At BBC, our co-curricular program aims to provide each boy with an opportunity to participate, persevere, progress and perform across a number of learning environments incorporating competitive, cultural, service and academic enrichment activities.

The College offers a broad range of sports, cultural, club and service activities, so that every boy can participate, grow, be challenged and ultimately excel.

With more than 35 sports and activities on offer boys are bound to find something that peaks their interest and enhances their learning both in and out of the traditional classroom, giving them the courage to seek learning experiences that inspire positive relationships integral to the wellbeing of self, community and our natural world.

The program is designed to extend each boy’s understanding of himself, his capabilities, his perspective and his appreciation of the value of commitment and contribution. It is underpinned by strong
values which support success through involvement, enjoyment, growth, mastery, leadership and respect in students, staff and the wider College community.

We believe that by striving for success we encourage boys to participate at their highest level, to learn the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of their chosen activity, to stretch their competencies and set their aspirations high.

Academic enrichment activities engage and extend boys beyond classroom learning through collaboration, feedback and support.

Service learning activities encompass programs that reflect the diversity of interests within our vibrant student community. Opportunities to volunteer with local, national and international organisations help students to grow their circle of concern, learn to appreciate the challenges others face and nurture a sense of community.

Coffee for Cambodia

Our boys know that the humble coffee bean has the power to build a school, educate a child and support a community. Through our Coffee for Cambodia initiative boys are trained as baristas and sell coffee to raise money for the Stepping Stones School in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Support trips provide opportunities for student to help build houses, distribute food, meet staff and students of the Stepping Stones school and see how their efforts are making a difference in Cambodia.

Volleyball

GPS Volleyball is contested in Term 1, with students in Years 7 to 12 competing in an eight round home and away season.

Domestic and International Tours

A variety of sports, language, music, community engagement and service tours are available to boys each year.

Photography Club

Students with a love of photography and interest in all things from DSLR to Pentax K1000 equipment enjoy afternoons in the Photography Club.

Inter-School Christian Fellowship

Boys have the opportunity to join ISCF Core and Connect groups for age appropriate Christian discussion, reflection, service and friendship. Students also enjoy a variety of social activities and an annual Christian camp with students from other PMSA Schools.

Interact Club

The BBC Interact Club enjoys strong ties with the Toowong Rotary Club and assists College and community endeavours.

Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts Workshops, incorporating drama classes, singing lessons and dance workshops, are held for Junior School students.

Duke of Edinburgh

Students (14 years and over) work towards their Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Bridge Award is available for students who are 11 and a half years of age. Participation in Duke of Edinburgh is a paid activity.

Strength and Conditioning

Strength and Conditioning programs delivered by university qualified coaches provide boys with an opportunity to participate in age appropriate activities to develop physically and physiologically for sport performance and general athletic development.

Programs focus on strength, speed, flexibility, aerobic capacity, agility and power development assist boys to enhance their athletic potential and create personal, team and school success. Injury resistance and rehabilitation are addressed with local physiotherapists.

Athletic Development Program

Holistic in nature, the BBC Athletic Development Program aims to provide athletic development pathways for every boy, from Prep through to Year 12, though relevant skill acquisition.

Individual Instrumental Tuition

Individual tuition is available through the Music Department in all Orchestral and Band instruments, Piano, Guitar, Vocal, Pipes and Drums and Theory of Music and Musicianship Studies.

Wind Ensemble

The premier intermediate concert band catering to students who have achieved a standard of Grade 4 AMEB or equivalent and above.

Symphonic Band

An auditioned group for advanced Middle and Senior School students to extend and showcase their ensemble playing skills with musically and technically challenging repertoire.

Stage Band

An introductory jazz ensemble that introduces students to many styles and elements of contemporary music such as swing, rock, funk, Latin and pop.

Senior Percussion

An extension ensemble for high achieving students looking to further develop their percussion technique while striving for excellence in performance.

Rock Program

The BBC Rock Program has a strong tradition of producing exceptional quality original recorded music, which is on display through the annual Darren Middleton Song Writing Competition, Indie Rock Concert and through the College’s imprint record label, Big Green Records, available on iTunes and Spotify.

Junior Strings

A performance ensemble for beginner students in the string program, catering for string students in their first stages of learning who are roughly AMEB Preliminary standard.

Junior Percussion

Junior Percussion is an extension ensemble for percussion students in the Junior School looking to develop their skills on both tuned and untuned percussion instruments.

Junior Band

Primarily composed of boys in Years 4 to 6 who have been learning a brass, woodwind or percussion instrument for 12 months or more, Junior Band performs at several concerts and Junior School events throughout the year.

Intermezzo Strings

An intermediate string ensemble comprised of students from Years 6 to 10, with a playing standard equivalent to Grade 3-6 AMEB.

Intermediate Percussion

An extension ensemble for students in the Middle School looking to further develop their percussion playing technique with likeminded peers.

Hudson Strings

A performance group comprised of string students in the lower Middle School who are at a Grade 2-3 AMEB standard.

Concert Band

Tailored to students who have achieved a standard of Grade 2-3 AMEB or equivalent, the Concert Band performs both challenging and entertaining repertoire at a number of concerts throughout the year.

Collegians

The senior vocal ensemble of the College featuring singers mainly from Years 10 to 12 and perform in an intimate chamber-choral style. The group caters to boys of a standard of Grade Four Trinity/AMEB and above.

College Symphony

One of the largest College ensembles, College Symphony incorporates string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments with playing standards from Grade 5 AMEB and above.

College Strings

Our premiere string ensemble featuring students of Grade 6 AMEB standard and above. One of BBC’s touring ensembles involved in the three- year Music tour rotation.

Colla Voce

Colla Voce is the senior vocal ensemble of the Junior School comprising boys from Years 4 to 6.

Cello Quartet

A performance group providing students with the opportunity to explore advanced repertoire from various genres and musical periods.

Brass Quintet

Brass Quintet is open by invitation to selected students who are dedicated to furthering their technical and musical skills while performing at the highest level.

STEM Club

STEM Club integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  Participation in the club is open to all students that have an interest in problem solving, creativity, critical analysis, teamwork, independent thinking, initiative, communication and digital literacy.

The STEM Program runs lunch games and construction activities, after school experiments, research-based exploration and hosts events and excursions to enhance STEM learning.

Robotics

Students are encouraged to combine their creative and technical skills to design, build and program robots for the RoboCup competition. BBC Robotics students have enjoyed national and international competition success and have a reputation for coding at high levels. Coding Club is available to students in Years 4 to 6 with Robotics Club available for Middle and Senior students.

Readers Cup

Participation in Readers Cup offers students the opportunity to read widely, work collaboratively and compete against students from a range of schools in a literary quiz.

Theatre Productions & Theatre Sports

Professional theatre production opportunities are available to students with cast roles including actors, orchestra and ensemble and opportunities for behind the scenes creative teams. Theatresports teams are also offered.

Film Crew

Film Crew provides opportunities for students to engage in a professional film production experience, within an environment free from assessment pressures.

Debating

BBC participates in Great Public Schools (GPS) and Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Debating Competitions. Students from Years 5 to 12 compete in GPS Debating and students from Years 5 to 12 in QDU competitions. Junior School Interhouse Public Speaking opportunities occur through Years 1 to 6.

Chess

GPS Chess is contested by boys from Years 5 to 12. It is held during Term 3 in a home-and-away format. Students from Junior School to Senior School also enjoy social Chess Club opportunities.

Art Club

Middle and Senior School students are encouraged to explore creative outlets through new artistic mediums and techniques at Art Club.

Amnesty International

A co-curricular club for students with a passion for defending human rights and an opportunity to become activists for change in the community. The club holds numerous fundraising events through the year, produces a biannual publication and is active within the community.

Pipe Band

The BBC Pipe Band is a widely recognised performance group with notable achievements on home soil and internationally, including at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the World Pipe Band Championships and biennial competition tours to Scotland.

Founded in 1940, the band has a long history of service to the College and the wider community. The College has three pipe bands, plus a learner program, which caters for players from beginner to the accomplished piper or drummer.

Camerata

The Camerata is our premiere vocal ensemble featuring accomplished singers from the Junior, Middle, and Senior School. They perform at a variety of College and community events. This is an auditioned group.

Brass Band

Brass Band is made up of students who are looking to further develop the skills required to play brass instruments at a higher level.  Students range from Years 7 to 12.

Big Band

Big Band is an auditioned group for outstanding students looking to demonstrate and extend their playing skills in the jazz style. Students cover all styles of jazz music and perform at both College and community events.

BBC Singers

The core choral ensemble for students in the Middle School, this choir explores a variety of styles and genres, including works of other languages, all designed to enhance and support vocal development.

Acton Strings

The senior string ensemble in the Junior School, for students with more than 18 months’ experience or a standard of Grade 1 AMEB and above.

Water Polo

The BBC Water Polo program begins in late Term 1 and continues in Term 2 with the Independent Schools’ Water Polo Competition. This competition is contested by students from Years 7 to 12 with teams selected according to Year levels.

Track and Field

The GPS Track and Field pre-season begins in Term 3 and includes evening lead-up meets prior to the 10-12 Years Carnival and the 13 Years-Open Championships held in Term 4. The 10-12 Years carnival is a participation based model with ninety-three events contested across the three age groups, events include 60m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, 800m, long jump, high jump, shot put discus.

The 13 Years-Open Championship comprises sixty-nine events including 100m, hurdles (90m-400m), 200m, 400, 800m, 1500m, long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, discus, javelin, 4×100 relay, 4×400 relay, all age 3000m and all age 4x400m relay.

Gymnastics

Prior to the GPS Gymnastics Championships held in Term 2, students participate in a number of lead-up meets hosted by participating schools. BBC fields teams in Division 1, 2 and 3.

Tennis

Students in Years 5 to 12 participate in the GPS Tennis competition in Term 2. Since 2013, BBC has won seven consecutive GPS Tennis Premierships. Interschool Tennis opportunities are available in the Junior School and coaching programs are available to all students.

Rugby

GPS Rugby is played in Term 3 and BBC fields teams from the First XV to Under 11. Interhouse Rugby opportunities are available for Junior School students.

Football

GPS Football teams compete in a nine round season in Term 2. All interested students in Years 5 to 12 are eligible for GPS Year level teams. Years 5 and 6 play in nine-a-side teams and Years 7-12 participate in eleven-a-side teams. Pre-season training and trials commence in Term 1. Interhouse football opportunities are available for Junior School students.

Cross Country

GPS Cross Country is a team sport involving age group teams of 20 runners in the 10 Years to 16 Years age group and 30 runners in the Open age group. The GPS Cross Country season involves Term 1 pre-season training, afternoon lead up meets and holiday training prior to the GPS Championships held in Term 2. Race distances are 10 Years 2000m, 11- 13 Years 3000m, 14 – 15 Years 4000m, 16 Years – Open 6000m.

Basketball

GPS Basketball is contested by students in Years 5 to 12 and is played during Term 3.

Swimming

BBC Swimming is focused on the preparation of students in Years 5 to 12 who wish to represent the school at the GPS Swimming Championships. The program also welcomes students who wish to gain fitness, flexibility and strength for their respective sports and are prepared to swim competitively for the College.

Pre-season begins in Term 4 and includes weekly lead-up meets which culminate at the GPS Swimming Championships held in Term 1. Swimmers from Years 5 to 12 compete in Age groups for the Senior GPS Competition (13 Years & Under to Open) and Junior GPS competition (10 Years & Under to 12 Years & Under). BBC Swimming enjoys a strong partnership with UQ Swim Club.

Sailing

GPS Sailing schools partner with the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron to conduct a Fleet Racing event in conjunction with the Pacer Queensland State Championships.

Rowing

Participating GPS schools host lead-up Regattas prior to the GPS Head of the River Regatta held in Term 1. Students learn to row in Years 7 and 8, race in quads in Years 9 and 10 and eights in Years 11 and 12. Training sessions include rowing, ergo, strength and conditioning, injury prevention and other cross training activities.

Cricket

GPS Cricket teams compete in a nine round home and away season in Term 1. All interested students in Years 5 to 12 are eligible for Year level teams, which involve playing limited over matches each Saturday ranging from T20, 30 and 40 overs. The First XI play one day matches (50 overs) for the GPS Premiership. Pre-season training commences in term 4, whilst BBC Cricket Week is conducted in the January pre-season.