in their local, national and global communities. We teach the skills that will enable our pupils to thrive as responsible citizens in the twenty-first century and see that an appreciation that the viewpoint of others is essential for developing compassion.
Compassion, Pre-Prep Activity Examples: Story Time, Compassion, Environmental Club, Philosophy, Woodland Activities, Exploring Diversity and Difference,
Compassion, Prep Activity Examples: Eco Club, Compassion Club, Climate Change, Creative Writers, Philosophy, Academic Scholarship Preparation, Junior School Journalists, Debating, The Wonderful World of Books
Creativity: Creativity, individuality and ambition are integral to life in the Junior School and we embrace and nurture endeavour in art, drama, music and performance. Regular public performances are held at St Laurence Church, Southwark Cathedral and other key locations within our local community. Specialist facilities including our state-of-the-art music room, art and DT room, Woodland Classroom and hall spaces allow for a fully immersive and creative experience. An annual St Dunstan’s Festival is held every summer, for the whole College and community to engage in performance, drama, singing, dancing and more; pupils in the Junior School come off-timetable to learn a range of different skills outside of the taught curriculum, including graffiti, architecture, street dance, drama, cartoonist and author workshops, to name just a few examples.
Creativity, Pre-Prep Activity Examples: Paper Crafts, Art in the Woods, Sewing, Choir, Kids Dance Bop, Drama, The Cutting Crew, Origami, Woodland Classroom
Creativity, Prep Activity Examples: Ukelele, Musical Theatre, SDC Stitchers, Calligraphy, Music Technology (M:Tech), Origami, Cartoon Drawing, Optical Illusion Art, Photography, Let’s Draw, Orchestra, Prep Choir, Boomwhackers and Beats, Ukulele and Chair Drumming, Music Theory and Appreciation, Drama, Prop Design, Poetry Lovers, The Actor’s Workshop.
Curiosity: Dedicated and passionate staff work hard to support pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding by providing rich additional educational experiences and activities. Curiosity is embedded in co-curricular activities, allowing pupils to use their skills of enquiry and curiosity to ask questions, think critically, experiment, build and challenge themselves. Academic enrichment activities offer pupils the opportunity to deepen their love of a particular area of the curriculum with skilled teachers.
Curiosity, Pre-Prep Activity Examples: Curiosity Club, Dominoes, Maths Problem Solving, Creative Writing.
Curiosity, Prep Activity Examples: Touch Typing, Zentangle Zen, Rapid Maths, It’s Electric, French Games, Words-Words-Words, Puzzle Club, Jigsaw Club, Brain Training, Around the World, Academic Scholarship Preparation, Art Scholarship Preparation, Drama Scholarship Preparation, Coding, The Wonderful World of Books, Chess