Activities and Outings
A wide range of extra-curricular activities are provided as befits our claim to All-Round Excellence.
Outings & Expeditions
Various school departments will offer outings and expeditions during term, to places such as Hadrian's Wall, Roman York and the York museums, Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station, Lindisfarne, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Hull port, Stratford upon Avon, various theatres, the National Museum of Film and Photography, Beamish Victorian Village, The Royal Armouries, The National Railway Museum and the Magna Earth museum. There may be theatre trips for any year group on weekday afternoons, evenings or on weekends to see drama or ballet to support learning in the curriculum.
Those who sing in the scholas (the school choirs) often have engagements singing at outreach concerts, or at prestigious venues such as York Minster, Lincoln Minster or Salford Cathedral. Overseas trips are taken each year, one for the boys' schola and one for the girls' schola, to a different country in Europe.
In Year 8 pupils will have a weekend away to study Biology and Geography in the field and to complete part of their assessment for Common Entrance. In addition Year 8 undertake a week's trip abroad, which could be to France, Italy or to Spain.
Weekday Activities
Two afternoons a week are devoted to an extensive programme of Activities for all pupils. The options include modelling, chess, hockey, cookery, drama, modern dance, golf, flora, shooting, horseriding, swimming, art, judo, fencing, gardening club, pottery, tennis, a string ensemble and a wind band. Children can choose which activity they would like to engage in.
Weekend Activities
We regard the availability of supervised and meaningful weekend activities as vital to the overall well-being of boarders. It is important to strike a balance on Sundays between the needs of the pupils to re-charge their batteries and the imperative to keep them happily occupied.
Canoeing, climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, abseiling and caving are among the activities organised on Sundays by our outdoor pursuits expert.
Other Sundays may see the children visiting Rievaulx Abbey or the National Railway Museum, going bowling or to the cinema, learning to paint in oils, having fun at Waterworld or simply Christmas shopping. Many day children often join in the weekend or evening fun.
Skiing
A school ski trip is organised through Ampleforth College each year.
Weekday Evenings
Activities are arranged for the boarders every evening which they may or may not choose to join in with. Sports Hall activities are very popular at this time, with bellyball, basketball and football on the Astroturf appearing as regular activities, as is simply relaxing at one of the Football, Pool or Table Tennis tables. Children may choose to work on their warhammer or other models or to undertake an Art activity.
Other evenings may see the girl's experiencing a pampering session or baking gingerbread men for the Christmas tree.
In the summer the children enjoy the freedom of the grounds to indulge in a spot of den-building or 'Cowboys and Indians'.