Societies

Academic Societies

All students at Harris Westminster become a member of an Academic Society. Each subject has a Society which is timetabled before lunchtime on Wednesday, and students choose their Society according to their own interests and their university aspirations.

Every year, each Society elects a President to ensure that the Society performs its purposes: to discuss areas of the subject of interest to its members; to provide its members with experience in communicating the subject; and to challenge statements and assumptions and develop tools for argument.

Meetings of each Society normally consist of a presentation from a member followed by questions, with each student presenting at least once a year: the presenters are usually Harris Westminster students although sometimes guest speakers are invited by the President. The aim is that Societies closely resemble a University Seminar experience and are a powerful tool for preparing students for those environments as well as providing the opportunities for extension and exploration in their favourite subjects.

All the major curriculum subjects have a Society and these are supplemented by Societies in popular university subjects which are not taught at school such as: Law, Medicine, and Engineering. We also have a Climate and Environmental Science Society, which is an interdisciplinary space for students to discuss issues of sustainability and the environment.

Extra-Curricular Clubs and Societies

In addition, a number of (largely student-run) extra-curricular clubs and societies take place throughout the Harris Westminster week. We have our 'Big Seven' societies, which run every year, and students can launch their own extra-curricular clubs by following our process, and it is a fundamental way that students at Harris Westminster Sixth Form are encouraged to build their leadership experience. Please click here to see our extra-curricular clubs and societies which will be on offer for 2025-26.