While we believe at Bales that hard work and academic success are very important, we also hold that it is important for our students to relax and engage in non-academic activities.  We aim to cultivate well-rounded individuals inside and outside the classroom.

 

 

 

We run trips for our students all year round.  Some tie straight into the curriculum; others are purely to increase the general knowledge and awareness of our students, to broaden their range of experience and to be just plain fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy body, healthy mind.  This slogan we take very seriously.  In our experience, exercise produces motivated, focussed and happy students.  Students in Years 7 to 9 follow a sports programme three times a week, including use of a Sports and Education Centre that is only a few minutes' walk away.

 

Years 10 and 11 have games at least twice a week, including regular sporting fixtures against other schools.

 

A-level students who want to participate in sport are able to do so.  The range of sports available is wide: from swimming to badminton, from climbing to football - there's something for everyone.

 

 

 

Participation in a broad range of activities outside the classroom is typical of a Bales College student.  Rather than letting this interfere with academic work, we aim to complement our students' studies by offering a large variety of stimulating, thought-provoking and engaging clubs.

 

  

Here is a preview of some of the clubs that will be running from September 2009:

 

 

 

Open to anybody learning or interested in taking up an instrument, our music club will offer a large amount of opportunity not available under individual study.  If you've ever been interested in playing ensemble in a group, trying out new instruments, composing your own music or performing live in front of an audience, this is the club for you.  Under the careful guidance of several of our members of staff with musical expertise, participants will learn the value of teamwork, key parts of music theory and an overview of the history of music.

 

 

Je pense donc je vais à la société de la philosophie.

 

For intellectuals, weekly meetings are held to discuss such big issues as the origin of everything, right and wrong, the theory of knowledge, and to learn about the important contributions to philosophy of figures such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Hume, Russell and Wittgenstein (early and later!).

 

Everybody is welcome to attend these meetings, from philosophical fledglings to veterans of analytical thought.

 

 

As well being a lot of fun, drama teaches many important and diverse skills such as public speaking, teamwork, textual analysis and understanding how people tick.  It builds confidence and is a great way to learn about literature.  There are opportunities not only for budding actors and actresses, but also anybody interested in the whole world of theatre, including set design, costume and sound.