Last term boys in Cholmeley could join the Chess, History, Maths, or Information and Communication Technology club. They could participate in any of our numerous musical activities: Orchestra, Choir, Windband or the String, Guitar, or Recorder groups. They could sign up for one of the sporting activities such as Fives or Squad swimming and all those involved in the school play attended rehearsals.

Other hobbies offered include: Design Technology, Films, Fitness, Hockey, Fives, Swimming, Badminton, Art, and Squash, Debating, Drama, Warhammer, Photography, Football, and Softball.

Visits and lectures

The Junior School has a thriving tradition of visits and lectures.

Science Week provides an annual highlight. Last year we launched our activities with a balloon race -- the winning balloon landing in a convent in Luxembourg! We had a spectacular bird of prey demonstration, a practical lecture from the Senior School Biology Department on the structure of the heart, lungs and liver, and a visiting specialist gave us an interactive look at the chemical and physical properties of rocks. For the younger boys we arranged a trip to Pizza Express, a tomato growing competition, a space model exhibition, and a competition to design a plastic buggy for egg racing. The Science Department also runs a regular Field Day in Epping Forest.

Last year the Latin Department staged a Roman Day for pupils in Years 6 and 7 when we were visited by a company which specialises in recreating aspects of Roman life. Year 8 boys were taken to the Roman galleries at the Museum of London.

As part of the history work on castles, we organise a trip every year to Mountfitchet. We also take boys to the Imperial War Museum to complement their work on the First World War. Other activities have included a Tudor day for boys in Field House and a trip to the RAF Museum in Hendon.

Last year the Library organised a visit from Louis Sachar whose book Holes won the Newbery Medal and from Redwall creator Brian Jacques. We also had talks by David Bodanis, author of E=mc2, a biography of the equation and by a D Day commando and author. We held a book review competition which was judged by our local children's bookshop with the winners attending the filming of the Blue Peter Book Awards. In past years, visitors have included Philip Pullman, Anthony Horowitz, and Lynne Reid Banks and boys have visited the British Library.

A key part of our Citizenship programme is the annual Year 8 talk on drug abuse given by former addict Phil Cooper.

Fund raising is important not only to support our chosen charities but because it provides an opportunity for boys to use their initiative and imagination and to learn about the wider world. Every year, we invite speakers from our chosen charities.

Twice a year the Art Department is open to a rich visual array of work done by boys in Cholmeley and Field House. The breadth of creativity generated by the boys never ceases to be rewarding for all those visitors who make the hard climb to the top of Ingleholme, where the Art Department is located. It has been said that at Christmas time the smell of mulled wine is another incentive to those who make the ascent.

In addition to our wide range of sporting activities and to the regular fixtures against other schools, we arrange two ski trips per year and an annual soccer tour to Holland.

When boys start at Cholmeley, each form is taken by the Geography Department on a weekend holiday to our cottage in Wales. In the summer term, we mark Year 8's forthcoming passage from the Junior to the Senior School, by taking the whole year group on a 5-day outdoor education trip to Keswick. This always proves a resounding success and a great way to end an era as a Junior School pupil.

Music and Drama

The school stages two major productions annually. Last year, the boys in Field House performed The City, a musical written, composed and directed by one of our Year 4 teachers. Recent Cholmeley productions have included Treasure Island, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Charlie's Aunt, and Fiddler on the Roof. This year the boys will be performing Macbeth.

We run two major annual drama competitions. The Weight Trophy is awarded to a solo performer and the Cohen Cup to a pair of actors or to a group of performers. We usually invite someone from the world of theatre, TV, or film to judge the competitions.

Other activities include performances from visiting troupes, fund raising talent shows, and drama clubs.

We offer plenty of musical opportunities for pupils at both Field House and Cholmeley. The younger boys can join violin group, guitar group, orchestra, Junior School choir, and Chapel choir and the older boys can opt for orchestra, 2 saxophone groups, guitar group, 3 chamber groups, swingband, windband, Junior School choir, Chapel choir, flute trio, and clarinet choir.

Four boys in Year 8 auditioned for a Senior School music scholarship last year and all were successful. This year nearly a third of the Year 8 play at least one instrument to Grade 6 and a record 16 of them will be auditioning for the music scholarships.

Regular annual events in the Junior School musical calendar include performances by our choirs and by some of our musical ensembles at the Harvest Festival and Carol service. We have major end-of-term concerts and also regular informal concerts which prove a good platform for the younger musicians. We arrange a summer term musicians' outing (last year we went to Chessington) as a reward for members of the choirs and the Field House Orchestra. Finally, the orchestra accompanied by windband, stringband, and recorder group go abroad on tour at the start of the summer holidays.

Other recent highlights include participating in the opening lunchtime promenade concert at St Jude's on the Hill; joining forces with St Michael's School for a musical workshop and concert; giving the first performance of John Bradbury's Harvest Anthem composed specially for us; and holding four vocal workshops.