Clubs, Sport and Activities

Life at Hockerill extends well beyond lessons. We strongly encourage Sixth Form students to become actively involved in the wider life of the College, making time alongside their academic studies for sport, music, clubs, societies, service and other activities. 

Opportunities form an important part of our wider Personal Development curriculum and run throughout the College week, including before school, at lunchtimes and after lessons. Some students continue activities they have enjoyed for many years; others use Sixth Form as an opportunity to try something completely different. 

Both matter. We want students to pursue their interests, but also to be prepared occasionally to step outside their comfort zone, meet different people and discover something new. 

Finding the right balance 

Sixth Form is academically demanding, but success is not simply about spending every available hour studying. 

Learning to balance academic work with exercise, interests, friendships and active rest is an important part of developing the independence students will need beyond school. Taking time away from academic work to do something enjoyable, creative or physical can make an important contribution to health and wellbeing. 

We also find that students who are busy and positively engaged in College life often make strong progress. They learn to organise their time, manage competing commitments and use their independent study periods effectively. 

Activities also provide opportunities to form friendships and build strong relationships with students and staff beyond individual subjects and tutor groups. With activities involving students across different year groups, Sixth Formers remain connected to the wider Hockerill community while developing new networks of their own. 

Sport – compete, participate and enjoy 

Sport is an important part of College life, with opportunities both to represent Hockerill competitively and to participate recreationally. 

Students who want to compete can represent the College through teams, fixtures and competitions, continuing to develop within sports in which they already have experience. 

Competition, however, is only part of the offer. Students can also participate because they enjoy being active, want to maintain their fitness or simply want to play sport with friends. 

Whatever the level, physical activity provides an important counterbalance to academic study. It supports the healthy body and healthy mind that students need if they are to manage the demands of Sixth Form successfully. 

Music, drama and creativity 

Creative opportunities are an important part of College life. 

Musicians can participate for enjoyment or become involved in our choirs, bands, orchestras and ensembles, with opportunities to rehearse, collaborate with other musicians and perform in front of live audiences at concerts and College events. 

Music and drama also come together through College productions and performances, giving students opportunities not only to perform but to contribute to the wider creative process and work alongside students and staff across the College. 

A particular highlight of the Hockerill calendar is our Equipe Performing Arts Competition. Students and staff from across the College come together to represent their Equipes, with Sixth Form students taking a leading role in bringing performances together. It is an opportunity to perform, organise, encourage younger students and work collaboratively across year groups — as well as being one of the events that helps create Hockerill's distinctive sense of community. 

For some students, music and drama will already be areas of considerable expertise. For others, Sixth Form provides an opportunity simply to participate, build confidence, enjoy performing and try something they may not previously have considered. 

Challenge, adventure and service 

Some activities offer experiences that are difficult to replicate in the classroom. 

Our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) includes both Army and Royal Air Force sections and provides opportunities for students to develop confidence, teamwork, self-reliance and leadership through a range of training and adventurous activities. Opportunities within the wider cadet experience can include activities connected with aviation, including flying and gliding, alongside fieldcraft, training, camps and progressive leadership responsibilities. 

Sixth Form students can also work towards the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a significant challenge requiring sustained commitment across volunteering, physical activity, skills, an expedition and a residential experience. It encourages students to become more independent, resilient and willing to challenge themselves beyond their normal experiences. 

Model United Nations provides a very different kind of challenge, giving students opportunities to debate international issues, represent different countries and perspectives and develop their research, diplomacy and public-speaking skills. 

These experiences reflect something important about Hockerill: personal development often happens when students are prepared to challenge themselves and do something that initially feels unfamiliar. 

Explore your academic and career interests 

Activities can also allow students to take their interests beyond the curriculum. 

Societies connected with areas such as medicine, engineering and law give students opportunities to explore subjects they may be considering at university or as future careers. Talks, discussion, wider reading and student-led activity can help students develop their interests and begin to understand where a particular subject might take them. 

This kind of super-curricular activity is particularly valuable for students preparing for university because it encourages them to engage with a subject beyond what is required for their formal qualifications. 

Other opportunities develop practical skills in completely different ways. Cooking and other activities allow students to develop useful interests and life skills, while enterprise activities can give students experience of developing ideas, working as a team and understanding how a business operates. 

Through Young Enterprise, for example, students can gain practical experience of creating and running a student company, making decisions about areas such as products, roles, marketing and finance. 

Contributing to the community 

Participation is also about what students can contribute to others. 

Through Interact, students work alongside the local Rotary community and become involved in projects that make a difference locally and more widely. Volunteering, fundraising and community activity provide opportunities to turn ideas into action and develop an understanding of responsibility beyond themselves. 

Sixth Formers also contribute to activities involving younger students across Hockerill, whether supporting a club, sharing an academic interest or simply providing encouragement and experience. 

Students who want to take greater responsibility can find out more through our Leadership & Opportunities programme. 

Make it your own 

The programme of clubs and activities is not intended to be fixed. 

Students bring new interests and ideas into Hockerill every year. If something you want to pursue is not currently available, we encourage you to explore whether you can establish it yourself. With appropriate staff support, Sixth Formers can create clubs and societies, bring together students who share an interest and help shape the wider opportunities available within the College. 

That freedom matters. Sixth Form is increasingly about learning to identify opportunities rather than simply waiting for them to be provided. 

Get involved 

We want students to leave Hockerill having achieved highly academically, but also having made full use of the opportunities around them. 

Continue doing the things you already love, but try something new as well. Compete seriously or participate for enjoyment. Perform in front of an audience. Debate an international issue. Explore a possible career. Volunteer. Start a club. Learn a new skill. Spend time with people outside your usual friendship group. 

The experiences you gain alongside your academic programme can support your health and wellbeing, broaden your interests, strengthen friendships and develop confidence, independence and skills that will matter at university, in employment and throughout adult life. 

Sixth Form is only two years. We want students to make the most of them.