Audio Visual Media

Audio Visual Media students at Scots have the opportunity to provide real-life technical support to the College through a range of activities, including the smooth running of the weekly Principal’s Assembly and the complex programming and operation of lighting and sound for Drama productions. Audio Visual Media consists of the following fields of study:

• Audio Visual Technology
• Film and Media
• Photography

Cadets

The Scots College Army Cadet Unit has been a key tradition of the College, celebrating over 120 years of activities. Throughout its long history, the Cadet Unit has defined itself in terms of service, both to the College and to the wider community. The Cadets frequently conduct or provide ceremonial support for a wide range of events, including the Annual Parade of Remembrance, Commonwealth Day, Anzac Day and the Governor’s Parade for the celebration of the Queen’s birthday in June. Once Cadets have completed initial recruit training, they can select a specialist platoon based on their personal interests, including:

• Engineering
• Head Quarters
• Leadership Track and Senior Rank
• Medic
• Pioneering

Chess

Chess has grown into a popular Co-Curricular Activities program at Scots, which develops boys’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Boys are involved in a number of competitions, including the New South Wales Junior Chess League Interschool Competition and annual Great Public Schools (GPS) Chess Championship.

Drama

Co-Curricular Activities Drama is an exciting creative space that offers Scots students essential skills in acting, performance, interdependent thinking, creative problem-solving and leadership. Each year, Junior boys perform a play and the Senior boys also stage a major production for the College community in collaboration with other local independent schools. In 2019 the College introduced an initiative to increase leadership opportunities for Year 11 Drama boys, where they led groups of Junior students in a chosen area of focus, including improvisation, comedy, physical theatre and script.

Music

Over 750 boys at Scots choose to be involved in Music beyond the Music syllabus requirements – Scots is indeed a musical community. Boys commit themselves to weekly individual lessons taught by expert instrumental and vocal tutors in the following areas:

• Music Technology
• String Ensemble
• Wind Bands

The boys also perform on a regular basis and are involved in showcase concerts, the annual Senior School musical, and the biennial Scots/St Andrews Summer Music School and Scotland Tour. The large ensembles have the wonderful experience of performing in world-class venues such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Pipes and Drums

The Pipes and Drums are strongly linked with the College’s heritage and have an excellent reputation, performing on a global scale. The Pipes and Drums have performed at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on three occasions and will return to Edinburgh Castle in 2021. The band has also performed at Military Tattoos around the world including the Basel Tattoo, Switzerland, The Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo, Canada and the International Tattoo Rotterdam, Holland.

On a national scale, they lead the annual Sydney Anzac Day March each year and are ranked as one of the top juvenile Pipe Bands in the country. The Scots College Pipes and Drums have been ranked in the top six at the World Pipe Band Championships on their last two tours of Scotland.

Boys in Pipes and Drums have the opportunity to participate in the following:

• Competition bands (State, Nationals and International)
• Solo Competitions
• International tours
• Leadership and Senior ranks
• Massed band parades
• Music – including HSC

Public Speaking and Debating

Public Speaking and Debating at Scots has continued to develop and expand yearly in terms of boys’ participation, coaching staff and involvement in competitions. Boys have the opportunity to participate in mock trials, mooting and the Great Public Schools (GPS) Debating competition. They can also work towards obtaining an Australian Speech Communication Association (ASCA) Diploma, acquiring presentation skills which enables them to excel in the professional world.

STEAM

The Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) program is a popular choice for students curious about the transferable skills between these different subjects. Working in groups in the following areas, they devise and solve problems as they design ideas for the world in which they live:

• Arts and History project
• Game design
• Programming
• Robotics
• Upcycling design

Scots Extra Activities (SEA)

These activities are held outside the normal School hours, usually after school, sometimes before, and are made available to students in the Preparatory School. A boy who has the opportunity to participate in as wide a range of activities as he can adequately manage, will benefit greatly from the experiences provided.

Subject to demand and availability of specialist instructors, activities available may include: Instrumental Music Tuition, Art of Speech, Art Extension, Chess, Drum and Chanter Tuition (Years 5 and 6), French, Spanish, Mandarin, Gymnastics, Martial Arts (Years 4-6), Dance, Tap dancing (Years 2-6), Swim Coaching and additional Sport Coaching (Years 2-6).

 Clubs and Societies

The College provides a range of voluntary extra-curricular activities as boys grow older to enable more diversity in addition to Co-Curricular Activities. This gives opportunities for boys to be involved in a co-curricular stream and express their interests in additional activities.

For example the History Society which was founded in 2011 to allow students with a passion for the past, to learn and explore the world’s great histories in both ancient and modern contexts. In particular, it provides Scots students pursuing Ancient or Modern History subjects, access to leading historians that add depth and understanding to periods of time that align with the HSC curriculum. The different types of journeys to the past can include ongoing research into the history of Scots Old Boys, in particular our WWII Honour Roll, as well as Q&A sessions on a variety of events or personalities.

These activities are not foundational to the College ethos but are based around mutually shared interests of boys and as such may vary from one year to the next in availability.