Co-curricular or extracurricular activities (CCAs or ECAs for short) are offered at most international schools in Singapore, and the choices are impressive! From sports and music to technology and science, students have endless opportunities to explore their passions outside classroom hours. We find out more about what kids can take part in at these schools in Singapore.
Nexus International School (Singapore) – Plenty of CCA’s
The most popular CCAs among the learners at Nexus include Little Master Chefs, Boom Bang Fizz Fun Science, karate, quilling, golf, mahjong, LAMDA Drama, Green Guardians and Lego Robotics. This year, learners from Lego Robotics participated in the FIRST Lego League Robotics competition and reached the finals.
There are also a variety of music ensembles such as orchestra, choir and guitar club. Video production was recently introduced for learners to pick up skills in video making, from conception to production. On the sports side, Nexus learners are active participants in the ACSIS Sports programme and competition across a range of sports such as swimming, football, rugby, volleyball, basketball, cross-country and more.
The school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme learners can also choose to participate in the Junior Achievement Company programme where participants learn about the entire lifecycle of a business. It includes how to start a company, sell shares, create a product and sell it, liquidate a company and profit share. Run as a competition, it goes from August to January and culminates at the National Finals in Singapore. Nexus has two learner-led companies that have won in the JA Award Singapore Company of the Year competition in 2020 and 2021. One of these, Team Revival, went on to represent Asia Pacific where they placed first among 17 teams.
Another extracurricular activity available to Years 9 to 12 is the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, the world’s largest Youth Development Award for 14- to 24-year-old young adults. It covers voluntary service, skill, physical recreation, adventurous journey and a residential project.
Most interesting CCAs?
Nexus offers slacklining, where learners learn to walk across a tightrope and do tricks as they balance on a slackline. There’s also Green Guardians, a school-wide CCA where learners promote and implement projects that help align the school with UN Sustainable Development Goals. For example, they produced a vegan recipe book last year.
1 Aljunied Walk
6536 6566 | nexus.edu.sg
St Joseph’s Institution International – A full CCA Programme
The CCA Programme at SJI International aims to encourage students to try new extracurricular activities, develop lifelong passions and hone leadership skills. This enables them to enrich their lives, learn new skills, meet new friends and expand their horizons.
The Elementary School maintains a full CCA programme. This includes Lego Robotics, gymnastics, musical theatre, Speech and Drama, ballet, Karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and equestrian as well as a wide variety of sports.
In High School, students can choose from a whole range of extracurricular activities such as Anime drawing, cultivating the Botanical Garden, Personal Finance, and Design and Technology, to name a few. The school’s staff run the programmes with plenty of passion, and in turn they inspire the students to pursue their own passions. This is in addition to an extensive Sports Programme, where students train with dedicated coaches to represent the school for the ACSIS Sports League and various Sports Tours across Southeast Asia and the world.
Most interesting CCAs?
ESTV involves Elementary and High School students collaborating to create weekly film content (by researching and organising filming and interviews) for the school’s YouTube channel.
490 Thomson Road
6353 9383 | sji-international.com.sg
The Grange Institution’s Enrichment Activities
Guided by its vision of Cre8tors-in-Action, Grange Institution provides a range of extracurricular Enrichment Activities (EA). This is part of a holistic approach in developing Grange Kids into globally ready citizens. The most popular EAs are photography, gymnastics and Nature Explorers, which was recently introduced together with capoeira.
The school also curates a range of physical activities, nature-inspired programmes, performance classes and language and culture immersive experiences. The experiential learning develops better psychomotor, affective and cognitive skills in the students, which enables them to become well-rounded learners.
Most interesting EAs?
Nature Explorers allows young learners to foster a deeper understanding of the relationship between themselves and the natural environment within the school’s garden. Under the guidance of experienced facilitators, students engage in different activities relating to design and construction, art, science and technology.
449 Yio Chu Kang Road
6817 3630 | thegrange.edu.sg
Tanglin Trust School’s Co-Curricular Activities
At Tanglin, some of the co-curricular activities offered include yoga, robotics, chess, and performing arts. The diversity of activities and learning beyond the construct of the traditional classroom supports pupils in developing transferable skill sets that can be applied to many contexts for life. Some of the soft skills that they develop include social relationships, collaboration, resilience, organisation and self-confidence.
Benjamin Walker, Assistant Head of Junior School (Co-curriculum), shares why co-curriculum is important for children: “Co-curriculum is often regarded as a bridge between core curriculum and pastoral care. It is centred on wellbeing, with learners flourishing and achieving their personal best in all areas.”
Sir Ken Robinson, the British educator on creativity, wrote a book titled The Element: Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Mr Walker expands on this: “The Element is where one’s talent and personal passions meet and that’s paradise found. When students discover their element, they feel most themselves and are inspired to achieve at their highest levels. This is what we want for our students.”
Most interesting CCAs?
At the Junior School level, new co-curricular activities offered are Archery, Podcast and Enterprise.
95 Portsdown Road
6778 0771 | tts.edu.sg
North London Collegiate School (Singapore) – Challenging CCA’s
The CCA programmes at North London Collegiate School (Singapore) are designed to provide sufficient challenge and rigour. This inspires students from KG2 to Grade 11 to be active and enthusiastic participants in various age-appropriate activities. Some of these include Amnesty International, archery, Art Attack, Applied Science and Scientific Enquiry, Biology Olympiad, Cooking Club, Environment & Sustainability Group, fencing, golf, horse riding, kayaking, rock band, scuba diving and Young Investors Club, to name a few.
Enrichment is one of the three core pillars of an NLCS education. It serves to support and enhance each student’s academic development as well as help shape their character and personality. NLCS (Singapore) also encourages self-initiated activities – some of the activities are managed and run by the students themselves, with teachers providing mentorship and guidance.
Most interesting CCAs?
Fencing has proven to be an extremely popular CCA at NLCS (Singapore). Children learn to focus, be intuitive, and stay in the moment both physically and mentally. At the same time, they build their confidence and social skills. Coach Wu Jie, who is a national fencer for Singapore, guides novice students through the basics of the sport and provides expert coaching for students who participate in fencing competitively.
130 Depot Road
6989 3000 | nlcssingapore.sg
Singapore American School’s extracurricular activities and sports
Students at Singapore American School have access to a variety of after-school extracurricular activities and sports. Through the Eagle Athletics and Activities programme, they have the opportunity to try out different activities each term. The most popular CCAs include Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Baseball, Chess, Cooking, Debate, Robotics and Coding.
The after-school experiences offered at SAS are core to the school experience and its emphasis on a culture of possibilities. Co-curricular activities allow students to learn important life skills such as determination and sportsmanship.
Most interesting CCAs?
In the DIY Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) CCA, students are able to create their very own AR and VR content including game design, interactive stories and digital art. During the Climbing and Movement Obstacles CCA, students pick up wall-climbing techniques. They also come up with creative ways to navigate obstacles such as nets, trampolines, mats and foam shapes.
40 Woodlands Street 41
6363 3403 | sas.edu.sg
Read more about the choice of expat schools in Singapore here!
Patricea Chow
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