We organise and encourage our students to attend inspirational lectures and events. These are often organised by the subject teacher and link to the A level subject. This term we have pupils attending a GSA conference on 'The Art of Difficult Conversations', an Art talk delivered by a Turner prize winner, a 'Thriving Minds' masterclass for students aspiring to Oxbridge Universities and online courses for future Medics.
We encourage our Sixth Form students to use their additional study time to complete MOOCS, watch Gresham lectures and TEDtalks and attend the range of free lectures that are available in London. It is this excellent use of independent learning that helps to ensure we continue to motivate our students to achieve their potential.
Sixth Form Travel Abroad
Every October we offer students the chance to take part in a visit to a European city. Usually lasting around four days, these trips are cross-curricular in focus and past destinations have included Cologne, Florence, Barcelona, Prague, and Amsterdam. One minute you might be in a world-famous art gallery admiring the works of some of the greatest painters in history, the next you could be in a glassworks or diamond house seeing a local industry at work. Of course there is also time for some fun and relaxation: the night-time river cruise along the Seine was one of our highlights last year.
World Challenge & True Adventure
World Challenge & True Adventure offer students the opportunity to explore a completely different culture to their own and make a real difference to some of the local people. The challenge begins at home, as the students must raise the funds for their trip, drawing on their determination, creativity and self-organisation. They then depart for a three week expedition, where they will test their physical and mental endurance, as well as enjoy the chance to take in some of the most beautiful sites in the world. Our most recent group visited Borneo, where they combined treks and sight-seeing with a project with a local tribe.
Kanyike Project
This biannual venture sees up to eight Sixth Form students travel to the Kanyike Project in Uganda. The College has long had ties to the project, and supports it with a number of fundraising ventures every year. This trip allows students to see first-hand the work of the project and how significant our contributions are, as well as making an impact themselves by helping teach children at the primary school and assisting medical staff at an HIV outreach clinic. During their two-week visit students live alongside the community, experiencing a very different culture to our own, and enduring the local standard of living, with minimal comforts and resources.