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In this episode of the Cheltenham Ladies’ College Podcast, Co-curricular Director, Mr James Pothecary, reflects on the breadth, purpose and impact of co-curricular life at CLC, drawing on over two decades of experience at College and more than ten years leading the programme.

Co-curricular at College is a vital part of the student experience. Mr Pothecary enforces that co-curricular life cannot be separated from the mission and values of College.

"For me, it's key because it is aiming towards the visions of College, and I think that's the simplest way of phrasing it. We're trying to embody excellence, independence, and that empowerment and inspiration in the education of women. Without the Co-Curricular Programme, I don't think you can do that... It's part of what makes education really special at CLC.” - Mr Pothecary

Pastoral wellbeing, academic learning and co-curricular activity are three interconnected and important strands of a CLC education.

"I would say without a doubt, the most important of those is the pastoral side. Because without the students being happy and settled and feeling good in themselves, they're not going to achieve in anything else... But once you come away from that, I like to think that there's no importance given to the academic above the co-curricular or vice versa. They work together. They complement each other.”

“So you might have some real high flyer in an academic, let's say, in an academic chemistry lesson, somebody wants to go off and do chemistry at university, or maybe it's English at university. The Co-Curricular Programme complements that. It's part of their education. The student's education is enriched by the co-curricular and its links. It's so difficult for me to even try and separate them." - Mr Pothecary

Performance plays a particularly powerful role in students’ development. James speaks passionately about giving students opportunities to step forward and present themselves, whether on stage, on the sports field or in academic forums.

"I could talk about performance for days because I believe it's so important for really developing students...

“When you see a student who is good at performing in whatever their passion is, then you've got a student who, in effect, is ready to go on. Maybe they're performing in a play, maybe they're performing on a sports pitch, maybe they're performing in a concert, or they're public speaking or doing something else. It's that performance that I hold really dear and that we hold dear.

“My job is about trying to make sure that students have an opportunity to perform in whatever is the thing that suits them. I think that really accelerates them as an individual. It's not just about knowing things and being able to pass tests. It's also about being able to go out into the world and present yourself." - Mr Pothecary

Central to the success of co-curricular life at CLC is its flexibility and responsiveness to students’ individual needs. The balance between academic and co-curricular commitments looks different for every student, and Mr Pothecary emphasises that this is how it should be.

"It's tricky because the students are ambitious and they want to do a lot. We have systems in place where we can monitor how much the students are doing. They tend to opt into more, not less. My job and the job of Tutors and House Mistresses, and any other staff who interact with the students, is usually not about encouraging them to do more, because they're already trying to do a lot. It's about trying to manage their time sensibly.

“When you think about getting the balance right, there is no one answer to that. The balance being right depends on the student, and that's what we really strive to get right here at CLC. Every student is an individual, what's right for one student is not right for another and vice versa. So for one student, it may well be that the balance is shifted more to an academic focus… Maybe for another student, what they love more than anything else is getting out onto a hockey pitch, for example. It's that personalised programme." - Mr Pothecary

Student voice shapes the programme in meaningful ways. More than 50 clubs each year are entirely student-led, and new proposals are welcomed enthusiastically. The annual Activities Fair is another highlight and a space where pupils can find new interests and discover opportunities they may not otherwise have considered. However, although we offer an abundance of varying clubs and activities, the number isn't important.

"There is no metric that we have, which is we must offer X number of clubs and activities, or we must try and offer more than we did last year, for example, because the number isn't important. What's important is that we're offering opportunities for the students we currently have in the school. What do they want to do? That really broad programme enables students to determine their own route."

Ultimately, Mr Pothecary believes co-curricular involvement instils confidence, resilience and independence - qualities that prepare students not only for university but for life beyond.