Redfield College offers an extensive co-curricular program.
Redfield offers The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award as an opportunity for our students to experience a broader education outside of the classroom, venture out of their comfort zones and become better, confident young men.
Aligned with our mission to grow our students in character, The Duke of Edinburgh Award encourages independence, sound decision-making, a community-minded perspective, and service to others.
Participating in The Duke of Edinburgh Award, an internationally recognised program, is also held in high esteem on resumes by future employers.
This program allows our students to:
Redfield’s registered Award leaders are Ian Morrison and Oliver Foxe and they are here to support each student's growth and sense of adventure!
Redfield has frequently hosted visits from, and sent students to, Mikawadai College in Nagasaki, Japan, and three schools in Spain: Colegio Viaro in Barcelona, Colegio Gaztelueta in Bilbao and Colegio Los Robles in Oviedo. In recent years boys from Monte VI in Montevideo Uruguay and Colegio Penalba in Valladolid have also visited each year as well as a class of students from Tak Sun College in Hong Kong. Boys are billeted with families.
Since 1989 Japanese students have been hosted at Redfield in class groups. Their stays, usually in late July to early August, are limited to a fortnight during which time Redfield organizes a welcome concert, some special classes and activities, and a camp with Year 8.
In recent years small groups of Redfield students from Year 9 and 10 travel to Europe, Asia and South America for a period of 6 or 7 weeks. The aim of the trips to Spanish speaking countries is to increase the boys’ facility with the Spanish language, enable them to experience a culture that has similarities to our own but very big differences also. It is also a chance to experience another Christian culture. The boys are typically billeted with families having boys in schools our boys attend while on exchange. At the end of the stay in Spain the boys travel as a group to Rome and spend a week there at the heart of Catholicism and western civilization. Participants of the Asian Study Tour typically spend a month in each of Nagasaki and Hong Kong, attending Seido-Mikawadai Middle Boys School and Tak-Sun College.
The Redfield College Music Tuition Program is organised by the Music Tuition Coordinator.
The Redfield College Music Tuition Program presents a fantastic opportunity for students to enhance their musical development. Tuition is available for students of all ages and abilities, from beginners through to HSC level, as well as for those involved in the College ensembles.
Our professional and experienced teachers offer one-to-one tuition for the following instruments:
Redfield College co-curricular activities are organised by the Head of Co-Curricular.
Sport, and in particular team sports, are very important in the development of character.
The physical, social and psychological demands inherent in sport build genuine virtues such as friendship, fortitude, endurance, optimism, co-operation and responsibility.
In addition to the weekly timetabled PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) periods, the College encourages all boys to participate in at least one sports team yearly with all the associated commitments to training which that implies.
A strength of Redfield lies in the unity between teachers and parents. Their cooperation and friendship in the management and support of teams reinforces their esteem in the eyes of the students. Parents, whenever possible, are asked to attend games. Besides the obvious benefits of spending time with their sons, their help with the duties of managing, umpiring, etc. is indispensable.
Through the mentoring system of the College the boys benefit from the effective feedback mentors receive from coaches and managers.
Sporting clubs organised under the auspices of Redfield see themselves as a support for the work of the Sportsmaster. Boys have the opportunity to play sports for Redfield’s Sporting Clubs, competing in local competitions or within the various school sporting associations to which Redfield belong.
There are representative pathways to NSW and Australian Schoolboy teams for the above and other sports through the associations of IPSHA, ISA and CIS. IPSHA is the representative pathway for primary boys whilst the secondary boys representative pathway is through ISA.
The Redfield Sportsmaster is responsible for general sports information. Respective Club Presidents are responsible for more specific inquiries.
There are three compulsory House events:
It is compulsory to wear a House T-shirt in these events. The T-shirt must be in the correct colour of the House. These are obtainable at the Redfield Uniform Shop. All boys are expected to compete in these three House events unless medically exempt. Exemptions are handled through the Sports master and Parents are asked to support the School in ensuring boys make every effort to be involved.
At the Swimming Carnival boys must swim 50m of freestyle, and other events as specified. Boys who fail to complete events without exemption from the Sportsmaster (eg. Genuine non-swimmers), bring penalties on themselves and their House.
The Athletics (Track and Field) Carnival is run along similar lines to the Swimming with boys competing in 100 m, and 200 m and other events as specified. Qualification for some events takes place during PE lessons.
The Cross-Country Championships are held on the College course. Boys who miss the Cross-Country through injury, illness, etc, will be requested to attend a make-up event. Boys with ability in Swimming, Cross Country and Track and Field will be identified and are expected to contribute by becoming members of the School represenative team in these sports. Some sporting activities require participation on a Saturday. Co-operation and dedication are required in all the sporting activities of the school. Boys have representative opportunities in Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country through ISA Carnivals (secondary) and IPSHA Carnivals (primary) to CIS and beyond.
House sport competitions are also conducted during lunchtime including cricket, football, basketball and touch football. Selections for House teams are conducted by the various House Captains and House T-shirts must be worn in order to participate.
College expectations regarding Team Sports
All boys should participate in at least one sports team each year. Unless there are particularly extenuating circumstances, if a sport is already being offered through the school, boys should play for the College rather than a club team. Our small school numbers and the desirability of always providing choices (e.g. between football and rugby in each age group) dictate that we must maximise our numbers in College sports teams.
Where possible, teams in inter-school competitions will be coached and managed by teachers.
College teams entered in club competitions (such as Hills Basketball Stadium, Saturday sports, etc.) will be managed by a parent and coached either by a teacher (if available) or parent.
The Sportsmaster will only enter teams into competitions when there are sufficient numbers of boys committed to the team and its training, and when the coach and manager positions have been filled. Final selection of a squad for a particular competition is at the discretion of the Sportsmaster and the team coach and manager.
Coaches and Managers of primary teams in particular are asked to rotate boys through the duties of reserves, orange boys, etc., at least during the normal rounds of the competitions. Of course the coach may pick his strongest teams for particular games, but he should ensure that even the better players take their turns at reserves. Also, whenever possible, he can give everyone a run at each game.
Boys representing the College must at all times be attired in the complete and correct school sports uniform. Boys without the correct uniform should not be allowed to take the field.
Student Code of Sporting Conduct
To be eligible to be awarded a College Blue a student must fulfill the following requirements and an award nomination form must be submitted to the Sports master.
IPSHA (Independent Primary School Heads of Australia)
IPSHA, previously known as the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), is an association of independent sector primary and middle school Heads across Australia. IPSHA provides opportunities for higher representation for Redfield’s primary students in swimming, cross country and athletics and other sports such as football and basketball. Redfield's U10-U12 rugby teams compete in the IPSHA competition.
ISA (Independent Sporting Association)
The Independent Sporting Association (ISA) is a school-based sport association. Its purpose is to provide inter-school sports competition on a home-and-away basis between the member schools in Years 7 to 12. The ISA calendar provides an annual sporting programme that offers full and varied opportunities for students and staff. The ISA encourages and promotes citizenship and education through sport with competitions held on Saturdays.
The ISA offers students representative opportunities and at this representative level compete against major school associations in NSW.
From these associations, students are selected for the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools (NSWCIS) representative teams to compete against Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) and Combined High Schools (CHS).
The ISA provides students the opportunity to represent New South Wales and Australia through this and other pathways.
The College’s secondary teams compete in ISA carnivals for swimming, athletics and cross country and Redfield’s secondary rugby and basketball teams compete in division 2 of the ISA competition.
CIS (Combined independent Schools)
The NSW Combined Independent Schools Sports Council, known as CIS, aims to provide a pathway to state and national level competition in a wide variety of sports for students and staff in the independent sector.
Boys are encouraged to nominate a summer or winter sport, or both if possible, unless exempt for medical reasons or reasons made known to and approved by the Director of Sport.
All choices involve at least one training per week and a weekend commitment.
First teams in most sports, train during holidays. Exact dates and times are organised by the coaches or teachers in charge and the boys are informed well ahead of time.
A number of sports offer opportunities to gain refereeing qualifications.
