Cherwell Enrichment Cherwell Journal:- Pages 46

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Emily (Year 12) Isobelle (Year 12)

Social Sciences History

Jaya (Year 12)

History and Anthropology Francisco, Rosie, Sikander and Josh (Year 11)

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

The Beyond Cherwell programme and award is a new initiative for the sixth form, working with students from January in Year 12 to January in Year 13 as they begin to consider next steps beyond Cherwell. It is optional academic enrichment, designed to sit alongside our curriculum, tutorial work and careers guidance.

It involves:  Information, advice and guidance on next steps (university, apprenticeships, careers)  Cross-curricular enrichment ideas, guided tasks, challenges and competitions.  Mentoring, external speakers and small-group projects.  Support developing study skills and research skills.  Creation of a portfolio of evidence to enable competitive applications beyond school.  A certificated award to recognise their efforts and achievements.

Through Beyond Cherwell, students have access to: A Google Classroom Hub: Through this, students can access all information and updates, including guides, templates and resources (and their award points tracker).

Google Classroom hub Year 12 code: no3btll

Weekly Bulletin: There is a weekly bulletin updates, notices, opportunities (lectures, events, competitions) and a special feature (interviews with former students, employers and tips on study skills, positive wellbeing and approaching key moments in the year).

Updates, notices, reminders and congratulations Recommended lectures and competitions

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

University tasters and work experience placements Weekly feature: interview and tips

Weekly Challenge: There is an optional weekly challenge where students do some semi-structured but independent (or group) thinking around a shared idea that goes across lots of different subject areas. Students are encouraged to listen to, watch or read one thing (links given), then pick a set of thinking points to consider. Students can spend as long or as little on it as they like and there is no set format. There is no deadline for these, so they can choose to 'store up' any themes they would like to consider if they don't have time in that given week.

Cross-curricular weekly challenge

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Monday Seminars: The optional Monday seminars run every Monday during term time from 3.15pm-4.15pm. Some involve small group work; some are led by teachers; some involve external speakers, mentors and researchers from a range of careers and fields.

This term, seminars have included:  Dr Padraig Dixon: The Price of Life (Economics, medicine and ethics)  Dr Nicola Wiffen: Medical Sciences (Science, ethics and philosophy)  Dr Sharon Dircxx: The Soul and the Brain (Religion and science)  Clare Cory: The Stories of Objects (History and social sciences)  The Time Capsule Challenge  The Chocolate Challenge  Modern Art, Oxford: Careers in Creative Arts (art, theatre, music)  Catherine Aldridge: A Deep Sea Dive: Marine Archaeology (History and science)  Professor Charlotte Scott: Reading (English and university transition)  Professor Mike Parker: SAGE, Covid, science and ethics (Science, philosophy and politics)  Nuffield Research Centre: Researching the Sciences  The UK-US Fulbright Commission: Studying in the US

In addition, we were delighted to host a ‘Beyond Cherwell’ week thinking about university. We welcomed back 25 ex-students now studying at university to talk with students informally about their experiences, to offer advice and a sounding board on everything from course choice, study skills, student life, living away from home, student finance and gap years.

As part of the week, Year 12s have also been given a ‘Thinking About University’ workbook. We have specially designed this workbook to guide students through the summer and to help them to think deliberately, purposefully and carefully about what motivates and excites them, so that they can make the right decisions for them. We encourage students to refer back to this book.

Students have also been invited to enter the Year 12 Summer Challenge:

The Challenge: Explore, research and present a topic or question of your choice beyond or outside your curriculum (not a topic you have directly studied in your A Levels or EPQ).

The format:

5 minute challenge: record a video or audio file no longer than five minutes. 500 word challenge: write a 500 word essay, report or creative or practical piece and commentary. Deadline: Monday 6th September (email or share with Miss Richer - cricher@cherwellschool.org).

Why? Prepare for life after school. Test out your interests, find new ones, think deeply and prove your independence and motivation beyond the curriculum – key skills you will need to evidence in applications for universities (through creating a narrative in your personal statement), apprenticeships and careers.

Prizes:

 R5s and book prizes for the category winners, with runners up and spot prizes.  R4s and 20 points for ‘excellence’ module for every submission Not sure where to get started? Pick one of the ‘Beyond Cherwell’ weekly challenges or speak to your subject teachers or Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org) to talk through ideas.

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Monday seminars

Professor Mike Parker (Oxford, Ethox and SAGE)

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

The Chocolate Challenge: team winners!

Ex-Student Q&A: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Ex-student Q&A: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Q&A Panel: Researching the Sciences

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Year 12 Peer Mentors

The Beyond Cherwell programme and award is divided into three modules: opportunity, responsibility, excellence. As part of the responsibility module, we encourage students to volunteer their time to support the school community.

We are delighted that over 60 students have signed up to be Year 12 peer mentors!

The students will be on hand to offer advice and support to other students throughout the academic year.

The main way students can use the peer mentors is through our new ‘Ask A Student’ scheme:

The Idea:

As students ourselves, we know that school can be challenging sometimes and that it’s not always easy to know what to do when things aren’t going so smoothly. Whether it’s feeling overwhelmed by homework, falling out with your friends, feeling panicked about answering questions in class, not knowing what choices to make next, we know that the little worries can get us down and build into something bigger if we don’t get a chance to work them through. So we’re on hand to help! Whether it’s a specific question, a general worry or you just want to chat to someone different, we’d love to hear from you.

How It Works:

Ask your question or get in touch and we’ll either email an answer or meet you in school. There are two ways you can get in touch:  By email (from your school email address):

askastudent@cherwellschool.org

 Through your form tutor or Year Team

All you need to do is say who you are and how we can help: you can ask a specific question or you can just introduce yourself.

We can help with little things but if you have a big concern - or we think we’re not the right people to help - you should speak to an adult you trust or the school counselling service (you can contact them through the Intranet). Remember to look at the Cherwell Wellbeing Wall and self-care tips, too.

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

The Beyond Cherwell Award

Congratulations to….

Beyond Cherwell Award: Aisha Akram Amy Oliver Camila Paredes Cian Huckins, Emily Haines-Gray Jaya Leahy Kara Molloy Lucy Marshall, Maia Hudson Rand Almuqham

Gold Award: Alisia Maciu Ella Myers Emily Meredith Mae Cook, Noelle Jaho Thomas Deakin

Aisha Akram: In addition to regular Monday seminars and challenges, Aisha has completed work experience placements in law, joined university outreach programmes, attended virtual lectures around Islam, created number challenges for KS3 students and written on the Indian farmers’ protest for the Cherwell Journal.

Amy Oliver: Amy splits her efforts between her two academic interests: history and medicine! From Journal articles on ‘Bloody Mary’ and the origins of writing to volunteering at the JR and medical work experience placements, Amy has an impressively wide-ranging portfolio of thoughts outside the curriculum, sharing them generously through her role as an editor of the Cherwell Journal.

Camila Paredes: Camila has shown impressive commitment to self-development through her reflections, study skills courses and external talks and outreach programmes. She has used weekly challenges as the springboard for competition entries and Cherwell Journal articles, as well as designing resources for KS3 students.

Cian Huckins: Cian has had exemplary engagement with the Monday seminars, contributing helpfully. He is actively involved in creative writing, sharing his work to support younger students with autism. He has shown extensive commitment to extension reading and work in English.

Year 12 ‘Beyond Cherwell’

Academic Enrichment @CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Emily Haines-Gray: Emily has reflected thoughtfully and consistently on her learning, including excellent work on study skills. She has written several journal articles on ethics, media and social problems, in addition to entering university philosophy competitions.

Jaya Leahy: Jaya has written for the Cherwell Journal on body neutrality and entered university competitions for essays and creative writing. She has taken part in virtual work experience placements and study skill courses, as well as in-school clubs. Kara Molloy: Kara has completed an impressive range of legal experiences, placements and competitions, including the national ‘Big Voice London’, writing up her reflections for the Cherwell Journal. She has explored French flash fiction, media, literature and love through her regular and thoughtful weekly challenge responses.

Lucy Marshall: Lucy has regularly attended Monday’s seminars, in addition to a wide range of extra history reading and virtual talks. She has completed two virtual work experience placements and has written a Cherwell Journal article on museums and objects, based on a weekly challenge and seminar.

Maia Hudson: Maya’s enthusiasm and commitment to Monday seminars is exemplary, including providing valuable feedback in a University of Oxford focus group and being an active member of the medicine society. She regularly redrafts her class work and reflects on her study routines.

Rand Almuqham: Rand’s weekly challenge submissions have been varied and creative, with a superb range of drawings and reflections, which she has generously allowed us to use as lesson