Co-Curriculum

Sport

Here we recognise the importance of physical activity as an integral part of our pupils’ development.

Our sports programme is designed to foster teamwork, discipline, and a love for physical fitness, while providing pupils with opportunities to excel both individually and as part of a team.

Facilities and Opportunities

Bancroft’s boasts a wide array of top-notch sports facilities that support a diverse range of activities. Our campus includes:

• A large multi-purpose sports hall
• A 24m indoor swimming pool
• Extensive playing fields spanning 17 acres
• West Grove playing fields feature tennis and netball courts, cricket, football, and rugby pitches, a state-of-the-art CrossFit gym, and brand-new cricket nets.

All pupils participate in a vibrant weekly programme of PE and games. The Thirds (Year 7) have games on a Friday afternoon, and curriculum sports include football, hockey, rugby, netball, athletics, cricket, and tennis. They also have three 50-minute PE lessons per fortnight which includes swimming, basketball, and gymnastics.

Football has become a leading sport at the school, with both girls’ and boys’ teams excelling in external competitions. Read more about our journey to the ISFA finals

Music

Music is an integral part of our educational experience, fostering creativity, discipline, and a sense of community among students.

Comprehensive Music Programme

Our music programme is designed to cater to a wide range of musical interests and talents. It includes:

• Instrumental Lessons: Offered by 30 peripatetic music teachers, covering a variety of instruments.
• Choirs and Ensembles: Students can join multiple choirs, orchestras, and bands, providing opportunities to perform in various professional settings.
• Music Technology: State-of-the-art facilities support music composition and production.

Diverse Musical Groups

Our current orchestras, ensembles, and choirs include:
• Thirds Choir • Bancroft’s Big Band • Bancroft’s Singers
Boys Voices • Girls Voices • Camerata • Chamber Ensembles
Concert Band • Drum Line • Flute Ensemble • Junior Orchestra
Percussion Club • Rock/Pop Band • Soul Band • Sinfonia • Ukulele Club

Music Award at 11+ Entry

We offer a prestigious Music Award at 11+ entry, which provides students with the opportunity to further their musical education. Recipients of the Music Award receive individual tuition on one instrument and benefit from a programme of activities such as masterclasses covering various instruments, composition, music technology, and conducting. Find out more here.

Drama

At Bancroft’s we aim to inspire a love for the performing arts and equip students with valuable skills that extend beyond the stage.

Diverse Opportunities

Students can participate in various aspects of drama, from acting to technical roles such as sound and lighting design. Our dedicated technician is delighted to work with anyone interested in learning more about these areas. We also welcome those who want to help with sourcing and building sets and props for our productions.

Annual Productions

We have two ambitious annual school productions: a senior show and a junior show. Recent productions have included:
• We Will Rock You • Crazy For You
• Arabian Nights • Oliver
• Bugsy Malone

Each year, we also host a very popular House Drama competition where all houses produce a short play involving pupils from all year groups.

LAMDA Examinations

Students have the opportunity to take LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) examinations in the Speaking of Verse and Prose, up to Grade 8 (Gold Medal), with lessons provided by visiting staff.

Outdoor Education

We believe that outdoor education is essential for developing resilience, leadership, and a sense of adventure among our pupils. Our comprehensive outdoor education programme includes the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), and Scouting.

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

• Army and RAF Sections: Providing structured training and adventure activities.
• Regular Drills and Exercises: Enhancing physical fitness and strategic thinking.
• Field Trips and Camps: Offering real-world experiences and challenges.

Pupils participate in a variety of activities, from navigation and survival skills to first aid and marksmanship, fostering a sense of responsibility and camaraderie.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE)

• Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards: Each level requiring progressively challenging activities.
• Expeditions: Including planning, training, and undertaking journeys in various terrains..
• Volunteering, Skills and Physical Sections: Encouraging a well-rounded development.

Participation in DofE helps students build confidence, resilience, and a sense of achievement as they complete their awards.

Scouting

• Sea Scouts: Offering sailing, kayaking, and water-based survival skills.
• Camping and Outdoor Skills: Teaching pupils how to navigate, build shelters, and cook outdoors.
• Community Service Projects: Encouraging a spirit of giving back and environmental stewardship.

Our Scouting provision provides pupils with numerous opportunities to explore the outdoors, develop leadership skills, and work collaboratively with their peers.

Trips

Trips at Bancroft’s are many and varied, and offer something for all ages, all interests and all budgets.

Variety and Fun!

Annually there are language trips to Spain, France and Germany, there is a History trip to the Battlefields of France and Belgium, there are UK sports tours, there are many Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and CCF camps, and there are European ski trips. On a biennial basis we also offer a Classics trip to Sorrento, a Geography trip to Iceland and cultural city breaks to European cities.

Sports Tours

Sports tours are thriving at Bancrofts, with hockey tours to Barcelona (juniors) and Argentina (seniors), cricket tours that have in recent years gone to South Africa, Barbados and The Netherlands, and rugby and netball tours that offer UK trips to the year 7s and then overseas tours later in the school. January 2024 saw our first football tour (Seville) and October 2024 will see our second (Madrid), while the first Bancroft’s golf trip also took place this year (Costa Brava).

Volunteering

In the top three years of the school pupils are given the opportunity to travel to Peru to support a charity with which the school has links in addition to visiting several wonders of the world along the way, and in February 2025 Bancroft’s will also run a volunteering trip in Morocco for the first time.