Rushcliffe Sixth Form offers many exciting opportunities which allow students to develop a range of skills to support their transition into Higher Education and the world of work. Involvement in areas of Rushcliffe Sixth Form outside the academic subject areas are hugely important and we continue to encourage the students to get involved in as many activities outside lessons as is possible.
Enrichment Lesson
We dedicate period one of each week to a lesson of enrichment for Year 12. In the first week in September, teachers present their particular enrichment session to the whole of the year group and then students choose the area which most appeals to them. Students commit to their choice for the whole year. Examples of the types of programme available include:
- Animation
- Creative Arts / Ceramics
- Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
- Exploring contemporary issues through drama
- Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
- Functional IT Skills
- Independent Living Skills
- Mandarin Chinese
- Science Olympiad
- Sports Leaders Award
- Student Newspaper
- Sustainable Living
- Upcycling
- Young Enterprise Award
The activities on offer are broad ranging and ensure that students find something which will appeal to them. Feedback from students indicates that not only is enrichment an interesting part of Sixth Form life but that the enrichment lessons complement their programme of study.
The Sixth Form Committee
The Student Presidents are supported by two deputies and two form representatives from each form in year 12 and 13, together they constitute the sixth form committee. Under the leadership of the Student Presidents, their collective responsibilities involve the following:
- Representing the school at key events such as Open Evenings and Achievement evenings
- Being ambassadors for key school publicity events
- Leading the School Council – liaising with pupils and the Senior Leadership team
- Organising and running fundraising events for our nominated charity
- Organising ‘Question time’
- Managing the common room and sixth form areas
- Meeting with the Head of Sixth Form to communicate concerns/raises issues on behalf of their peers
- Organising the Year 13 prom
Students do not have to be on the committee to organise events. We support all students with any ideas they may have, to improve the environment, for example, or to raise money for charity.
Subject Ambassadors’ Programme
Students can become an ambassador for any of the subjects they study. Often they may feel passionate about this subject area and intend to study it at University. As an ambassador, students may be asked to: support teachers during open evenings; mentor students in lower school in that subject area; and help run extra-curricular clubs with faculty staff.
Befriender Scheme
At Rushcliffe, we work closely with the charitable organisation YOPEY (Young Person of the Year) to support our students to work in a local care home for elderly people with dementia. Students are given the training they need to befriend their elderly companion and make a real impact on their lives. Our students find this a rewarding and insightful experience. Many use this work placement to support careers including medicine, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy and speech therapy.
Supporting in the Local Primary Schools
Sixth form Students have the opportunity to support local primary schools volunteering at breakfast or after school clubs and working with younger pupils.
Mentoring
Many of our Sixth Form students volunteer as reading mentors to pupils in year 7 and 8, to boost literacy skills and offer 1:1 support. This fosters empathy and students develop vital communication and leadership skills. Additionally year 12 and 13 students may be asked by Heads of Years 7-9 to provide mentoring support for pupils who are struggling with friendship issues, confidence or facing particular health concerns. Pupils are matched carefully to their mentor and the partnerships work well. The support of the sixth form mentors is invaluable and it is wonderful to see our oldest and youngest pupils forging bonds.
Rushcliffe Community Award
At Rushcliffe we believe it is important to foster a sense of community and responsibility and to celebrate the contributions young people make to society. The Rushcliffe Community Award formally recognises all the extracurricular activities students volunteer to take part in or are involved in, outside of academic lessons and study. This might include sporting commitments, volunteering, fundraising, community work, being a member of a music or theatre group – the list of their talents and interests is endless!
The award helps to focus our students on recognising that they may already be making valuable contributions across the school or their local communities. The greater the commitment, the higher the level of the community award students can achieve. The award is given at bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. Ultimately, the award allows students to log their extracurricular activities and gain formal recognition so that they can easily reference them in applications for work, university and training.