Extra Curricular Activities

Maharishi Free School maintains links with and supports various groups offering extra curriculur activities. Many of our pupils enjoy such activities, both within an outside school, often excelling in their chosen fields.

Many of our pupils have recently taken part in a community pantomime-style performance, written and directed by parent Annie Renwick, with choreography by parent and dance instructor Joanne Biswas. The performance was staged in the school’s own Woodley Park Centre for Sports & Arts.

The school is fortunate to have a number of talented parents who are involved in this extra curricular aspect of school life.

Piano and singing lessons are available from parent Elaine Alexander, who has also run the school choir. The choir has entertained and impressed at many school events, notably evening Carol concerts outside the shops in Parbold with Miss Farmer, our Reception Class teacher, who now runs a Friday lunchtime singing group called “Sing Up”, often performing to great applause at school events.

Jazz musician, Dean Masser has provided saxophone lessons to a number of pupils, notably talented Jainee Patel who plays a number of instruments.

We are particularly lucky to be served by a number of local clubs offering a wide variety of activities, from drama to martial arts.

Some pupils attend multi-prize winning Skelmersdale Taekwondo Club, run by Master Nigel Hudson, black belt 7th Dan. Master Hudson also incorporates Taekwondo onto one of our half-term upper-school sport blocks. See the home page video.

Jonathan Jedrczak, one of our Year 10 pupils, has been a black belt in karate for two years, attending GKR Karate club in Skelmersdale. This is a national organisation which runs clubs throughout the country – www.gkrkarate.com. Jonathan has won medals in regional, national and international competitions.

Nearby Mawdesley Cricket Club includes a number of Maharishi Free School pupils in its junior club and hosts an inter-school, kwik cricket championship. In 2008 our team won the competition so resoundingly that children on other teams were asking their parents if they could go to “that school”! We also won in 2009.

Being in a semi-rural location, Maharishi Free School is close to several villages, which themselves provide a wide range of activities.

Mawdesley, home of the well-known “destination” Cedar Farm Gallery (www.cedarfarm.net) also has a tennis club where our pupils receive professional coaching.

At the end of the school year the Upper School students have possibly their best school day of the year at Mawdesley’s Rock & River outdoor activity centre (www.rockandriver.co.uk). This great venue boasts Cliffs Barn climbing wall, a lake for canoeing, orienteering courses and much more.

Rock & River also have a site in Lathom shared by local cubs and scouts groups. Several boys from Maharishi School currently go to Newburgh cubs and scouts, the nearest group to the school. Contact Jacqueline Gosson, tel: 01257 464490 or email her on jacquelinegosson@yahoo.com.

A popular dance class with Maharishi Free School girls is the Kirsty Moss School of Dance. The girls selected from ballet, tap, jazz and street.

Every year Kirsty’s students entertain the hordes at Newburgh Summer Fair, as well as participating in local amdram productions. Her classes are held in Ashurst, Old Skelmersdale and Birkdale. Contact her on 07752 019 256.