A 2018 study by Edinburgh University showed that 81% of parents felt co-curricular activities enhanced their child’s academic studies and 95% felt co-curricular activities had a positive influence on their child’s personal growth. At Rugby School Thailand, we continually see evidence of our co-curricular programme enhancing the educational journey of students.
Having comprehensive co-curricular provision gives pupils more opportunities to excel—and we believe excellence is a habit and a transferable skill. This is why at Rugby School Thailand we offer daily co-curricular activities from Reception to XX (Y13); and why they become compulsory from Year 3 onwards.
Across the school, there are over 100 different co-curricular activities to choose from in any given term. These offer children a broad range of opportunities to grow in different areas, such as academics, sports, languages, and the arts. We blend the programme to allow our own teachers to utilise their skills and passions, whilst sourcing the best external providers to offer more specialised activities, such as Chanbara, ballet, horse riding, and Chess.
The volume and variety of co-curricular options means every child has the opportunity to excel, which builds self-esteem and confidence, ultimately supporting and improving academic performance.
Co-curricular activities encourage pupils to engage in new experiences, which promotes adaptability, builds resilience, and helps students overcome fear of failure. The development of character through co-curricular activities is an integral part of Rugby School Thailand’s ‘whole person’ philosophy. Academic excellence alone isn’t enough to propel pupils through life; character really matters. When asked whether she recruits on the basis of good results or character, the CEO of Virgin Money, Jayne Anne replied: “Character first every time”. Similarly, Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba, says “we cannot teach our kids to compete with robots, which are smarter, we have to teach them something unique”.
Our mantra is about taking a holistic approach to education and developing children who thrive in every walk of life. Through our extensive co-curricular provision we give children a love of learning and a healthy lifestyle that supports their academic education in a dynamic and inspiring way.
Find out more about Rugby School Thailand and its co-curricular programme.
By Tom Spreyer, Deputy Head, Senior (Co-curricular)
