Art
Anthony Gell School has a strong and thriving extra-curricular Arts programme. We aim to ensure that all students have as many opportunities as possible to take part in the Arts both inside and outside of lessons. Throughout the year there are countless opportunities for students to get involved, enjoy and learn more about how the Arts work and to increase their skills and abilities.
- Lunchtime clubs throughout the year with links for special projects including Matlock Bath Pro Loco Art competition and creating paintings for the local Children’s Centre.
- Strong links with the Wirksworth Festival and Derby University.
- Well Dressing.
- Artist visits in school.
Dance
- Lunchtime clubs for all year groups
- Showcase performances
- Regional competitions
- Primary school dance festivals
Drama
- Two school productions a year which are open to all year groups
- Exam group performances which are open to all as audience members
- Trips to see performances at various venues
Music
- Vocalise (vocal group)
- Rock School
- Urban Choir
- School Orchestra
- Concerts throughout the year, including exam performance evenings
- Regular trips to music venues
- Instrumental lessons available through the school
- Musical Production
Sports
The school has an outstanding sporting reputation and is one of very few schools in the country to have gained the prestigious Sportsmark Gold Award on three occasions. Sporting opportunities include chances to participate in football, cricket, athletics, basketball, cross-country running, hockey, netball, tennis, dance, gymnastics, trampolining, orienteering, sialing, cycling, sports leadership and climbing. Although our emphasis is on participation and enjoyment for all, our competitive reputation is strong. We have good contacts with local sports teams and clubs, so we hope we are developing an enthusiasm that can be sustained beyond school.
The investment of £1.3 million in the Leisure Centre on our school site, the floodlit all weather pitches and a grant from the Football Foundation for changing rooms and improved pitches have added to our capacity to meet the sporting and recreational needs of young people and the wider community. They are also evidence of the confidence that Local Government and Sport England have in the quality of what we do.
Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM)
Children who show an interest in any of the STEM subjects are also given plenty of opportunities to expand their experience and expertise with extra-curricular activities in a range of different areas. STEM club is a popular lunchtime activity for children of all ages, as they set themselves challenges to test hypotheses to the limit!
Students also spend a great deal of time outside of the timetabled lessons in technology, working hard on their projects and developing their skills in graphics, product design, catering and resistant materials.
The maths revision sessions are very well attended, with large numbers of students benefiting from the additional support offered at lunchtimes and in the holidays. Each year we also enter teams and individual students in the UK Maths Challenges, allowing AGS students to pit their wits against the best of the rest!
English
Students in our Sixth Form volunteer their time to work alongside students who are in Years 7, 8 and 9. We encourage children to participate in a ‘Reading Buddies’ scheme, which partners our older students with those who enjoy having some extra support with their reading.
In addition to this, all of our Key Stage 3 students take part in the ‘Accelerated Reader’ program, which helps guide them towards books suitable for their reading age and ability and monitors and rewards their reading as we celebrate the progress they are making with them. Prizes are given every month, with larger prizes on offer for the students and classes who read the most during the academic year.
Our school library is popular with students who use this facility at break time and lunchtime. We try to make our library a place where students feel comfortable and can enjoy the pleasure that comes with reading. Students also use the library to complete homework, access online resources and play games of chess.
Students are given the opportunity to take part in journalism competitions, poetry competitions and public speaking competitions with support from members of the English department staff.
Anthony Gell in the Local Community
We are proud to be a valued part of our wider community and we work hard in developing the links which exist between school, our students, their families, and the communities in which they live.
There are many examples of how our strong community links assist our students, enhance their experience, and improve their learning. We benefit from excellent partnerships with local employers and companies; with these providing opportunities for work experience, trips and visits, mentoring and curriculum enhancement.
Our community also includes a range of excellent providers of further and higher education, and our students benefit from this via the strong connections which exist between various universities, colleges and AGS.
Our students’ experiences are enhanced by opportunities to learn offsite, with curriculum-linked visits featuring in every year at AGS. Several of these visits are to places within our local community.
We are very pleased to be able to offer our superb facilities to members of our local community. Several sports clubs, including Wirksworth Colts Football Club and Matlock Baileans Hockey Club, use our pitches and changing facilities as their home venues. We have an excellent relationship with Freedom Leisure, which ensures users access to our grass pitches, three astro-turfs, indoor sports halls, an air-conditioned fitness suite and number of indoor climbing walls.
Charities
Our children learn the importance of helping others and ways in which they can make a positive difference to the society in which they live. AGS students are keen to support a range of good causes and will often inspire others to do so.
The school raises money for a range of national and local charities and these vary according to the interests of staff and students. Many students also do individual fund raising which the school supports.
Each of the five Houses also support one charity of choice each year.
Links Abroad
We value travel for its social and educational benefits and we have exchange links with Wetter, in Germany, and Die, Wirksworth’s twin town in France. In addition to these links, AGS students are given opportunities to travel abroad on various school trips each year. We are an inclusive school, so we have support systems in place which enable all students, regardless of family circumstances, the chance to participate.
The school has been awarded the British Council International School Award on six occasions in recognition of its efforts to promote foreign and cultural awareness among young people.
