Sport
At St Lawrence College Junior School we recognise the importance of being active and living a healthy balanced life. We have produced a carefully tailored P.E. curriculum that allows our children to engage in a rich and varied experience. Whether it’s out on the tennis courts in the summer term, swimming in our indoor pool, chasing the Golden Snitch in a game of Quidditch on the back fields or challenging your mental strength on our indoor climbing wall, every pupil is able to challenge themselves and achieve success through sporting activities.
Through the Games programme, pupils have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of traditional sports such as football, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball, athletics, cross-country running and swimming. Pupils are fortunate to have outstanding sports coaches, including ex-county and international players. Talented players are invited to participate in our ‘STRETCH’ Sports programme and are coached by Senior School Sports staff and train above their years.
From Year 3, pupils enjoy the chance to play competitive fixtures against other schools, but, most importantly, children learn the value of fitness, a healthy lifestyle, co-operative teamwork, good sportsmanship, leadership and many other skills which complement and benefit their academic education. In recent years we gained 2nd in Kent Cross Country and U11 Hockey and have several VII County Cricketers.
Art, Drama and Music
All pupils make the most of specialist-taught class lessons, which provide a broad variety of artistic opportunities. The main priorities are to open pupils’ minds to different cultures, to provide them with a range of skills and to offer regular opportunities for them to create, compose and perform.
Individual tuition is available on many different instruments: strings, woodwind, brass, harp, guitar, percussion, piano and voice. For a full current list, please ask in the Junior School office.
DRAMA & LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts)
We also offer in house LAMDA where speech and drama skills are developed, leading to examinations and performance opportunities at local festivals. Within the week there are opportunities to join Street Dance, Swimming, Choir, Orchestra and String Ensemble.
In school, performance opportunities include Chapel services, Tea-Time Concerts, Sharing Assemblies and the annual Talent Show. Pupils also perform in the Thanet Festival (where many prizes have been achieved in recent years), the Dickens Festival at the Broadstairs bandstand and are invited to sing in the local community.
Concert trips, recitals and workshops regularly enhance pupils’ experience, and cross-curricular events ensure that connections are made between music and other aspects of their education. Visiting specialists are also invited to the school to widen pupils’ experience.
Opportunities for drama and role-play are regularly woven into children’s classroom learning, especially in the English curriculum. Drama is also a regular feature of Enrichment Days, Sharing Assemblies and of children’s extra-curricular experience. Pre-Prep children all enjoy the Nativity Play, and Prep pupils are able to participate in an ambitious annual stage production.
The School’s 500-seat Taylor Hall theatre offers an exceptional venue for drama for pupils of all ages throughout the College.
LAMDA lessons help our pupils to build self-esteem and further reward them with the skills that filter into all aspects of school and home life. They are particularly useful for those who want to improve their spoken English, presentation skills and general levels of self-confidence.
