Sixth Form Enrichment

We recognise that employers and universities are now looking for much more than just academic or vocational qualifications. Therefore, we offer an extensive range of enrichment opportunities which will not only enhance the quality of their CV or UCAS applications, but will also equip them with vital skills such as teamwork, leadership and independence. Enrichment is a compulsory part of Sixth Form.

Every Tuesday at George Stephenson, our students follow a timetable of valuable and engaging enrichment activities. During Period 1, we have a tutorial where we welcome guest speakers from a range of backgrounds. For the remainder of the morning, we complete the Progression Module and Moocs. Students are given a Tuesday afternoon to take part in other programmes detailed below. They also have the freedom to source their own work experience or voluntary placement which is hugely valuable.

Some of the regular and past speakers include:

Further Education - Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, Durham, Oxford, and Cambridge University

Charity - NCS, The People’s Kitchen, Blue Sky Trust, Streetwise, Dementia Friends and The North East Ambulance Service

Careers - ASK Apprenticeships, Accenture, Tyne Met College, EY and Unifrog

Progression Module - The progression module is an exciting programme that is designed to build on your skills both in and out of school such as study skills, employability and personal development. Progression Module covers aspects such as pathway planning, interview skills, presentation skills etc. At the end of the module students will all benefit from a mock interview with an employer.

MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses are a fantastic opportunity for students to trial a subject that they may be thinking about taking at university. They are free online courses, created by universities to allow students to sample topics outside of their A-Level curriculum. Many students refer to MOOCs in their personal statement and are praised by admissions officers for their commitment to wider study.

Engineering Education Scheme – The Engineering Education Scheme (EES) in England & Scotland is a 6-month EDT Programme which links teams of four Year 12 students and their teacher with local companies where they work on real, scientific, engineering and technology projects. The scheme provides students with an in-depth experience in science, engineering and technology that will enable them to make an informed decision about their future studies and career. In the last few years’ students at GSHS have worked with Capita to manage projects in flood defences and traffic management.

Villiers Park – The Villiers Park Educational Trust Scholars Programme is a two or four-year programme of mentoring, masterclasses and residential events, which supports highly able students to fulfil their potential and gain places at top universities or on other suitable progression routes.

Senior Citizen’s Christmas Party – Each year a team of Sixth Form students plan and deliver a Christmas party for up to 150 senior citizens from the local area. Students are responsible for co-ordinating with catering/entertainment/care home staff, collecting donations and distributing tickets. On the day, they ensure the smooth running of the event by providing a food and drink service, as well as delivering the entertainment programme. Involvement in the team helps students to develop their organisation, communication and teamwork skills. Due to Covid19, the party couldn’t go ahead in December 2020 so our students raised a staggering amount of donations and put together afternoon tea delivered to 150 elderly residents in the local area and created over 50 hampers to be delivered to even more residents in the community to wish them a merry christmas.

In-class support – Many of our students choose to support teaching staff in their lessons. This can involve small group work or 1-1 support. This is beneficial for all parties involved as students gain in confidence, whilst developing their leadership skills.

After-school clubs – Many of our Sixth Form students opt to run an after school club for Year 7 students, including ‘Photography Club’ and ‘Arts and Crafts Club’. Students are in charge of planning and delivering each session, with each week having a different focus or learning objective. This is an excellent opportunity for Sixth Form students to develop leadership skills whilst offering a unique new club to support with Year 7 students’ transition to the school.

‘Think Law’ Programme - Think Law is a CILEx and Career Ready initiative that aims to enable young people from diverse backgrounds to access careers in the legal sector but can also benefit those students hoping to go into the business or finance sector. Think Law provides ongoing engagement between employers and students over a sustained twelve-month period. The programme provides a combination of masterclasses, work place visits and mentoring interventions, enabling young people to navigate their way to a career in legal services.

Wellbeing Club – Sixth Form students have formed a team that focusses on promoting mental health awareness and student wellbeing through the running of assemblies, 1:1 support, form activities and tutorials. They have also introduced a ‘buddy system’ that pairs sixth form students with younger peers to provide support and guidance.

We also encourage our students to widen their subject knowledge by watching Ted Talks and documentaries based on their subject choices or future career plans. They can also read subject specific books, journals and articles to help with this.