Wednesday afternoons at Oundle are dedicated to Service and Activities for Third Form upwards, with the two younger years offered their own unique programme. There is a huge variety that pupils can get involved in, from local journalism, bee-keeping and photography to our own radio station, volunteering and the Green Team. The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Community Action (CA) sit at the heart of our offer.
The CCF is a significant part of life at Oundle – in scale, in spirit and in the breadth of experience it offers. With around 460 cadets parading each week, it is the largest organisation in the School and the largest school contingent in the country. Long established and well supported, it offers challenge, camaraderie and a strong sense of purpose – and for many pupils, it becomes a defining part of their time here.
All pupils in the Fourth Form (Year 10) take part, choosing between the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Each offers a distinct focus: sailing, rowing and power boating with the Navy; infantry skills and tactics with the Army; and flight training with the RAF. Beyond these practical skills, the CCF helps pupils develop teamwork, resilience and self-reliance. It also fosters a strong sense of service -whether that leads to a military career or simply shapes how pupils lead and contribute in other walks of life.
At the end of the year, pupils may choose to continue or explore other co-curricular options. Those who stay on move into specialist programmes such as Advanced Infantry, NCO development, Fire and Rescue, or Adventure Training and Diving – areas that demand real commitment and offer meaningful opportunities for leadership.
We have our own shooting range, The Elmington Range. At 500 yards long, it is one of just a few of its size in the country to be owned by a school. Rifle practice takes place at firing points at either 100, 200, 300 or 500 yards.
The Oundle School Corps dates back to 1902 as the Rifle Corps 1st (Volunteer) Battalion the Northamptonshire Regiment. Since 1958, the Cadet Corps at Oundle has continuously maintained all three Service sections.
Community Action captures something essential about life at Oundle. Time and again, pupils talk about how much it has meant to them – not just in terms of what they gave, but what they learned and how it changed the way they see the world.
The programme is rooted in real relationships. It places our pupils within local communities, not apart from them – working alongside others to support, connect and contribute. Every week, pupils take part in more than seventy-five activities across Northamptonshire. They help in primary and secondary schools, visit care homes, support people with disabilities, contribute to environmental projects and volunteer with local charities and clubs.
Whether they are visiting elderly residents at home and sharing a cup of tea and a chat, attending a disco at the PHAB Club in Peterborough with adults with disabilities or working in soup kitchens, our pupils have every opportunity to make a difference to the various communities they serve.
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Pupils and 50 staff are involved in Community Action every Wednesday
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Visitors attend our Have a Go Days in May and October every year: a fun day of accessible activities and sports for our participants with disabilities
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Activities and organisations welcome our pupils’ ongoing support across Northamptonshire including in Oundle, Peterborough, Corby, Kettering and Rushden.
The DofE Award reflects our ethos and vision. It is a major challenge which requires commitment and perseverance, as well as a significant amount of personal responsibility. Pupils find themselves out of their comfort zone and work as a team to be active members of a wider community. Oundle is the largest DofE Centre in the Central England Region, with 10 staff members being qualified Expedition Assessors and a further five being affiliated Volunteer Assessors.
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OSCAR Radio is the longest running school radio station in the UK. It is the only station run by pupils under the age of 18 and broadcasts for up to eight weeks a year to Oundle and the surrounding area. In 2019 OSCAR retired its FM transmitter and now broadcasts exclusively via the internet stream to its thousands of listeners across the world.
Oundelians are committed, creative and generous in their fundraising efforts for charities, typically raising in excess of £80,000 a year. Our Houses are encouraged to adopt and develop connections with a particular charity and to build on any personal links. Indeed, each academic year starts with the annual Charities Fair which raises funds for individual charities chosen by each House.
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Organised along similar lines to Young Enterprise schemes, pupils form companies comprising six to eight members, each bringing talents suited to different roles, such as finance, product development or communication. Each member of the company is elected by the group to fill a post, such as Managing Director, Finance Director or Marketing Director. Pupils operate their businesses as independently as possible, with all financial affairs run through the School and staff acting as mentors throughout.
"Pupils contribute positively to the lives of others and develop a broader social understanding."ISI Inspection 2024
