Our Thursday Activities programme offers a broad selection of activities to students in Years 9, 12 and 13. In Years 10 and 11 our students take part in our Community Service Programmes. Please click here for further information on our CS offerings.
Our activities offer the chance to take a break from the classroom enabling students to engage in a new or an existing passion, improving mental health and providing a space for personal development. The programme is continuously adapting and changing to provide the best opportunities for our students. At the end of each term they have the opportunity to choose what activity they would like to participate in, with the chance to see what new activities are on offer.
Thursday Afternoon Activities
- £150 Business Enterprise
- Additional Art
- Architecture
- AS Classics
- Baking
- CCF
- Cookery
- Design & Make
- Drama
- Design and Technology Catch Up
- Fives
- Football
- Garden Games
- Handcrafts
- Indoor Climbing
- Journalism
- MFL Film
- Music
- Music Technology
- Padel
- Sports (Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Rugby)
- Spinning / Studio Cycling
- Step Aerobics
- Squash
- Table Tennis
£150 Business Enterprise
An activity where students spend the first half term designing business plans in teams. After pitching their business models £150 is given to the top groups to try and make a successful business.
Additional Art
If you like art and want to develop your skills more and experiment with different styles and materials. It is a fun, laid back atmosphere where you can improve your artistic skills. During art you can paint, draw, sketch and make collages. It’s always varied and themes change every year.
Architecture
Learn and design the principles of Architecture and design models for buildings for all sorts of purposes.
AS Classics
Study classical languages with the opportunity to earn qualifications and UCAS points. This activity is run by Mrs Deering
Baking
In the Baking activity students have the chance to bake treats each week with their own designs and creations. Students get the chance to decide at the end of each session what they want to cook the following week.
CCF
The aim of the CCF is to provide a disciplined organisation through which cadets may develop qualities of endurance, resourcefulness, self-reliance, leadership, responsibility and a sense of public service. The Service (military) training that we do is used as a framework through which these aims can be realised. We also invest a good deal of time on a considerable amount of “non-military” training, such as command tasks, leaderless tasks and adventurous training. Places are limited and attendance of the training days and at least one Army camp over two years are compulsory.
Cookery
The Sixth Form cookery activity is run by Mrs. Brown and Mr Core. Students have the opportunity to learn and try out new culinary skills, as well as making different dishes and recipes each week.
Design & Make/DT
Design & Make is an activity for people who enjoy using their hands to make thing and enjoy the practical side of DT. You complete a series of small projects and you can take home the finished project. In addition, you get the use of machines that you wouldn’t usually use in lessons. There is a small group so you can get more advice from the DT teachers running this activity than you do in regular lessons. If you are considering taking DT for GCSE this would be a good activity for you.
Drama
This is an activity where the students perform plays, songs and poems. As well as the performances, we have a lot of fun, learning drama skills through games and improvisation and also encourage students to enter Drama festivals during the year.
Fives
Every Thursday afternoon, the Ipswich School Fives team gathers together to practice and develop new skills. Fives is a high intensity, active sport which requires fitness and skill. Ipswich School has a long history of Fives, with one of the best teams in the region. It provides a chance to develop new skills, enjoy exercise and meet new friends, whilst being a unique selling point and a different activity to try out.
Football
A chance for students to play some organised football at Ipswich School Sports Centre with Mr Calver and Mr Blunden.
Garden Games
An opportunity for students to relax and enjoy some classic garden games including Giant Jenga, Swingball, Frisbee to name but a few.
Handcrafts
This activity is for those interested in up-cycling, sewing and creating through using a whole array of techniques and materials.
Indoor Climbing
This takes place at AVID Climbing which is the bouldering facility in Ipswich. Mr Orbell supervises the group with professional climbing instructors and pupils have the chance to progress from beginner routes up the climbing walls to the more advanced.
Journalism
In the Journalism activity you will be a member of the team working on the school’s weekly newsletter, The Occasional. This involves mainly researching and writing stories about school activities and interviewing members of staff and pupils. You may also be able to take photos or draw illustrations for features. It’s a relaxed team, but there’s plenty of work to do each week, and is an ideal activity for you if you enjoy writing.
MFL Film
The MFL Film Club is run by the Modern Languages Department and is a chance to experience world cinema at its best. Films are shown in different languages from around the world, in French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Swedish. The activity is a wonderful experience for those studying modern foreign languages at A Level, as it portrays the language used in a natural setting, which supplements the foreign experience. It is also good for anyone with a taste for culture, giving a broader understanding or a passion for cinema, showing niche and exclusive films from worldwide.
Music
Students take part in a number of engaging musical activities over the course of the year, including preparing short performances at local schools and care homes. At the beginning of each term we plan our schedule for the weeks ahead, looking to share and develop musical skills. It’s a great opportunity for Ipswich School Students to share their musical knowledge and passion with others.
Music Technology
In Music Tech you will work with other students, and staff, on the planning, rigging and running of productions. They will range from small shows in little school with minimal lighting and sound, to full scale whole school productions like our biennial musical. There are two main areas which you will be primarily involved in. With the audio engineering side, you will learn skills that are widely applicable across live mixing and studio recording. With the lighting side, you will learn about the many different types of lights available and what they are best used for, if you’ve ever been to a theatre and been amazed by the special effects used this will be the side for you.
Padel
Padel is often referred to as a mix of tennis and squash. It is easy to learn which makes it enjoyable for beginners trying the sport for the first time. Ipswich School is the first school in the United Kingdom to offer this sport to students
Spinning / Studio Cycling
This class is available at Ipswich Sports Club where they have “spin” cycles available in their studio.
This is a high energy session with music and the opportunity to burn a lot of calories and improve your fitness.
Step Aerobics
An activity run by Mrs Blee in the pavilion at Westwood Boarding House, performing exercises and fitness to music. It comprises of stepping onto an adjustable step which can be used for increasing levels of difficulty and keeping in time with the upbeat music. It provides great health benefits, including a good cardio workout and muscle building, as well as being fun and enjoyable. It also provides a community and social aspect of working out together. This fun, social activity is a great way to meet new people who also enjoy a good workout.
Squash
Held at Ipswich Sports Club on Henley Road, the squash activity is a great chance to play for all abilities, from expert competitions and tournaments, to recreational playing.
Table Tennis
An activity which allows students to organise their own tournaments or participate in social play. All abilities welcome.
