By Pip, Head Student
I joined Sidcot as a Music Scholar and immediately experienced the Music Enrichment Programme. I took part in new opportunities: events such as the Spring and Christmas concerts, the Dymond Speech Awards Ceremony, the garden party, the Scholar’s Concert, and performances in the Junior and Senior School Assemblies. Being a Scholar has provided me with a platform to excel as a musician.
As I progressed through the School, I became aware of the value of the academic enrichment opportunities. I was proud when selected to join the Gifted and Talented programme. A programme where students are stretched in lessons with challenging work. As part of the Gifted and Talented group, I have taken lead roles in lessons by demonstrating and helping others, so that my classmates and I push ourselves to be best.
One of the most valuable parts of Academic Enrichment is the talks and seminars. This includes “Let Your Life Speak” presentations. Sidcot holds these events for external speakers to come and deliver a talk on how they have lived adventurously. Another lecture that I enjoyed was called “Brain Day”. A University Lecturer, Guy Sutton, delivered a speech about the marvels of the human brain, including the consciousness and abnormalities that go along with it. The day even included a sheep’s brain dissection – fascinating!
Notably, whilst in the Senior School, I became a Lead Learner in Music, Science and Languages (French). Students can apply each year to become a Lead Learner in their chosen subjects. Through the Lead Learner programme, I could excel in my favourite subjects and take part in events such as the Language and Science Olympiads, subject weeks, the Academic Enrichment Showcase, and much more. In the Sixth Form, rather than Lead Learners, Captains are selected to become ambassadors for their subjects. I have been selected as the Captain to champion Biology.
Since joining Sixth Form, I have been in the ASPIRE programme which provides opportunities to support UCAS applications to the more competitive universities. It’s helping me expand my knowledge of the possibilities that exist after Sidcot. Recently, with ASPIRE, we attended the ‘Oxford Academic Thriving Minds’ conference at Oxford University. The day was filled with intellectual lectures, debates and tours of the university campus and colleges.
Academic enrichment is so valuable because it goes beyond the core curriculum, and it importantly boosts curiosity, critical thinking and confidence.
Find out more about Academic Enrichment at Sidcot here: https://www.sidcot.org.uk/senior/academic/academic-enrichment