Co-Curricular

Clifton High School's Senior Adventure Programme reaches towards the mindset of an adolescent, encouraging an adventurous spirit that cannot be realised in the traditional classroom setting. Pupils have fun exploring activities that build camaraderie, team bonding and an appreciation for the natural world. 

We continually expand the opportunities available to pupils with challenges to develop environmental awareness, survival skills, self-confidence and resilience. 

Our affiliations with Mendip Activity Centre and Mothership Climbing Centre enable pupils to participate in adventurous pursuits with safety at the core of learning. 

To view our Senior School Adventure timetable, click below:

senior aDVENTURE TIMETABLE

The variety of Clubs and Societies that are available to Senior School pupils and Sixth Form students is wide-ranging and supports intellectual development in ways that supplement Clifton High School’s already comprehensive academic curriculum. They appeal to inquisitive minds and aim to challenge individuals to explore new perspectives, develop new skills and stretch their learning beyond the classroom. 

The Duke of Edinburgh Award facilitates an open-minded and adventurous approach to gaining essential life skills beyond the School environment. Resilience, problem-solving, team building and communication are keys that unlock potential and help pupils challenge themselves with a motivation that supports future direction. 

Currently, Clifton High School offers the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze to pupils in Year 9, Silver to those in Year 10 and Gold to students in Year 12. Lunchtime training sessions are held throughout the School year and thoroughly support the award requirements of volunteering, physical and skills sections and residential section specific to the Gold level.

Clifton High School places huge value on our commitment to give back to both our local community and those further afield. Pupils throughout the School are involved in various initiatives throughout the year, which include:

• Regular visits to St Monica’s Care Home
• Supporting the fundraising Danceathon by Flamingo Chicks
• Revamping the mountain bike trail in Eastville Park

This is complemented by a Community Action Morning in the Summer Term, where all of our pupils are engaged in some form of community action. Years 7 to 9 pupils work with the Infant and Junior School pupils in physical activities, and Year 10 and 12 pupils work on projects with Roots Allotments and Avon Gorge Wildlife Project.  

One of our teachers also leads on refurbishing bikes to give to the Bristol Bike Project, which is passed on to families who do not have the funds to purchase them otherwise. 

In conjunction with Price Waterhouse Coopers, a number of our students in Year 12 visit Bristol Learning Campus every week in order to mentor the pupils there. 

Volunteering 

As volunteers, pupils must donate their time to make a difference to other people’s lives, working with charities or not-for-profit organisations.  These have included:

• Riding for the Disabled
• Bristol Zoological Gardens
• St Peter's Hospice, Help the Aged and Cancer Research charity shops
• Church Youth Groups
• Scouts
• Caring for disabled children
• Visiting the elderly
• Supporting St John's Ambulance Service

Pupils may also volunteer at School by helping run activities for younger pupils or undertaking recycling duties. In addition to this, we have a rotation of House charities, a collection for North West Bristol Foodbank, a fundraising month for Movember and a sponsored sleep-out for the Julian Trust. 

Clifton High is pleased to announce that pupils following the Duke of Edinburgh’s programmes typically complete well over 1200 hours of volunteering annually in their local community, equivalent to a social value of over £6000! An excellent team effort.

With many pupils and staff passionate about the arts, we have a vast number of performance arts clubs that see our pupils unite to commit to a performance, collaborate and build technical skills. These include Chamber Choir, Sixth Form Choir, Music Tech, Music Theory and Composition, Cantata, String Group, Hip Hop Dance Club, School Production, plus many more.

The commitment and effort of pupils culminate in performances at multiple events throughout the year. Many may be held in small-scale settings, including our termly Lunchtime Concerts, Piano Concert, Drum Concert and Dance Recitals. Others are on a larger scale and include the annual Carol Service, Spring Concert and Rose Day.

One of our most popular annual events is an invitation-only Piano Masterclass, delivered by a professional and esteemed musician and educator, who guides pupils in the preparation and performance of a piece that requires a minimum of Grade 5 standard. This is followed by an evening concert for Senior School parents to attend. 

Many of our pupils also relish the opportunity to participate in external music events and community workshops, including:

• Singing workshops for St Monica's, a local care home with which our School has a strong relationship and visits regularly.
• Festival of Arts Week - a week-long festival championing music and the performing arts at The Redgrave Theatre and Clifton Cathedral. Students work closely, collaborating with professional guest artists and attending performance workshops. In previous years, our orchestral players and choirs have performed alongside Spencer Down and the Docklands Sinfonia for their production of West Side Story in a partnership that showcased high-quality musical accompaniment for the classic Leonard Bernstein musical. 
• The Big Gig - organised and hosted by Clifton High School in conjunction with the Bristol Education Partnership was held at Clifton Cathedral. This two-night performance united over ten regional schools to present talented soloists and mass ensemble performances. Our students also had the privilege to perform alongside Karl Queensborough, who played Hamilton in the West End production.

For information on individual music lessons taught by visiting Music Teachers, click the link below:

Music Lessons

Senior School and Sixth Form curriculum sports are divided between the three School terms, with co-curricular termly clubs aligned to these sports offerings. We also offer an array of sports clubs that cater to the unique trends and interests of our pupils, encouraging each individual to try a sport they may not have considered. These include, but are not limited to, Yoga, Tennis, Golf, Taekwondo, Water Polo, Judo, Badminton, Fencing, Trampolining and more.

For additional training opportunities and specialist coaching, pupils and students may be invited by the Sports Department or sign up independently to the following sports clubs:

• Rosslyn Park Rugby 7s 
• Schools Triathlon 
• English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) Cup 
• County Hockey

Many pupils who enjoy and show aptitude in a particular sport discipline are selected to join Clifton High School’s Athletic Development Programme (ADP), which sits alongside the School's PE curriculum and Swimming Programme and further enhances their sporting performances. 

Follow the link below for further information on our Senior Sports programme:

Senior Sports