CAI is renowned for the breadth of its provision of extra-curricular sports and societies as acknowledged by the Education and Training Inspectorate in their Report in January 2006. Under “Strengths of the School” they emphasise “the outstanding opportunities provided for the pupils to take part in the wide range of extra-curricular activities”.
While the core activity in school is clearly learning and teaching it is believed here that there is a great deal to be learnt and taught in non-classroom related activities and that every young person can derive considerable benefit in many ways from contributing to this side of school life.
We would encourage all incoming Year 8 boys to try new things - and most do just that - when they arrive with us in school and when they find – as they surely will – something they truly enjoy we would encourage them to commit themselves to it.
Not everyone will become as successful and famous as Graeme McDowell, Alan Campbell, Richard Chambers, Richard Archibald, James Nesbitt, Mark Carruthers, Jonathan Bell or Andrew Trimble but who knows what will happen? When these people started out in their chosen activity here at school they probably had no idea how it would turn out. For every pupil who reaches the top of his field there are hundreds who look back with pleasure at years of enjoyment spent with friends engaged in a common interest.