For many students, the highlight of Year 7 is Enrichment Week in July, when they spend three nights under canvas in the Ashdown Forest. Year 7 Camp is one of those experiences that sticks with students and is often referenced when recalling their best times in the School. A range of outdoor and adventurous activities such as archery, climbing, potholing and air rifles provide the excitement and challenge at the end of a packed first year.
“… an experience like nothing I had done before or probably will do again!”
In Year 8, Languages Immersion takes centre stage. Recently, students have had the opportunity to spend time in Barcelona and Perpignan, honing their Spanish and French skills among native speakers. As well as being a linguistic challenge, students experienced some of the culture of another European nation.
“…more than an opportunity to speak Spanish, we also got to see the Nou Camp football stadium and spend some time on the beach.”
University Visits
Mentoring Opportunities
Year 10 students are ‘buddied up’ with local primary school pupils to provide role models.
“I can only hope that our buddies also took something positive away from this; even if we made the smallest difference to their lives it would have been worth every minute!”
Duke of Edinburgh Award
We offer opportunities to take part in the Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Rona Sailing Trip
For several years, Year 9 students have benefited from taking part in a Rona Sailing Trip – the aim is to provide opportunities for young people to acquire those attributes of a seaman, namely: a sense of responsibility, resourcefulness and teamwork which will help them throughout their lives.
“The entire voyage was truly life-changing for all of us. We all learned something new, and all grew as individuals and as a team.”
“I think that if I did not go on this trip then I never would have gone sailing. However, now I would consider going with my family as I had a very enjoyable time and I learnt skills I would not have learnt elsewhere.”
Combined Cadet Force (RN)
KS4 students can join the Combined Cadet Force (RN). They will have the opportunity to learn the theory of navigation, leadership and seamanship as well as putting it into practice on Field Days. Cadets can also gain nationally recognised qualifications by attending camps and courses organised by the Royal Navy.
Curriculum Enrichment for the Sixth Form consists of a range of activities and workshops to develop our students’ interpersonal and leadership skills, to prepare them for life beyond the Sixth Form and to open their eyes to new opportunities. We have a number of days planned across the two year programme which are enriching, as well as a rolling programme throughout tutor periods and Wednesday afternoons. Departments offer a wide range of trips from visiting Berlin for History to New York with Politics and, of course, the opportunity for students to take part in extra-curricular trips such as our regular Ski Trips and World Challenge Expeditions.
Every Wednesday afternoon students in the Sixth Form join in with our Enrichment Programme. Options on offer are wide in scope from sporting pursuits, cooking, music, drama and even ballroom dancing. Students also have the option of joining one of our expanding Societies, specialising in Medicine, Engineering, Law and Business and Finance. The Societies are facilitated by staff and led by students, the ultimate aim is to equip our students with the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in the field.
We run 5 drop down days across the Sixth Form where students explore issues important to them in more depth. These include topics around Mental Health, Sexual Health and Relationships, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Money Matters, Driving and quite a lot more. The content of our drop down days is flexible and we work to adapt our provision regularly to the students’ needs.
We challenge our students to take on Leadership and Mentoring roles during their time with us. These include subject mentors and peer mentors; where our Sixth Formers work with younger students to support their academic and personal development. We have form prefecting opportunities as well as the opportunity to run for the Head Student Team, a group who have a 1 year tenure and have a real impact on what we do as a school.
In the summer of year 12, we run an Enrichment week which includes the following activities each year as well as others we develop according to the needs of the students.
1) Challenge of Leadership is a two-day activity led by volunteers from the business world. Students work in groups with their facilitators to complete a range of tasks designed not only to be fun but to create opportunities for leadership. Students will finish the two days with a greater understanding of their own skills and what they can bring to a team.
2) The Stock Market Challenge activity brings Year 12 together to mimic a week on the trading floor, buying and selling shares and currencies. Students have to get to grips quickly with the fast pace and with receiving new information. Students are assigned roles within the teams in a bid to make the greatest profit by the end of the day. The winning team will be audited and can only be successful if they have complete and accurate records of all the trades they completed.
Our programme of advice and guidance for University Admissions and Apprenticeship applications runs throughout the two years and is most intense from term 3 in year 12 to the term 2 of year 13 when most of the activity needs to happen. This involves expert advice from tutors and the sixth form team, a number of visiting speakers as well as evening and seminars for parents and students. We offer bespoke advice for those in our Societies, including our Oxbridge group.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Please see the information above in KS4 Curriculum Enrichment.