Enrichment Opportunities
CARE Charter
All students have the opportunity to take part in the CARE Charter programme. This allows students to get involved and develop skills in the four key areas of our mission statement – Community, Achieve, Respect and Encounter.
Students can build up their hours of participation and achieve awards at Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum level. Some examples of CARE activities are:
In-Class support
The work will involve helping Lower School pupils with a variety of different needs in different subject areas. This could mean helping them read the textbook, understand the teacher’s instructions, or in some cases encouraging them to put up their hand to answer a question.
Paired reading
Paired reading will also involve helping Lower School pupils with a variety of different needs in different subject areas. You will be encouraging younger students with their reading and confidence.
Everyone gets different things out of the Award, but there are some common benefits. In taking part, you’ll develop:
- Self-belief
- Self-confidence
- A sense of identity
- Independence of thought and action
- A sense of responsibility
- An awareness of their potential
- New talents and abilities
- The ability to plan and use time
- An understanding of strengths and weaknesses
- The ability to learn from and give to others in the community
- New relationships
- Skills including problem-solving, presentation and communication
- The ability to lead and work as part of a team
Sixth Form Leadership Team (SFLT)
Our Sixth Form Leadership Team consists of Head and Deputy Head students, and lead roles for Communications, School Council, Enrichment and our Peer Mentoring programme.
Our Head Students are voted for by students and staff, with each student who’s interested in the role taking part in a week long campaign which includes presenting to their peers.
Student Ambassadors
Our Student Ambassadors play an important role in school life, supporting the organisation and delivery of events such as Children in Need, fundraising for the Pilgrimage to Lourdes, school shows and our hugely popular Year 7 Disco. Through this, students develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills.
Chaplaincy Team
Sixth Form students can also join and lead our Chaplaincy Team. They help with the running of lunch time Chaplaincy Team sessions, as well as delivering whole school liturgies and Celebrations of the Word. Students can also be a part of our Faith Choir.
They are also given the opportunity to attend the yearly Pilgrimage to Lourdes, and help with the fundraising for this event.
Trips
A rich programme of subject-focused enrichment trips runs throughout the year, complemented by visits to leading universities including Nottingham Trent and Oxford, helping students explore their future pathways.
Trips include visits to the Theatre with Drama and English, trips to the Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery with Art, a visit to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with Biology and to Blencathra with Geography.
External Speakers
We are proud to host a wide range of visiting speakers and partner organisations, such as Cambridge, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, DANCOP, Nottingham Youth Services, Register a Lifesaver, MP Michael Payne and Olympian James Dasaolu, giving students valuable insight into higher education, careers and personal development.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The EPQ is a really valuable qualification that universities value and is worth more than half an A level. It is aimed at students who are passionate about learning and conducting detailed extra research.
You will be working independently with regular meetings with your mentor to check progress.
On average students read around 10+ books/articles and write a 5000-word project (around 15 pages) Although this is very time-consuming it is very rewarding and for students who love their subject a real opportunity to demonstrate this.
If you are looking to get high grades and apply to very competitive courses or universities for example, Oxford and Cambridge and Medicine or Law, this could be a great option for you.
