Participation in sport, from our curriculum activities through House competitions to representative sport, is an important part of the Borlase ethos.

In the Sixth Form, everyone participates in some form of activity on a Wednesday afternoon whether that be recreational fitness and wellbeing or playing a team sport for the school.  These activities include Football, Netball,  Basketball, Volleyball, Yoga, Pilates, Circuits, Tennis, Golf (off site), and Equestrian (off-site).

Borlase has a deservedly high reputation for competitive sport, competing at a high standard. These include:

• Rowing (National Standard) Olympic rowers amongst alumni. Led by Director of Rowing.
• Hockey (National Standard) International caps among alumni. Led by Director of Hockey.
• Netball (District, County and Regional).
• Football (District and County).
• Rugby (Natwest, Rosslyn Park and County).
• Cricket (County).
• Cross Country (District and County).
• Athletics (District, County) Individual National and Olympic athletes.

We support students who are training at the highest level in their sport to manage their academic commitments in parallel.

Borlase is celebrated for its outstanding Performing Arts programme. The Arts are central to the curriculum with Art, Drama, Dance and Music being studied through to A Level. In the Sixth Form students can also choose the BTech in Production Arts focusing on sound and lighting design, set design and stage management as a third or fourth subject.

The school has a busy theatre, drama studio, dance studios, music suites and there are performances across the year.

MFL Hub

As one of only nine MFL Hubs in the country designated by the Department for Education, our outstanding MFL Department trains teachers and creates resources for schools across the UK.

In the Sixth Form, MFL students take part in Olympiads, essay competitions and perform plays and music in their target language in the school theatre. These have recently included plays by Brecht, Lorca and Lonesco

Community Service and Work Experience

There is an opportunity for many students to undertake sustained community service or work experience in their non-contact time. Showing that you have completed a sustained placement in a hospice, special school or care home for example, is increasingly important for aspiring medics.

We work closely with local primary schools on a mentoring programme.  The programme has been designed to support Key Stage 1 and 2 primary school pupils in numeracy and literacy.  Sixth form pupils from Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School work individually or with small groups of primary school children, on a weekly basis, to help them meet/exceed expected levels of progress in numeracy and literacy.

Sixth Formers are also given the opportunity to complete the Youth Sports Trust Award for Sports Leadership. This is a timetabled course that also requires a significant time commitment to leadership both in and out of school hours.  This programme involves some form of organised physical activity and supporting others in the community, such as local primary schools.

The Borlasian Magazine

Each year, a group of Sixth Form volunteers produce ‘The Borlasian’, a commentary on school life and a record of experiences and successes of the previous twelve months.  There are opportunities to edit, write and design sections of the magazine, working with staff and members of the lower school when appropriate. Examples of recent issues are available here.

A unique characteristic of the Borlase Sixth Form is the vibrant community of student led academic societies. Our students excel academically and personally in an environment where they inspire each other having independent research papers, wider reading, and challenging each others thinking. This is excellent preparation for university and for intellectual development.