Co-Curricular

The Head Girl Team, comprising the Head Girl, two Deputies and several Senior Prefects, is elected in January of the Lower Sixth. Every girl is encouraged to outline her aims for the school at the Hustings before votes are cast. House Captains are elected at the same time and are vital in fostering a school spirit and inter form competition.

The Head Girl meets with the Headmistress every week and she and her deputies chair the School Council giving the Sixth Form a powerful voice in the management and direction of the school.

Sixth Formers are involved in mentoring younger years as part of the Big Sister programme.  They also run clubs and societies for younger members of the school, for example, the Christian Union, Science club, Dance and Drama clubs, Debating Society and Sports Clubs.

Other school leadership opportunities include:

The Darwin Elective Programme is a chance for students to continue to develop their broader education: to be exposed to a wider range of skills and experiences that will prepare them for lifelong learning beyond the confines of their chosen specific academic disciplines.

Thus the Darwin Programme of electives offers students a chance to study a range of academic, cultural and practical activities such as: debating, anthropology, current affairs, architecture, digital photography, putting on a Sixth Form production and analysing ‘bad science’.

Volunteering in the local community is an important element of this programme and involves visiting schools for children with learning difficulties, helping the elderly at local residential homes  and teaching swimming skills to disabled children.

The aim is to provide a broader curriculum and to extend the students’ knowledge and experiences beyond their A-level subjects. Benefits can include inspiration with higher education choices, volunteering experience, preparation for highly competitive courses and universities, the opportunity to try something completely different, personal skills development and confidence building.

The Darwin Elective Programme Booklet

Every term, four or five lectures are organised for students of all ages in the Senior School. These sessions are held for half an hour at lunchtime and provide students with the opportunity to learn about topics related to or extending beyond those covered in their regular lessons. The speakers are all experts in their respective fields and consistently appreciate the engagement and questions from our students. Past topics and speakers include:

• Emily Penn – Ocean plastics
• Kit Chapman – How to build your own element
• Chine MacDonald – Gender, identity and belonging
• Katja Hoyer – The German Second Reich: Blood and Iron
• Simon Parker – The Fragile Artic
• Gisela Abbam – Is a global approach to healthcare becoming a requirement for securing global prosperity?
• Carolyn Bolton – Recognising your experiences: defining/redefining your narrative
• James Wishart – From French music to French culture
• David Olusoga – Black and British
• Kathryn Burn – From bedroom to boardroom with BBCs’ The Apprentice Finalist

In Year 12, pupils are offered the opportunity to take part in a discursive program called the Minerva Symposia. This allows them to gain confidence in reading more academic articles and presenting their viewpoints to individuals outside their usual social circles. Sessions run every half-term for either one or two periods, with groups divided into science-based and humanities-based topics.

Past topics include:

• Has vaping got more benefits than smoking?
• Is proportional representation a viable form of government?
• To what extent vaccinations should be made compulsory?
• How useful are the terms ‘feminism’ and ‘toxic masculinity’?
• Is genetic engineering a positive development?
• To what extent does the legacy of colonialism still permeate our society?

At Bromley High School we run successful Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.  Sixth Form students are invited to participate in the Gold award. Fifteen of the sixteen girls who participated in the gold award last year have achieved the award – this speaks volumes of their resilience, commitment and initiative.

One of the rewards is to attend a presentation ceremony at one of the Royal Palaces such as St James’s Palace or Buckingham Palace.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Music, Dance, Debating and Drama are an integral part of the Sixth Form life as Sixth Formers become leaders and soloists in a rich range of choral and orchestral performances and take leading roles on the stage. We offer a full range of exciting co-curricular clubs including a number of senior societies such as Senior Swimming, Orchestra, Debating and Hockey.  As girls become more confident they can also take a more active role in coaching pupils from younger years.

Discover our full range of co-curricular clubs

Outlook Expedition
The annual Outlook Expedition provides opportunities for girls to enjoy an inspirational physically challenging and cultural enriching experience. Bromley High has a long history of taking successful expeditions around the globe to destinations including Mongolia, Zambia, Malawi, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Cambodia and Laos.

Academic Trips
Throughout the year, numerous enrichment trips are available to students from year 7 to year 13. Most half-terms include a trip to see a play or a musical, allowing students to expand their cultural capital. Dinner is also included, providing students with opportunities to mingle and make friends across different year groups. Past trips have included:

In addition, Year 12 students are offered the opportunity to visit Oxford University during the Spring Term. They visit a number of colleges and the Union. Pupils also have the chance to talk to one of our alumnae about the application process, what it is like to study there, and receive tips on how to succeed.

Discover more about Senior School trips

GDST Lead is a dynamic elective, providing Sixth Formers with the opportunity to create an innovative business idea to raise money for charity. This innovative programme, in partnership with LSE, allows young women to develop the transferable skills necessary to become future leaders and entrepreneurs.

• Bromley High School & Harris Academy Orpington Debating Partnership
  Bromley High School students have previously collaborated with Harris Academy Orpington in a debate on technology in education, continuing their ongoing partnership to strengthen debating culture.Harris Academy has a burgeoning debating culture, and it is a wonderful opportunity for our students to support them as they develop and expand their debating society.
• RI Masterclasses with Bromley schools
  RI Masterclasses are extracurricular workshops in Mathematics or Computer Science, devised and presented by groups of Year 12 pupils.These masterclasses nurture younger pupils’ curiosity and inspire them to continue their engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in the future.