The best bits of school aren’t always found in a lesson plan. They’re on the stage, on the court, in the robotics lab at lunchtime, or around the debating table after the final bell. In this feature, Adelaide schools share the co-curricular programs, clubs and activities that shape their students beyond the classroom; the things that build confidence, spark new interests and turn a school into a community.
Growing beyond the classroom at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
Learning at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College isn’t limited to the daily timetable. Students are encouraged to discover their passions, develop leadership, and build essential capabilities by engaging in any of the many co-curricular opportunities offered at the College. Whether girls are interested in the performing arts, sport and fitness, STEM, social justice, or leadership, every girl can find her place and something meaningful to pursue.
Ask any senior OLSH College student what advice they would give their Year 7 self, and the message is clear: be brave, get involved, and say yes to opportunities beyond the classroom. For many, the transition into secondary school was marked by uncertainty about friendships, belonging, and new challenges. In hindsight, students consistently agree that co-curricular involvement played a vital role in building confidence and connection. Year 11 student Eliza reflects a common sentiment shared by senior students: “Trying new academic, sport, leadership and co-curricular opportunities helped me build confidence, form friendships, and grow as a person.”
Beyond providing opportunities to pursue passions, new interests, and friendships, co-curricular engagement supports the development of essential skills for life beyond school. Communication, teamwork, empathy, curiosity, creativity, and innovation are all strengthened through participation, allowing girls to grow in confidence and leadership. These experiences help shape well-rounded students who are socially aware, resilient, and ready to make a difference, well beyond the bell.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, 496 Regency Rd, Enfield
Endless opportunities at PAC
At Prince Alfred College, learning extends far beyond the classroom. The Preparatory School Clubs and Activities program offers boys a rich and varied range of opportunities to explore their interests, from chess and music to dance, sport, drama, gardening, art and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence. These experiences are more than just enjoyable; they are essential to a boy’s development. Research shows that participation in co-curricular activities supports social skills, confidence, teamwork and leadership, while also fostering creativity and a positive attitude towards learning. At a time when curiosity and independence are forming, these opportunities give boys the space to discover what they love and who they are becoming.
Whether diving into Chinese language through the Chinese Heritage Club, experimenting with materials in art, performing on stage or developing strategic thinking through chess, every boy is supported to try, fail, improve and succeed in his own way. PAC’s approach is intentionally broad, ensuring that each boy develops not only academically, but as a confident, capable and well-rounded young person, ready to thrive both in school and beyond.
Prince Alfred College, 23 Dequetteville Tce, Kent Town
Bringing democracy to life at Wilderness
At Wilderness School, learning extends well beyond the classroom, and for Year 6 girls, few experiences bring this to life more powerfully than the annual Canberra tour. As part of their studies in Australian government and civics, students recently spent five days exploring the nation’s capital, visiting Parliament House, the High Court, the Australian War Memorial and Questacon. Through these experiences, the girls encountered the living institutions that shape Australian life and developed a deeper understanding of their role within it.
The experience connects directly with Wilderness’ Junior School Student Parliament, introduced this year to deepen student voice and bring civics education to life through representation, debate and cabinet-style meetings. The girls engage directly with democratic processes and begin to understand the importance of participation and respectful discussion. At Wilderness, the focus is on educating girls who are academically capable and civically engaged, with the confidence to use their voices with purpose. “Going to Parliament House was an unforgettable experience,” said Year 6 student Niamh. “Having learnt about democracy and past leaders of Australia, the portraits of each Prime Minister particularly sparked our interest and showed us how each had chosen to be remembered.”
Wilderness School, 30 Hawkers Rd, Medindie
Growing curious minds at Pulteney Grammar
At Pulteney Grammar’s Early Learning Centre, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door; it extends beyond it. The Bush Kindy program invites children to step outside, explore, and connect with nature in meaningful, hands-on ways. The Bush Kindy adventure begins at Blue Gum Park/Kurangga, where children are immersed in a rich outdoor environment and curiosity leads the way. They climb, build, observe, question and imagine, developing confidence, resilience and independence. Carrying their own backpacks, navigating natural terrain, and returning to continue discoveries across consecutive days, children build not only skills, but a deep sense of capability and belonging.
In this space, learning is alive. Children engage with early science concepts, develop strength and coordination, and form genuine connections with the natural world. They also begin to understand their responsibility to care for it, guided by an appreciation of the ongoing connection of Kaurna people to land, culture and community. For many families, Pulteney’s Bush Kindy offers something truly special, a chance for their child to grow, explore and thrive beyond the bell, shaping not just how they learn, but who they become.
Pulteney Grammar School, 190 South Tce, Adelaide
Inside SA’s new technical colleges
South Australia’s technical colleges offer a brand-new approach to education for Years 10 to 12, with hands-on industry training, work experience, and mentoring from industry professionals. Students are prepared for the workplace from day one and graduate into a career, guaranteed.
Take Stella, a Year 11 student from The Heights Technical College, who is undertaking the Early Childhood and Education training program. She’s completing her SACE while undertaking vocational education and training (VET) in state-of-the-art specialist facilities. Every week she steps out into the workforce, gaining practical experience at Dernancourt Kindergarten, a placement that’s boosted her skills and confidence. Students gain practical skills, qualifications, and experience in their chosen industry. Expert teachers and trainers, many with direct industry experience, guide and mentor students, ensuring their training is relevant. Students are not sitting in a classroom listening to theory; they’re actively working and gaining the knowledge and skills that in-demand industries need.
For students, this means they graduate with their SACE, VET qualifications and all the skills and experience they need to go directly into a job, an apprenticeship, traineeship, or further study.
Findon, Port Augusta, Modbury Heights, Limestone Coast, Tonsley
Why Scouting is still the real deal
In a world of screens and schedules, Scouts SA offers something refreshingly different: real adventures, real friendships, and real skills that last a lifetime. Youth-led and adult-supported, Scouts SA empowers young people to learn practical life skills and discover what they’re capable of. Whether it’s paddling through open water, scaling a rock face, hiking remote trails, or performing in the arts, there’s no shortage of ways to find their strength.
But Scouting is about more than the activities. It’s where young people learn to lead, to problem-solve, and to look out for one another. Confidence isn’t taught in a classroom here; it’s earned around a campfire, on a weekend expedition, or during a community clean-up. With five age sections from Joeys (5 to 8) through to Rovers (18 to 25), and more than 70 locations across South Australia, there’s a Scout Group for every young person. Remote? No problem. The Lone Scouts program ensures everyone can be involved. Come and try your first three sessions for free. Scouting qualifies for Sports Voucher Plus, making it easier than ever to get started. Your next adventure is closer than you think.
Passport to curiosity at St Mary’s College
At St Mary’s College, learning is never one-size-fits-all. Every girl brings her own interests, questions and way of seeing the world, and those differences are celebrated. This belief is reflected in the Children’s University Australasia program, offered to St Mary’s Junior School students from Reception to Year 6. Designed to spark curiosity and build confidence, the program supports students to explore what they love beyond school hours, discovering that meaningful learning can happen well beyond the classroom.
Each participant receives a Passport to Learning, which they fill with hours spent exploring approved activities. This might include visiting a museum or library, learning a new skill in the kitchen, playing a sport, getting creative, or diving into an online learning module. The choices are wide-ranging and student-led, giving every girl the freedom to follow her interests and take ownership of her learning journey. As hours add up, students progress through graduation levels that recognise effort, persistence and personal growth. Along the way, many discover new passions or develop greater confidence in their abilities. As one St Mary’s College student shared, “I liked choosing what I wanted to learn about. It showed me that learning can happen anywhere.”
Each year, Children’s University participants celebrate their achievements at a graduation ceremony held at Bonython Hall at Adelaide University, a special milestone that reflects St Mary’s commitment to nurturing curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
St Mary’s College, 253 Franklin St, Adelaide
Student clubs take over lunchtime at Good Shepherd Lutheran School
What if lunchtime wasn’t just a break in the day, but a space for innovation, leadership, and connection? At Good Shepherd Lutheran School, student-led lunch clubs are transforming how students experience school beyond the classroom. These aren’t pre-planned activities handed down to students; they’re ideas sparked, shaped, and led by students themselves. From interest-based groups to creative and social initiatives, these clubs reflect what matters to them.
What makes this approach powerful is the shift in ownership. Students aren’t just playing on a lunch break; they’re leading, learning how to organise, communicate, and adapt, often without even realising the skills they’re building. Just as importantly, these clubs create opportunities for connection. Students naturally find others who share their interests, forming friendships across year levels and strengthening the sense of community, and opening the door for students who may not always find their place in traditional settings.
At its heart, this is about student voice. By creating space for ideas to be explored and supported, the school sends a clear message: students are capable, their ideas have value, and they can help shape their own experience of school. When students have a voice, school becomes something they help build, not just attend.
Good Shepherd Lutheran School, 388 Montague Rd, Para Vista
St Dominic’s girls serve up more than volleyball
At St Dominic’s Priory College, volleyball gives girls in the middle years a dynamic way to build confidence, connection and courage beyond the classroom. Offered as part of the College’s involvement in the SA Secondary Catholic School Girls’ Sports Association (SACSSGSA) competition in Terms 1 and 4, volleyball sits alongside other popular options including basketball, tennis, water polo and touch. For students new to inter-school sport, volleyball is especially valuable because it rewards communication, trust and teamwork. Every point depends on girls learning to anticipate, encourage and rely on one another; skills that transfer naturally into leadership, learning and everyday school life.
The Volleyball Academy for Years 7 and 8 invites students to take part in additional training sessions, and as part of the Year 9 Physical Education curriculum, girls are empowered to coordinate their own sport season, coaching and umpiring younger teams. These experiences develop organisation, collaboration, leadership and problem-solving, allowing students to step into roles beyond player participation. The College’s volleyball pathway continues into the senior years, with 2025 highlights including a Senior A Volleyball Premiership and commendable results in School Sport SA’s Statewide Competition. At St Dominic’s, volleyball offers every girl the chance to serve, support and shine.
St Dominic’s Priory College, 139 Molesworth St, North Adelaide
Pathways to performance at Westminster
For students with a genuine passion for sport, the Preparatory School Sports Development Program offers a purposeful pathway, building the foundations for future opportunities at Westminster and beyond. Designed for children in Years 2 to 6, the program supports those ready to take the next step, developing skill, confidence and a deeper understanding of their chosen sport. Through soccer, football, netball, basketball, volleyball, cricket, athletics and speed and running technique, students engage in structured development aligned to long-term progression. Athletic Profile Assessment further supports this journey, offering insight into strengths and areas for growth.
Students are guided by specialist coaches whose experience brings both credibility and inspiration. The coaching team includes Neil Young, Heath Lawry, Jarryd Hoppo and Fleur Kennedy, each bringing elite experience and a commitment to developing young athletes. The Preparatory School Sports Development Program is more than participation; it is the beginning of a pathway to high-performance opportunities in Westminster’s Senior School, and beyond. “Through the Preparatory School Sports Development Program, students are given the opportunity to build strong foundations, develop their skills with purpose and grow in confidence, setting them up for future success in sport.”
Westminster School, 1 to 23 Alison Ave, Marion
Space. Choice. Seymour.
At Seymour College, the school day doesn’t end when the bell rings. Co-curricular is central to a Seymour education, and it starts early. For some, the journey starts before formal schooling even begins. Seymour’s Gym Sports and Dance classes welcome girls and boys from as young as three, opening the door to everything Seymour has to offer. From Prep through to Year 6, the opportunities only grow. Girls are encouraged to explore their interests, whether that’s through Saddle Club, in a Drama Club rehearsal, deep in an AI Camp challenge or creating something at Crafternoon. There are also over a dozen sports on offer, instrumental lessons, ensembles, choirs, Chess and Drone Clubs. The breadth of choice is deliberate, because what clicks for one girl won’t be what clicks for another. The offerings expand further once girls reach the middle and senior years, with choices across sport, oratory, performance and STEM.
It’s these service opportunities, alongside the strong academic foundations and focus on student wellbeing, that set a Seymour education apart. Girls aren’t directed into one path; they find their own, and it begins earlier than you might think. They call it Complete Achievement.
Seymour College, 546 Portrush Rd, Glen Osmond
A community beyond the classroom at Loreto
At Loreto College Marryatville, students, parents and old scholars say it time and time again: the community experience is unparalleled. Long after the bell rings, learning continues in the spaces where friendships deepen and confidence grows. At Loreto, excellence has never been confined to the timetable. Beyond the classroom, the College’s co-curricular program reflects a belief that learning should be immersive, future-focused and deeply human.
Across 40 co-curricular clubs and programs, Loreto students excel in areas that demand commitment, collaboration and rigour. Strengths in netball, rowing and aerobics sit alongside competitive forums including Mock Trials, Tournament of Minds, robotics, and four Young Historian of the Year awards. In performing arts, students perform across 12 bands and vocal ensembles, compete annually at the Generations in Jazz festival, and host the College’s own Performing Arts Festival at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
An exclusive girls’ school partnership with the Adelaide Thunderbirds further distinguishes Loreto, providing elite sporting access and mentorship that builds discipline and leadership. The College’s Virtual Reality Lab, the only facility of its kind in a South Australian girls’ school, enables students to explore and collaborate beyond traditional learning. These opportunities are integral to an education that nurtures students intellectually, socially and emotionally, while strengthening a community that continues to connect long after the final bell.
Loreto College, 316 Portrush Rd, Marryatville
Robotics revolution at Investigator College
When Investigator College launched its Robotics Program in 2023, few would have predicted that within three years, a team of Year 10 students would be competing at the VEX Robotics World Championship in St Louis, Missouri. That’s exactly what happened. Charlie, Aidin and Ollie, competing as team Invictus, reached a number 7 global ranking and number 1 in Australia in their middle school category, before winning nationals and earning their place on the world stage. One of only two South Australian schools at the Championship, they competed against 300-plus teams from across the globe, finishing 13th in their pool and qualifying for divisional finals, a remarkable result for a regional school in just its second year of competition.
VEX Robotics is a system where students design, build and program their own robots to solve complex, precision-based challenges under the pressure of live matches. At Investigator, the program runs through Digital Technology classes and a lunchtime robotics club, making it accessible to students across the ELC-to-Year-12 Anglican school. Seven Investigator teams qualified for nationals in 2025, a sign of just how quickly the program has taken hold. The College’s new Aurora Building, which opened this term, includes a dedicated robotics studio that will soon allow Investigator to host regional competitions on a professional-grade field.
Investigator College, 9 Bacchus Rd, Victor Harbor
Leadership, lived at Endeavour College
At Endeavour College, learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings; it evolves. Students are empowered to find their voice, act with intention and lead with purpose, making a difference through collaboration in areas they are passionate about. Leadership at Endeavour is inclusive by design, extending far beyond College Captains to ensure every student has the chance to contribute, grow and make an impact. From Year 7 through to Year 12, individuals can step into roles that reflect their interests, guided by senior leaders across a range of portfolios. Whether driving community initiatives, promoting events or championing causes, there are many ways to get involved.
Alongside the College Captains, these leaders form the Student Action Team, working collectively to bring ideas to life and represent the voice of their peers. Beyond this, co-curricular pathways across sport, the arts, music, debating and environmental initiatives further broaden how students can contribute and lead. In doing so, they develop qualities valued well beyond school. Employers seek individuals who show initiative and contribute positively, whatever their role. Endeavour’s model reflects this, placing service at its core and valuing influence over recognition. This approach fosters a strong sense of connection, bringing young people together across year levels to support one another, strengthen community and create a culture where everyone feels they belong.
Endeavour College, 85 Mawson Lakes Blvd, Mawson Lakes
The classroom is just the start at Mercedes
Mercedes College believes in a rich College life, one where learning, personal growth, leadership and teamwork happen just as often beyond the classroom as they do during lessons. Central to the College’s educational philosophy is giving students opportunities for real-world experiences. It’s through these experiences that students discover more about themselves, build more meaningful connections with others, and develop the confidence to embrace new challenges. Whether competing in the sporting arena, performing on stage, testing their physical and emotional boundaries or volunteering to help others, Mercedes students gain life lessons that extend far beyond academic achievement.
These activities help students grasp concepts of communication, service, compassion and tolerance. Camps, excursions, incursions, retreats and fundraising activities enrich student life alongside the College’s co-curricular sport and arts programmes, as well as chess, debating, languages and robotics. Leadership opportunities begin in Reception and continue right through to Year 12, instilling confidence and commitment in students, helping them to lead with integrity and purpose. The aim is to develop independent, resilient young people of strong character, qualities that are the hallmark of a Mercedes College graduate.
Mercedes College, 540 Fullarton Rd, Springfield
Finding your passion at Walford
Walford Anglican School for Girls offers a wealth of co-curricular activities, encouraging girls to build confidence, extend their skills, and find balance alongside their academic commitments. The comprehensive sport program features individual and team sports, from beginners through to elite-level athletes. Students can choose from athletics, Australian Rules football, badminton, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball. For those on an elite sporting pathway, the High Performance Athlete Academy provides resources, workshops and additional training. With bands, ensembles, orchestras and choirs, music at Walford offers extensive rehearsal and performance opportunities. Whether dazzling on stage during musicals or showcasing their talents at competitions, students have plenty of chances to shine.
Clubs and activities span chess, debating, STEM, visual arts and environmental advocacy, helping students develop skills in teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. From the Year 6 and 7 Leadership Academy to Walford’s iconic Festival of Ideas, there’s no shortage of ways for students to grow. Year 10 student Harriet sums it up best: “There’s so many opportunities and Walford really prioritises a variety of things; there’s always something for you.”
Walford, 316 Unley Rd, Hyde Park
Adventure and leadership at Tatachilla
At Tatachilla Lutheran College, students don’t just learn about the world; they step into it. The college’s Army Cadet Unit, 425 ACU, offers a nationally recognised youth development program grounded in leadership, teamwork and resilience, supporting students aged 13 to 18 years to take the lead, test themselves and discover what they’re capable of. Imagine navigating through bushland after dark, working as a team to respond to a simulated emergency, or sending coded messages using advanced communication techniques. From building and programming drones to sourcing food in the wild, Tatachilla cadets step into experiences that challenge, excite and inspire.
Students who join 425 ACU develop practical life skills in first aid, navigation and survival, gaining the confidence to think clearly, act decisively and support others in real-world situations. Along the way, they build strong bonds of mateship forged through shared challenge, teamwork and adventure. Cadets can tailor their journey through a range of specialisations, particularly in STEM-related fields, pursuing their interests while building discipline and initiative. Leadership is central to the cadet experience; senior cadets mentor younger peers, lead activities and take on genuine responsibility, developing confidence and capability that extends well beyond school. At its core, 425 ACU is about growth, belonging and opportunity, empowering young people to challenge themselves, support one another and thrive. This is just one of the many ways that a Tatachilla education generates opportunities for self-discovery beyond the classroom.
Tatachilla Lutheran College, 211 Tatachilla Rd, McLaren Vale
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