Extra Curricular

Pupils at Friends’ benefit from a range of opportunities and can enjoy activities at both a recreational and competitive level. Participation levels are high and we aim to enthuse every pupil in school, regardless of individual talents and skills.

We have an excellent on-site sports complex, incorporating three rugby pitches, two cricket pitches, three tennis courts and two floodlit 3G hockey pitches. Our indoor facilities are also of a high standard, with a gymnasium, purpose-built Sports Hall and fitness suite.

All Year 8 pupils are encouraged to attend hockey, rugby and netball on Saturday mornings during the first term so that they can get to know each other and enjoy being involved in physical activity. Many go on to represent school on one of the many teams in their year group.

Teams are entered for schools’ competitions in athletics, badminton, cross country, hockey, netball, rugby, show jumping, swimming and tennis. In addition to these sports, pupils are offered the opportunity to enjoy basketball, dance, gymnastics and health-related PE. There are regular tours for rugby, girls’ and boys’ hockey, and netball, offering pupils the opportunity to travel with their team and enjoy matches with overseas opposition.

Friends’ has a long tradition of sporting excellence and our teams have
a proud record in a number of competitions. Individual Friends’ pupils also have an impressive record in sport, achieving representative honours at Ulster and Irish level in rugby, hockey, netball, badminton and athletics.

Music is an important part of life at Friends’ and our Music Department enjoys excellent facilities in the East Suite, which was opened in 2016. It houses a Mac Suite, a recording studio, multiple practice rooms, ensemble rooms and a large rehearsal space, all of which are put to good use.

Pupils who play instruments are given the opportunity to develop individual skills and to join with others in the orchestra, brass group, wind band, flute ensemble, string ensemble, folk group and jazz band. Rehearsals take place before school and pupils enjoy a range of musical styles, including jazz, Irish traditional, rock and Samba drumming.

Large numbers of pupils are involved in choral singing through the chamber choir, the junior and senior choirs and the recently formed male voice choir. Lessons are offered in brass, woodwind, strings, guitar, piano and singing, and our new Year 8 pupils can opt to begin learning an instrument when they arrive in school.

Last March, we held our Spring Concert in the Ulster Hall and our Christmas Concert this year was held in our new 1774 Pavilion and in the assembly hall. Both occasions allowed pupils to showcase their talents and to put on excellent performances to sell-out crowds. This year,
we hope to have even more pupils, past and present, involved in our anniversary concert at the Waterfront.

Following successful productions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Annie and Oliver, we staged the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in October 2022. Over 200 pupils from Years 8 to 14 were involved in every aspect of the show: alongside the large cast and an excellent band, Friends’ pupils were responsible for programme design, sound and light, costumes and the backstage team.

The Art Department organises workshops with local artists, designers and filmmakers. They also organise visits to museums and galleries, and the inspiration pupils draw from these events can be seen in the artwork on display in the corridors throughout school.

Pupils have opportunities to take part in debating and public speaking competitions, and delegates from school attend Model United Nations conferences in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has inspired a love of the outdoors and sense of adventure in many of our pupils, and the Friends’ School flag, on display in our entrance hall, even found its way to the summit of Everest.

Pupils can participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Silver and Gold levels. The award involves pursuing a skill, maintaining a physical activity, being involved in voluntary work and completing an expedition. Most of the training and walking is completed in the Mournes at Silver level, with the Gold qualifying expedition in the Lake District.