At Malvern College a pupil’s education is not limited to the academic curriculum. Out of class the College has much to offer, and there are many opportunities to try new things. This counter-balance is known as the Co-Curriculum.
Within the Co-Curriculum we believe in taking the concept of caring for others out into the local community. Some of the activities undertaken under the aegis of Community Service (CS) benefit the school, (e.g. re-cycling, theatre help), but most serve the broader community and are aimed at responding to the needs of the local people.
We have liased closely with Malvern Community Action, Age Concern, Malvern Hills Conservators and Malvern Hills Homeless Young Adults Trust. Additionally a successful venture has been the provision of foreign students who run language clubs in about a dozen local primary Schools.
The principles underlying the Co-Curriculum are twofold:
to encourage a balance between creativity, action and service
to encourage pupils to engage in new experiences.
The aims are to help pupils to develop:
a willingness to inquire and an enjoyment of discovery
autonomy and self-reliance
an appreciation of their own and others talents
knowledge, skills and understanding
an awareness of the wider community
Pupils are unlikely ever again to have such a choice so easily available to them so they strongly encouraged to make the most of these opportunities during their time here.
The Foundation Year and the Remove(Year 9 and Year 10)
On Thursdays afternoons both year groups have two Games periods in which they are offered tuition in a wide selection of activities. Afterwards they are free to select further activities.
On Saturday afternoons they will either be playing for a school team, having a practice or taking part in some other physical activity. Musicians may use part of Saturday afternoons to practice if they are not needed for school teams.
On Tuesday afternoons Remove pupils may choose between the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Community Service (CS). The Foundation Year have two P.E. lessons. Afterwards there is the chance to sample Fives or Rackets. In addition, pupils must choose two further CCAs to attend regularly each week.
The Hundred (Year 11)
On Tuesday afternoons pupils may choose either CCF, Community Service or the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. In the Summer term, they have study time. Wednesday afternoons are designated for Games. In the second half of the Summer term the Games commitment is voluntary. In addition, pupils must choose two further CCAs to attend regularly each week.
The Lower Sixth
On Tuesday afternoons, pupils are engaged in some form of service to the wider community (either CCF, DoE or C.S.). In addition, pupils must choose two further CCAs each week: one of these must be a physical activity. This is a minimum. We hope, of course, that pupils will choose to do many other activities on a voluntary basis.
The Upper Sixth
Pupils in the Upper Sixth are expected, and guided, to maintain the balance between their co-curricular activities. In the Sixth form, a pupil is expected to complete a minimum of 150 hours, distributed as evenly as appropriate between creativity, action and service.
