Sixth Form Enrichment

Our Sixth Form Academy provides students with a wealth of opportunities outside of the classroom to develop their love of learning and life skills. This will not only enhance their knowledge and skills for their chosen subjects, but also strengthen their university applications and open their eyes to possible future careers.  

Having experiences outside of the classroom is a very important part of Sixth Form life. We want our students to be prepared and ready for life after school. We encourage all of our students to be independent and take an active role exploring their passions and taking up some of the fantastic opportunities offered to them. Many of the programs that we run with universities offer huge benefits, such as lowered entry requirements.

Sixth Form Enrichment Programs

Arts Emergency

Arts Emergency

What we do

Arts Emergency helps young people flourish in higher education and the cultural industries. We currently run mentoring projects in London, Manchester, Merseyside and Thanet. Our Network members offer crucial gateways into hard to crack industries like TV, publishing and architecture.

Mentoring

We offer 16-25-year olds who are passionate about the arts and humanities a year of free mentoring. Mentors help Young Talent set goals, explore their interests and make decisions about higher education, training and careers.

Opportunities

Our volunteers have signed up to help the next generation of activists, artists and thinkers. They do this by sharing advice, opportunities and contacts. Because of them our young people can choose from a wide range of enriching activities to take part in, like set visits, theatre trips and work experience.

Connections

After a young person completes their year of mentoring, we'll keep offering them support until their 26th birthday. Young Talent only need to ask and we can deliver. Whether it's a paid internship, CV advice or audition coaching, our volunteers will step up to help.


 


 

The Access Project (AP)

The access project

What is The Access Project?

We exist to work with high potential students from backgrounds which are underrepresented at the UK’s top universities. Our mission is to provide one to one in-school mentoring, workshops and one hour of tuition per week in a selected subject that students would like support in.

We work in 31 schools, across the UK to provide in-school support and personalised tuition, to help them fulfil their potential and gain access to get a place at a top university. Furthermore, we provide opportunities for students to apply and be a part of societies, these include the Oxbridge and Medicine and Dentistry society. In the academic year 2020/2021 two students managed to secure offers from Oxbridge universities through the support they received on the program.

 

What types of activities and provision do we offer?

There are 10 students selected to be on the program. To be a part of the program students go through an application process when they join The Urswick School Sixth Form Academy.

In Year 12, students are inducted into the program and matched with an A’ Level volunteer tutor to begin online weekly tutorials in one of their chosen A’ Level subjects. Students will have multiple workshops on academic-self efficacy, accessing selective universities and personal statement writing; followed by one-to-one session for them to apply what they have learnt from these workshops to set themselves academic and enrichment goals.

In Year-13, students have two workshops on UCAS and university applications and three one to one mentoring sessions to guide them through the UCAS process, university decision making and final revision period before their exams. Students continue their tutorials this year.


Goldsmiths Progression Scheme (GPS)

Goldsmiths

Goldsmiths Progression Scheme (GPS) will challenge you academically and support your journey towards university with a range of exciting activities and events designed around the subject you're passionate about.

Why join the Goldsmiths Progression Scheme?

GPS is a great way to gain skills, meet new people, discover more about your subject, and enhance your application to university. It’s open to students in Year 12, or in the first year of college, with events and activities running from January 2021 through to November 2021.

During your time on the scheme, you'll gain loads of new skills that will help you at university and beyond, including:

  • critical thinking skills
  • increased subject knowledge
  • support throughout the UCAS application process
  • careers advice
  • increased cultural awareness through trips and summer schools (Covid permitting)
  • confidence in making your next step

Explore subject strands are the core of GPS. Each strand includes workshops and trips that'll ignite your passion for and deepen your knowledge of your subject.

You can choose a subject that you’re currently studying or get an introduction to a subject that you've never had the opportunity to study before.

We’ve grouped related subject areas together to form each strand. If you’re not sure on any of the strands, you can choose ‘Explore Choice’ which gives you the chance to pick a different strand for each activity.

In each Explore strand, you will attend lectures, workshops, and other activities relevant to the subject area. You’ll also have an opportunity to explore what student life is like at university and chat to current students. You’ll also be invited on a trip to central London to show how your subject can fit in with real-life careers and society. Previous trips have included the Royal Courts of Justice, Houses of Parliament, and the Design Museum.

We also host one-off lectures in subject areas not included in the strands below, including in Computing, English, and Creative Writing which all GPS students can attend.

Strands:

®Explore Business

®Explore Creative

®Explore Mind

®Explore Power

®Explore Society

®Explore Word

®Explore Choice

 


Kings College, Realising Opportunities

Kings College Logo

King’s College London is a member of Realising Opportunities (RO), a n
ational collaborative Partnership of 15 research-intensive universities working together to promote fair access and social mobility of students from under-represented groups.

The Realising Opportunities programme provides support for students through interventions designed to raise aspirations and enable them to demonstrate their potential for success at a research-intensive university. These interventions are offered both at their local participating university, and nationally.

The programme includes a National Student Conference and each student is provided with ongoing support and encouragement by a student e-mentor who is an undergraduate student from one of the 15 universities.

Successful completion of RO, which includes a robust academic element, will result in additional consideration given to applications through UCAS from all 15 universities and in many cases will result in an alternative offer worth up to two A-level grades or equivalent.

The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) - Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP), APP City

APP City supports high achieving students in lower sixth/S5 into competitive universities and top professions. It’s open to motivated, ambitious students in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle with the ability, but without the means or networks to get there. We offer support through our four pillars:

Mentoring by a professional via email

Tailored skills sessions and career workshops

University application support and guidance

Internships with top employers

We offer support to young people interested in:

Accountancy | Architecture | Banking & Finance | Biology & Chemistry| Business | Digital | Engineering & Physics | Law | Media & Communications | Medicine | Politics

You can find out more information here

Eligibility:

You have received Free School Meals during secondary school

AND / OR

You are the first generation in their family to attend university in the UK

If you are eligible and interested, click here to apply:

 


Nuffield Research Placements

 Nuffield Research

This programme provides over 1,100 students each year with the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists (including quantitative social scientists), technologists, engineers and mathematicians

 

Public Lectures

Public lectures are an are an excellent way of engaging in your chosen degree subject. They are normally free but you may have to book in advance.

London School of Economics Normally held on weekday evenings, they are even available through podcasts if you are unable to attend. Most relevant for anyone considering Economics, Maths, Law, Philosophy, History, Politics or Sociology.


Gresham College Located in the centre of London they offer an impressive array of lectures covering a wide range of different subjects; please note that some lectures are held at other venues throughout the city. Recordings of past lectures you may have missed are also available through this website. Most relevant for anyone considering Art, Literature, Classics, History, Politics, Law, Maths, Medicine,

Music, Philosophy, Religion, Sociology and Science.

Royal Society Science-based lectures delivered by leading experts in their field on subjects ranging from ‘Could an algorithm ever write music to rival Bach?’ to ‘Decoding the Mysteries of Neurodegeneration.’

Royal Institution Science and technology based lectures held every week on subjects ranging from ‘How the Earth drives our evolution’ to ‘Making a material difference to green energy’.

University College, London Lecture Series A wide range of lectures and podcasts (including those delivered by the Bartlett school of Architecture) covering every subject area can be found here:

Geological Society Their lectures are held twice on the same day, at 3pm and 6pm. Their extensive range of lectures can be found below:


Google Digital Garage The majority of the courses are free, and approved by industry experts, top entrepreneurs and some of the world’s leading employers. So you can be sure that you’re learning up-to-date, real-world skills that help you reach your goal.

 

Exploring your subject further

Leading universities will expect you to have extended your knowledge considerably beyond the remits of the A level syllabus. Here are a few suggestions of how you can make this happen:

My HE Plus An excellent site where you can explore your subject beyond the A level syllabus – each different subject area has been designed by postgrad students and academics at Cambridge

Staircase 12 

A website dedicated to help you ‘read around’ your subject and thus demonstrate your ability to

extend your knowledge beyond the A level syllabus – there are different recommendations depending upon subject

Hodder A level Review Magazines

This wide variety of publications covers the following areas and are available in the Harriet Wade Library: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English, History, Politics, Law, Physics, Psychology, Sociology

Isaac Physics

A great website for helping you to solve Physics-related problems

Why Not Chem EnA highly informative website for those students interested in applying for Chemical Engineering


Clever PodcastInspiring interviews with contemporary designers and architects

Oxford University Help Page for ApplicantsA superb collection of resources aimed at those students seeking to enhance their subject knowledge beyond the classroom which includes blogs, subject resources, recommended areas for study and interview guidance.