Extra-curricular activities

At the West London Free School every child will be expected to stay on after the school day ends at 15.50 from Monday to Thursday and participate in a different after-school activity from 16.00–17.00 on each of the four days. There are a wide range of options available, with pupils having the opportunity to learn a number of foreign languages, participate in a variety of different sports and pursue their interest in music, not to mention hone their skills as a chess player or debater. There is even an after-school drama club that meets at the nearby Lyric Theatre. There really will be something for everyone.

The extra-curricular programme will be overseen by Miss Cann, our Head of Classics. "I know from my time as Head of Classics at one of Britain’s leading independent schools that a rich programme of extra-curricular activities can add a huge amount to a child’s experience of school, enabling him or her to develop confidence, skills and enthusiasm which will benefit them in the classroom and beyond," she says. "It will also encourage them to discover what it is that really excites them. Many of my fondest memories from my teaching career to date have involved extra-curricular pursuits, be they trips at home or overseas, sporting events or academic enrichment activities."

The money we have been given to run our school by the Department for Education doesn’t include anything for extra-curricular activities so we’re hoping all parents will make a monthly voluntary donation. We know this is asking a lot, but there is simply no other way to fund this programme and it is absolutely central to the school’s vision. We carried out a consultation about this among the parents of our current cohort of Year 7s and nearly all of them said they’d be willing to help out. Please note that children whose parents cannot afford to make a monthly donation will still have access to the full programme.