Students And Extracurricular Activities
How do students benefit from doing extracurricular activities?
Students benefit in a range of ways from doing extracurricular activities. They gain new skills, for example a sport, workshop skills if they're doing DT, right way through to mentoring and peer support skills if they're looking after a younger student. They also gain motivation. It's a real chance for them to enjoy school and choose to do something they are really interested and passionate about, and therefore their motivation for learning and their motivation for their teachers and the school increase. They also gain empathy. For example, if you're in a sports team and you're having to pick every practice who's on your team, you're going to start to develop those skills whereby I don't want you to feel left out. We're a team. We've all chosen to be here. Let's make the most of this club or group. So, a lot of the skills you're going to see are learning not in the traditional sense of knowledge, but certainly in terms of social skills and teamworking skills.
What skills do students develop when doing extracurricular activities?
The skills that children will develop while doing extracurricular activities are varied. They will certainly develop group work and they will develop social skills. They will also develop very specific skills depending on the activity that they're doing. So, it might be art club, in which case their drawing, and their ability to portray something and to develop ideas, will be tested. It might be a sports club, in which case those specific skills to that sport, motivation, challenge, and how to take part in a competition will be developed. They are also going to be picking up motivational skills, and also empathy, I think. If you're taking part in a group every week, you're going to be wanting everyone to feel involved; you're going to be thinking about things "I'd better pick him, because he hasn't been picked before", "You were left until last", and therefore it shows your skills on a wider basis than simply the group work.
How do extracurricular activities appeal to students' individual interests?
Extracurricular activities appeal to students' interests because the clubs should be based on demand. Because extracurriclar activities are voluntary, if the students want to do it, then certainly in this school, the teachers or older students, for example the sixth formers, would try to put on a club. So Warhammer, we discovered, was among the interests of our new band of year sevens, so Warhammer club appeared with sixth formers to run it. So from that point of view, the extracurricular activities will appeal to students because the students want to be there, they've demanded to be there. There are no clubs that are put on and students told to attend. Extracurricular is voluntary, not compulsory.
How do extracurricular activities help you become a well-rounded student?
Extracurricular activities help you become a well rounded student because you develope not only knowledge and thinking skills but also social skills, group work, empathy, team building, organizational and motivational skills relevent when running a club. They are not only having to take part in the club but also organizing, deciding what to do in the club and what happens in terms of the treasury of the club.
Should students try a range of extracurricular activities?
Students should definitely try a range of activities. It's really important, especially in that first year or so when they come into a new school, to try out as much as possible. They won't know if they like it until they try it, they won't know which people are there or whether they're going to make new friends until they go along and it's worth them just getting involved and seeing where their strengths lie. Often a student will go through school not finding their true strength, whether it be at sports, art, drama, design and technology or even horse riding. We have an equestrian club here at Oxford School, and that's something that very few students have had a chance to try until they go along and partake in an extracurricular activity.
Should students stick with the same extracurricular activities throughout their education?
In terms of sticking with an extracurricular activity, I think it depends on your motivation for going to that club or society. If you're going along to make new friends, and you're going along just to have fun and try things out and see where your strengths lie, then I think moving around and changing activities can be a bonus. If, however, you are a serious athlete, or you want to become a professional actor or actress, then maybe staying with a specific club, because it's teaching you skills that you're going to need in your later life, is worth doing throughout your school career.
Do extracurricular activities help academic performance?
Extracurricular activities can help academic performance in two ways. Firstly, because you've chosen to be in that club and because it's something that you're fairly good at, you're developing confidence which can only help you in the classroom.The second way in which it's going to help you is that you're developing relationships with teachers in a different way. It's not that classroom based in-front-of-the-whiteboard person. They are suddenly someone you are able to relate to and to develop a relationship with that you can bring back into the classroom and aide their teaching and your learning.
Should students do extracurricular activities at exam time?
Whether students can carry on with extracurricular activities exam time depends completely on the students themselves. If they can organize themselves, make the time, do their work, and still do the activities, then fine. I think they can be a great way of unwinding, and relieving stress. If, however, the student is feeling pushed for time, then certainly, extracurricular activities are one of the things that should be looked at to make more time for the really important revision, so that they can get the grades that they deserve.
Does participating in extracurricular activities help you get into university?
I think extracurricular activities can help you get into university. I think increasingly, with many more students getting high grades, maybe not top grades, but high grades, standing out is more difficult to do through a UCAS application form. Certainly if you show yourself and you're a well-rounded person, who partakes not only sports, but also in things like art, drama, maybe volunteering in the local community through the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. Maybe taking up new interests could be a way of standing out as well, if you've never had a chance to ride a horse and you take up the equestrian club at Oxted School, then you're showing skills that don't come across, maybe, from your academic record. And also, back when I applied at University, one of the three interviews I had at one of the universities that I applied to, was solely on extracurricular activities. It could well be that you get questioned if you go to interviews, and increasingly interviews are becoming part of the university application process.
Should students' interests outside school be valued?
Students' interests outside school should definitely be valued. There is increasingly - among the press and amongst maybe parents to an extent - a focus on the academic and it's important to emphasis the other side. Maybe it's a dance club, maybe it's a drama club, maybe it's a sports club that has no link to the school at all and should definitely be valued. Certainly within my tutor group we've created a calendar of all the events that people do, whether they be school run or outside of school, and we encourage all of our tutees to go along and watch each member of their tutor group taking part in whatever it is they do.
At what age can students start taking part in extracurricular activities?
Students can take part in extracurricular activities at any age, certainly within this secondary school. In terms of primary school, I think they are very similar. If the student is able and wants to take part in an activity, then they shouldn't be stopped.
Should extracurricular activities be included on a CV?
Extracurricular activities should definitely be included on a CV. They show that a student is well-rounded, what interests they have outside of the academic, and whether they can also show skills such as being able to take up something new. So, if a student has never had a chance to go and ride a horse, then equestrian club shows that they've taken something up, they've stuck at it, and they've achieved something at the end of it. They also show things like group work, teamwork, social skills. Here at Oxted school, we take away all of our Year Eights on a week-long camping expedition. That is something that will stand out on a CV. It shows they've had a chance to work with their peers, to get on with people they might not like in a very confined and close setting and get through that and have a lot of fun.
Do extracurricular activities make you more employable?
I think extracurricular activities can make you more employable. I think they teach you skills that go beyond the simple academic ones of knowledge and learning skills. They emphasize group work, social skills, team building, teamwork, organization, motivation, inspiration, and all of those things are very relevant and very needed within the workplace.
