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There is so much more to be gained from an education than just good exam results.
The range of extra-curricular activities, and the time available in the timetable to enjoy them, is central to the all-round education available at Glenalmond.
One of Glenalmond College's many attributes is its ability to provide pupils with an experience that goes beyond the purely academic. As many OGs (former Glenalmond pupils) will testify, it is the extra-curricular life beyond the classrooms at Glenalmond that proves to be so valuable, memorable and enriching, and gives rise to success in their subsequent careers.
Glenalmond offers a full programme of cultural, artistic, sporting and educational school trips and exchanges.
We have links with a number of schools abroad, and one of the biggest highlights is our international exchange with Brooks School in Massachusetts, USA. This really engages our Lower Sixth Form as they vie for the right to be one of the pupils chosen to take part in this prestigious exchange.
There are many other trips: Italy to experience the historical and linguistic delights of cities like Rome; the Alps and beyond for ski camps which help pupils to improve their skiing or take it to a more competitive level; and theatre trips to the likes of Stratford upon Avon.
Our Friends of Glenalmond travel awards also allow members of the Upper Sixth Form to fund trips abroad which may be connected with their examination subjects or a charitable cause they want to support. For further information, please get in touch with Richard Myers.
This annual trip is designed to support study of Shakespeare as part of the A Level English Literature curriculum, as well as offering a timely break away from Glenalmond. Participants attend two RSC productions and tours of all major Shakespearean properties, including a behind the scenes tour of the RSC theatres and a visit to Shakespeare's grave. The delights of Stratford-upon-Avon are also on offer, with the chance to go rowing on the Avon and indulge in some shopping of Shakespearean mementoes. The trip is a highlight of many pupils and offers a relaxed opportunity to develop their knowledge of this iconic figure and his literature. It runs for three days in the final few weeks of the academic year.
For pictures of our annual Stratford upon Avon trip, please see our English Flickr page.
Every second year a group of pupils spends an intensive nine day period in late March visiting Rome, Ostia, Tivoli, Pompeii and Paestum. Our travellers enjoy the very best of Italian culture and stay for six nights in Rome on the Aventine Hill overlooking the Circus Maximus and for two nights in Paestum, arguably the "jewel of Campania". A "must" for classicists and historians, the trip is always hugely popular and enjoys generous financial support from the Andrew Innes Trust. Andrew Innes, who was a Captain of Coll, died in a tragic accident in his early twenties.
Contact: Mr George Pounder or 01738 842030
Each year a cultural, educational and linguistic trip to Spain is organised for the 5th and 6th Form. The pupils spend a week immersed in the culture and language with lessons in school and at home with local families. So far these trips have taken us to the fabulous ancient city of Granada where the magnificent palace of the Alhambra stands as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the the country, to Valencia, where modern meets old, and to Seville where the beauty of the many Unesco world heritage sites is only rivalled by the weather.
Contact: Mrs Ines Reynolds
Each year, the school takes a group of 5th and 6th Formers who are intending to study either Higher or A Level French to a world-renowned language school, Alpha B, in Nice. There the pupils have lessons and cultural excursions, including trips to the Picasso Museum in Antibes, Monaco and a walk around beautiful old Nice. This trip is to boost pupils' confidence and fluency in preparation for the oral exam.
Contact: Mrs Sasha Baldwin
2020 saw the launch of the first non-competitive Glenalmond Ski-trip. Open to pupils of all abilities in 2nd to 5th Form, this trip took us to Clavière in the French-Italian Alps for a whole week. Clavière is part of the Milky Way on the Italian side of the French/Italian border, and the hotel is a short walk from the ski school meeting point. Clavière itself has 50km of piste and the progression is fantastic. It is very picturesque with tree-lined runs, and wide runs for beginners. You can find out more on this promotional video:
Contact: Dr Caroline Murie or Mr Alasdair Purdie
Geography is a popular A level subject at Glenalmond, and in recent years field trips have taken place on a regular basis to Europe and further afield; most recently to Morocco to study Arid Landscapes and the nearest LEDC country (Less Economically Developed Country).
Glenalmond College invites Sixth Form pupils to apply for travel awards of up to £500 each. There are two separate but similar awards available, namely; The Friends of Glenalmond Travel Award and The Duncan Garrett Travel Award
The awards are granted on merit and encourage service to others. Past award winners have travelled to Europe, North Africa, India and Latin America on expeditions, fact-finding trips and to undertake charitable work.
Pupils submit a written application giving an outline of the intended project and a financial breakdown.
This is followed by an interview with a committee. It is a condition of the awards that the project actually takes place within an agreed time frame, and recipients are required to give both a written and verbal report on their project to the Committee and/or the College on their return.
Contact: Mr Richard Myers
Since 2000, Glenalmond has enjoyed a fruitful "twinning" with Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Both schools are boarding and day schools in glorious countryside settings and educate boys and girls up to the age of 18 in an inclusive community environment where every individual is valued, encouraged, nurtured and enabled to develop his or her interests and talents in the classroom and beyond.
Each year a "junior" or Lower Sixth boy and girl from Glenalmond and Brooks "exchange" for a month during February and March. Often, teachers too have spent a week in their "sister" school as part of the swap. Those who take part in the exchange programme enjoy a special educational and cultural relationship .
Pupils are chosen for their qualities of "ambassadorship" and have the chance to enjoy the very best of Scottish and New England hospitality respectively.
We are proud of our unique and special link with Massachusetts which has flourished and strengthened over the years; we bring out the very best in each other.
Contact: Mr Peter Golden
An exchange takes place each year with a school in Queensland, Australia. Two of our girls go to St Hilda's School, and in turn we host two of their pupils.
Other exchanges and trips are organised from time to time to Spain, Germany and France, under the auspices of the Modern Foreign Languages department.
