Enrichment
Bishop Thomas Grant School offers all students the opportunity to develop skills and interests which complement the main programme of study and help them to develop into thoughtful and mature young adults.
Every Wednesday, and in some cases Monday, afternoon the timetable is collapsed in order to allow students to take part in courses chosen from a wide variety of options, which include:
- Art and Set Design
- Chess
- Classical Greek
- Coding
- Electronics
- Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
- Fitness/Pilates
- Gardening
- Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
- Mentoring
- Model United Nations (MUN)
- Music
- Sport
- Volunteering
Students applying for Higher Education and employment are able to enhance their personal statements by outlining their involvement in the Enrichment Programme. Information about some of the activities can be found below.
Art and Set Design
The focus of Art Enrichment varies each year. Sometimes it is focused on set design and therefore working in collaboration with the performing arts. Frequently students are able to explore artistic areas of their choice with some interesting results. This is a great way for budding artists, who haven’t chosen an A level/BTEC route, to enjoy expressing their creativity.
Chess
Chess is a two player strategy board game where the aim is to move different types of playing piece, each with a prescribed set of possible moves, around a chequered square board trying to capture the opponents 'king' piece. Today there are over 2,000 identifiable variants of the game. Students have the opportunity to both learn the art of chess and take part in competitive fun games. Research has shown some benefits of learning chess: Improves cognitive skills (including concentration, pattern recognition, decision making, algebraic and geometric thinking, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and critical thinking) Improves self-confidence and self-worth.
Classical Greek
Studying classical languages is interesting and helps students to develop a wide range of important and transferable skills, from clarity of thought and attention to detail, to problem solving and analytical thinking. A GCSE in Classical Greek is designed to help students develop their knowledge and understanding of the vocabulary, syntax and accidence of the Classical Greek language, and also allow them to develop knowledge and understanding of ancient literature, values and society through the study of original texts
Coding
We live in a technological world and behind that technology is coding. Coding is the foundation of many products and technologies, including computers, mobile phones, the internet, and APPS. It is also the backbone of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other developments in the pipeline.
At BTG, we run a coding club to enable our students take lead in shaping the future that they will live in, instead of being followers and users of technology. It also gives our students career opportunities, problem solving skills and cognitive enhancement among others
Electronics
Electronics has come a long way since the identification of the electron in 1897 by Sir Joseph John Thomson. The world of electronics is all around us, influencing many aspects of modern society. In this enrichment students get the opportunity to apply the principles of physics to design, create and operate devices such as fire alarms, burglar alarms, thermostats, flashing light circuits and radios. Participants use ‘bread boards’ to build temporary circuits, learn to solder permanent discreet components, electronic circuits and explore more complicated integrated circuit projects. If students have an interest in engineering or just enjoy entertaining and practical activities, this is the enrichment for them.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) allows you to choose to explore a further aspect of a subject you are already studying; or a different subject, or simply to choose a topic of personal interest in. The finished project can be a written report, a performance, a piece of art, a community project, a CD or DVD, or even computer software. You will be required to:
- Choose an area of interest
- Draft a project title
- Draft aims and objectives
- Plan, research and carry out the project
- Provide evidence of all stages of project production
- Deliver a presentation to a specified audience
Delivery of the Extended Project Qualification will involve extended independent work. You will also be taught the relevant skills required to undertake an EPQ, as well as being provided with mentoring and supervision of your progress This subject helps you gain valuable independent working, research and project management skills. Some Universities also allocate UCAS points to a successful EPQ qualification.
Fitness/Pilates
This enrichment opportunity is about working on and improving core strength, technique, general fitness and wellbeing. We have a wide range of equipment you can use, which you will be taught to use safely and effectively to help you stay fit and well.
Gardening
This enrichment opportunity involves surveying and maintaining all allotments on the school site, as well as planning out which flowers and produce students will grow themselves, on the school site. The most recent project involved tending to the garden space in the Lower-School-Playground - Weeds were removed, the soil was tilled and all plants were trimmed to enhance the garden's presentation. The garden enrichment is a rigorous but rewarding opportunity for students to develop skills in gardening, manual work, careful planning and time management for plant/harvest cycles
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
MOOCs are free online courses available for anyone to enrol. MOOCs provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills, advance your career and deliver quality educational experiences at scale. Millions of people around the world use MOOCs to learn for a variety of reasons, including career development, changing careers, college preparations, supplemental learning, lifelong learning, corporate eLearning & training, and more. At BTG students can enrol on a MOOC and during enrichment time work their way through the course to achieve a certificate of completion at the end. These are excellent supra curricular activities that also make a personal statement stand out from the crowd.
Mentoring Programme
Mentoring is a particularly popular enrichment activity at Bishop Thomas Grant School. After receiving some ongoing training, the mentors are either paired with targeted students from the lower school or with the English, Mathematics, Science or Languages departments. They are then able to provide academic (literacy) and/or pastoral support in regular, one-to-one sessions or within the classroom. Students who are in their second year of mentoring have the opportunity to work with one of our feeder primary schools. On successful completion of both the course and their mentoring the pastoral mentors are given a certificate of introduction to counselling skills.
Model United Nations
Imagine you are a diplomat representing a specific country.
Imagine everyone else in the room is representing a different country.
Imagine that you need to reach the best possible solution to a current global issue.
Imagine that you have to accommodate the egos of every country represented in the room before you reach that solution.
Imagine that you need all of them to agree to your resolution.
Model UN is a globally recognised secondary school and university programme which develops public speaking skills, confidence, research skills, sophisticated written communication, a broad knowledge of international relations, deeper understanding of global issues, negotiation, lobbying and diplomacy in a fun, stimulating environment, surrounded by like-minded people.
For more information about MUN please click here.
Music Enrichment
Year 12 Music Enrichment is varied and fun. Over the years this has involved the preparation of songs for school concerts – which have been very successful – or it can also comprise improvisation and the development of the students’ own compositions on a variety of instruments during lesson time.
Another aspect of this enrichment activity involves music mentoring for those who want to help Lower School students during music lessons. Participants are allocated students at times that are mutually convenient during the course of a week.
A further music enrichment option is involvement in the School Orchestra and the Chapel Choir.
This year the focus is playing in a band as well as music production.
Sporting Enrichment
Students who select sporting enrichment take part in a variety of sports. In the past these have included: boxing, karate, sailing, table tennis, zumba and dance along with the more traditional sports at Bishop Thomas Grant School such as football and basketball. This year we are making good use of the fitness sweet as an added option. Competitively, the boys’ Sixth Form football team play a number of friendlies against local schools and enter the Sixth Form football league with fixtures. Competitive football helps with the overall assessment of the abilities of AS and A2 PE students and therefore reinforces why students studying sporting qualifications might want to select this option. We are looking at school hubs sites for sporting enrichment and National Governing Body (NGB) qualifications for our students to help give them an economic possibility within a sporting environment.
Volunteering
Volunteering helps both you and the organisation you volunteer at. It will enable you to meet new people and build new strengths. It can help you gain a better understanding of a career you may be thinking of going in to and will help you develop key employability and transferable skills, such as communication, teamworking; understanding how an organisation works and developing confidence working with adults in a work environment. Whichever volunteering you do, you will learn a lot about yourself and working
Volunteering is useful both for your CV and for any University Application. It also show that you are motivated enough to help others without a financial incentive, which is a great sign for any future employer.
