Special events
Creative Arts Evening
Creative Arts Evening is an annual event to celebrate our students artistic and musical talents in a professional setting. This popular social event is open to all including current students, ex-Ashers and those interested in what Ashbourne has to offer.
Tour of London
At the beginning of every academic year we organise a Tour of London for our new students so they have a chance to get a taster of what the capital has to offer. Students will visit a great selection of London’s sights and landmarks on this one-day tour.
The Ashbourne Revue
This all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza is a real highlight of the college year and for many students it is the most outstanding and memorable experience of their time at Ashbourne.
Students and staff from across the college come together to showcase their creative talents in this spectacular event, which takes place at Christmas, has been running for more than two decades and was originally set up by the art department as a fashion show. Today’s performances include acting, comedy, cultural display, drumming ensembles, fashion catwalks, football skills, graphic design, musical performance, modern dance, traditional dance and much more. The show usually pulls in a huge audience.
Music concerts
Ashbourne offers students many opportunities to compose and perform their own music and organises a variety of concerts hosted at nearby venues. We also bring in professional musicians to play our students compositions. Over the years we have put on a wide selection of chamber concerts, personal performances and ensembles. Watch an Ashbourne Music concert.
End of Year Awards
Ashbourne’s annual award ceremony takes place every year to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students and to stay farewell before they go off to university and the wider world. The event is held at a local hotel and includes a three-course meal with champagne, a DJ for dancing the night away, chocolate fountain and photo booth with silly costumes.
Activities
Go Karting
Ashbourne’s student-versus-staff Go Karting is one of our longest running activities. This regular and hugely popular social event is both fun and competitive, especially against the staff who have racked up plenty of trophies over time.
The Go Karting usually takes place at the Docklands Greenwich Circuit, which offers fast karts and a long, twisting track. The venue is extremely well-equipped and meets all the required safety standards. Everyone is properly briefed and kitted out with go-karting clothing, helmets and gloves.
Bowling
Bowling is another of Ashbourne’s popular activities, again typically with students versus staff. The bowing teams head off to Bayswater bowling alley, which is a very peasant walk across Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park, and enjoy a quick meal before settling in for the real event. Students should be prepared to give it all they have got as Ashbourne staff count some star bowlers on their side.
Ice Skating and Winter Wonderland
Every December the National History Museum, which is a short walk from the college, sets up an outdoor skating rink in front of their world-famous building. All Ashbourne skaters are welcome from total beginners to budding Olympic champions with the hope that the steadier ones will help those struggling to stay upright (in true Asher spirit!). Students are rewarded with a well-deserved hot chocolate and seasonal treats before exploring the other Winter Wonderland attractions and stalls.
Musical theatre
Ashbourne takes full advantage of the superb selection of world-class shows and venues London has to offer. We organise regular outings throughout the year to see musicals and operas, and all students are welcome to come.
Trips
Art trips
London is a gift for Art students with its sheer abundance of world-class museums, galleries and exhibitions. Ashbourne’s Art Faculty organises a variety of art trips throughout the year in the capital as well as a residential trip in the autumn to another culturally and artistically rich European city. Students are guided by an art expert and are expected to produce sketches and notes. It is both an inspirational and memorable experience, and lots of fun too.
Drama trips
As part of Ashbourne’s ongoing commitment to its Drama and Theatre Studies course, drama students have an amazing opportunity to see some of the best plays that London has to offer at some of its world-class venues such as The Royal Court, The National Theatre and The Old Vic.
Biology trip
A level Biology students go on a week-long field trip to the Algarve, Portugal in November. They will exam the existing ecosystems and carry out field research. It is also an opportunity to explore the beautiful coastline and east some great food.
European trip
Every year Ashbourne organises a trip to a major European city during the Spring half term to expand students’ cultural horizons and appreciation of the art, architecture, music and theatre that other cities have to offer. This is an extremely popular cultural experience and, like the Ashbourne Revue, is a highlight of many students’ time at the college. It has been running for many years and previous trips include Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, Madrid, Florence and Rome.
Clubs
Ashbourne offers a selection of clubs, subject clinics and programmes that run at lunch times, 1-2pm; with Film Club taking place after college. Clubs run on a first-come, first-serve basis, with an agreed maximum number of students allowed to attend at any one time. New students are always welcome. Students are welcome to suggest new clubs.
Ashbourne Allstars Football Club
Budding footie players are welcome to join Ashbourne’s highly successful Allstars Football team. The team play against other London sixth form colleges and often land top of league. It’s a great chance to put your teamwork skills into practice and de-stress after a hard working week at college. The team trains at a sports venue near to the college.
Astro Particle Physics Club
Explore the laws of the universe and our place in it, at the Astro Particle Physics club. A real must for A level Physics students and anyone else fascinated by the world around them.
Chess Club
This popular and competitive club is run by Michael Peat and Chris Todd. Students who fancy challenging a member of staff to a game of chess should certainly chance their hand. All abilities welcome.
Computer Science Club
Develop your creative and analytical skills to create innovative software programs with potentially far-reaching applications in the real world. This club is ideal for A level Computer Science students and anyone else who has a passion for programming.
Debating Club
This club is for any student with a passion for critical thought, freedom of speech and logical discussion. At debating club meetings, students have the chance to discuss important issues, analyse ideas and learn the art of rhetoric. This is a fantastic club for anyone who has something to say and particularly A level English Literature, Politics, History and Drama students.
Drum Club
Fantastic club for those who need a strong beat and bit of rhythm in their lives. Open to all but great for A level Music students.
Economics Club
Chew over the issues of the day and delve further into the structures, forces and players that are shaping our economy and ways of life. Excellent club for those studying A level Economics and finance-related subjects.
Film Club
Films lovers can experience an eclectic selection of wonderful films, from art house to sci-fi and everything in between. The club is fun by our in-house film critic, producer and A level Film Studies teacher Dennis Fulcher. Bring popcorn.
Game Programming Club
This is student run club for anyone eager to get into the world of game programming and design or to develop their skills further. Find out more about this club on their blog. Excellent for A level Computer Science students and designers.
Italian Club
Come and discuss Italian culture, literature and film at this club. It is an excellent choice for A level Italian students but is open to all levels including total beginners and native Italians.
LGBTQ+
Meet up to discuss issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community and support available to help students have a fun and positive experience of student life.
Psychology
Explore psychology beyond the A level specification in this club. Previous topics discussed include 19th century neuroscience, Borderline Personality Disorder, the psychology of cults, the evolution of language and the psychology of terrorism. Excellent club for those studying A level Psychology.
UKMT Maths Challenge
Ashbourne’s ambitious Maths students are strong contenders for the annual UKMT Maths Challenge, having won gold certificates in the past for individual and group entries. This club is ideal for training for this extremely tough national competition which pushes students far beyond the scope of the A level syllabus. A real must for A level Maths, Further Maths and Physics students.
Careers and education
A level taster days
We offer our year 11 students the chance to ‘try out’ different A level subjects before choosing which combination to study at Ashbourne. We organise a series of open evenings and webinar talks to introduce students to new subjects and to meet teachers.
Biology, Maths and Physics Olympiads
Ashbourne encourages its most enthusiastic and ambitious Biology, Maths and Physics students to take part in national and international competitions for their subjects, which are organised and set prestigious establishments such as The Royal Society of Biology, the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust and Oxford University. These are extremely tough competitions that challenge students to push far beyond the scope of the A level syllabus.
English Literature award
Ashbourne hosts an annual English Literature Essay Competition, open to anybody between 14 and 17 years old. Entries are welcome from both Ashbourne and external students, with a cash prize and a chance for new students to interview for scholarship places at the college.
Drama Awards
Ashbourne has an exciting and successful Drama department where students not only achieve excellent A level results but also win awards. Our A level Drama and Theatre students take part in the ISA Drama Festival, which brings together around 500 independent and specialist performing arts schools from across the country.
Critical Theory Seminars
Ashbourne’s very popular weekly Critical Theory seminars invite students to scrape the surface of their cultural and social worlds to discover and question the underlying forces and structures that shape and constrain them. These seminars are not only invaluable for A level students studying humanities and social science subjects, but are excellent preparation for university and beyond. The seminars are led by Wesley Rykalski and James Wykes.
Film Awards
Ashbourne A level Film Studies students get the chance to enter the Moving Image Awards, set up by WJEC Eduquas exam board and the British Film Institute to celebrate and reward talented filmmakers. Film Studies is a very popular and successful subject at Ashbourne with students consistently achieving excellent results and often winning awards in this competition.
Subject clinics
Ashbourne runs a selection of key subject clinics that allow students to consolidate their core understanding of the subject, strengthen areas that need further work and explore new areas or ideas to widen their subject knowledge. These clinics take place at lunch times (1-2pm) and specific details can be found by contacting our Activities and Events officer.
UCAS day
Every year Ashbourne we organise a one or two-day event for our Year 12 students to take part in UCAS and careers-focused workshops and hear talks by guest speakers from Russell Group Universities, working professionals and Ashbourne alumni.
