BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
INTRODUCTION
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL Subject teachers offer varied and extensive academic enrichment opportunities across all year groups at the School. These supplementary activities are not part of the co-curricular programme but are viewed as ways to enrich students ‘beyond the classroom’. Enrichment opportunities may be external trips linked to the curriculum, such as visits to museums or galleries, or they may be presentations at the School by academic speakers. Academic enrichment also includes residential trips abroad, external competitions, twilight discussion groups, debating and a wide range of challenge initiatives.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
ART
Subject
Art tour to Berlin: For Years 10-13, this is an opportunity for students to start building their store of sketches, photography and first-hand research for use in their coursework. Trip to London to the Victoria & Albert Museum for Year 10 artists to gather resources, photographs and sketches for their topic on ancient cultures. Interschools photography competition is open to all years. We have had many winners from all year groups and in all categories over recent years. International High School Arts Festival Competition: open to Year 12. National Schools Photographic competition: open to all years (under 18). An external speaker, Ian Bottle, spoke about creative pathways with Years 12 & 13. Alumni and graphic designer Lorna Morris discussed making a living from creative industries with Year 12. External speaker, Rhonda Merrick, will discuss the links between Art, poetry and music. This will be open to all years. Year 12 to curate an art exhibition for Adventurous Learning Week. Annual exhibition of the School’s Artist in Residence (Ryan Miles) and student collaboration work at St Mary’s Church, Ashford Parish. This is a Scholar’s activity for all years, working with the Artist in Residence, culminating in the public exhibition. Photography activity: Open to all years. Ceramics activity: Open to all years. Creative Performing Arts House competition: Open to all years. End of Year GCSE and A level exhibition to showcase coursework and exam pieces of the students. Staff exhibition of their work: all years are invited to attend and view what their teachers have created.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
BIOLOGY
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
The residential trip to Wales is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a world of ecology and Science and share experiences of these with their friends and teachers. It presents students with opportunities to use their knowledge and understanding to pose scientific questions and plan and carry out outdoor, investigative and practical enquiry-based Biology. Discovery CREST awards for Years 9-11. Bronze and silver CREST awards for Years 10-11. Gold CREST awards for Years 12-13. Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a qualification which allows a student to embark on a largely self-directed and self-motivated project. A student must choose a topic, plan, research and develop their idea and decide on their finished product. Biological Society Competition. Biology Olympiad Biological drawing club Science Club Medics’ Society
BUSINESS STUDIES
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Sixth Form only Trip to London to hear entrepreneurs and examiners discuss current business issues. Trip to Faversham to study operations and marketing at the Shepherd Neame.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
CHEMISTRY
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer? . House science egg race: open to Year 7. Salters Chemistry competition at the University of Kent: open to Year 8. The Royal Society of Chemistry photographic competition: open to Year 8. House Science Fiction short story competition: open to Year 9. A girls’ team will enter the EDF Energy’s “Pretty Curious Studio challenge” RSC Chemistry Challenge: open to Year 10. RSC Top of the Bench: open to Year 11. RSC Chemistry Analysis competition: open to Year 12. Field trip to Greenwich University spectroscopy department: open to Year 12. Chemistry Olympiad: open to Year 12 & 13.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Science Society: occasional speakers, working parties e.g. nature reserve working party, lizard sanctuary working party, Newt Hunt with the Prep School.
Sixth Form only Bebras Competition: open to Years 7-13. The Oxford Computer Science Competition: open to Years 7-13. United App Competition: open to Year 9. Duke of Edinburgh IDEA award: open to Years 7-9. BATFA Young Games Designers: open to Years 7-9. Cyber Discovery - Cyber skills competition run by GCHQ: open to Years 10–13. British Informatics Olympiad: open to Year 13.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
DEBATING
Subject
DRAMA
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What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Debating Society – meets on a weekly basis to discuss current social, political and ethical issues. Parliamentary style debating is the format, giving students valuable practice at presenting arguments, selecting evidence and responding to the arguments of others in an inclusive environment. Issues this year have included whether feminism is sexist, whether National Service should be reintroduced and whether lifestyle choices should determine people’s access to free healthcare. National competitions so far this year have included the Oxford and Cambridge Schools debating competitions.
Junior Drama Club with two performances a year: open to Years 7-8. Senior School Musical rehearses for two terms and runs for three consecutive nights in the Lent Term. Scholar’s Club performs once a year within the local community. They create and produce their own performance, liaising with external companies and venues. Year 5/6 Community Drama workshops, with students volunteering. This runs in the final term once a week with a full day of sharing with local primary schools. Volunteers can be A Level Drama students, or any Sixth Form student interested in Drama. Practitioner workshops In the final week of each academic year,on a rotational basis, we hold House Music or House Drama. Speech and Drama private lessons that accumulate in examinations and showcases throughout the year from Prep to Senior school. Trips to the Theatre.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
DT
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
STEM day for Year 9. Jewellery club: open to Year 9 and above. Year 9 visit to the Big Bang Exhibition in London. Year 12 visit to the Brunel University degree show and New Designers exhibition. STEM quiz night: Year 13. Friendly competition between Benenden School, Tonbridge School and Ashford School. Made in Ashford is an activity run in the Trinity term during which students have the opportunity to utilise the equipment and facilities within the department. Last year they programmed the departmental BigTraks, built a functioning Ferris wheel using K’nex and created face masks using a range of materials. Year 10 visit to the Design Museum to primarily view the Materials Innovation exhibition and Designer Maker User exhibition which features almost 1000 items of twentieth and twenty-first century design. These exhibitions, along with any temporary installations, support the new exam specification, especially the sections on the work of past and present designers and the developments in material technology.
ECONOMICS
Year 10 also visit the Science Museum to view the Challenge of Materials and the Secret Life of the Home galleries. These support the GCSE specification, namely the developments of technology and materials theory.
Sixth Form only We recently offered students the opportunity to take part in a Twilight seminar on the cross-curricular topic of immigration. Here we discussed the nature of global migration, and its main causes and consequences. Weekly Economics Club. Trip to London to hear Tim Harford and other prominent economists. Corpus Christi College Cambridge essay writing competition.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
ENGLISH
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
The English department takes part in Bookbuzz, the reading programme from BookTrust designed to inspire a love of reading. All pupils in Years 7-8 select a novel of their choice. The English department produces ‘A’ Magazine which publishes poetry, short stories and essays from students across Years 7-13. The Ashford School Reading Challenge: pupils in Years 7-11 read up to 20 novels to gain Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum awards. Christmas Short Story competition: open to Years 7-13. A Christmas Carol Gerald Dickens event at St Mary’s Church, Ashford Parish: this event was open to Years 10-13. The Importance of Being Earnest Live Streaming: this was open to Years 12-13. Year 8 Linguistics Olympiad: Breakthrough Challenge. Subscription to emag, the magazine of the English and Media Centre, for all A Level English Literature students. Young Writers Poetry Games competition. Entries from across Years 7-13. World Book Day £1 vouchers distributed to all students in Years 7-13. Prep School Year 6 and Ashford School Year 7 pupils take part in an annual Spelling Bee in the Senior School.
FOOD STUDIES
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Creative Cooking Club: open to Years 7 and 8 on Mondays. Creative Cooking Club: open to Years 9-10 on Wednesdays. Lent Term: project in conjunction with Sainsbury’s, called ‘Active Kids get Cooking’. All year groups are given a topic to research and a brief, they are required to design a food product to suit the brief and evaluate this too.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
FRENCH
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Singing and dancing performance in French at the end of each rotation between Michaelmas 1 and Lent 1: Year 7. World Language Day at the University of Kent: Year 8. Theatre company performance at Highworth Grammar School: open to Years 7-9. French Singing Club took place in the Michaelmas Term and concluded with French Christmas Carols: Year 9. Workshop in various languages such as Japanese, Arabic or Italian. Learning about studying linguistics. Understanding what it means to study languages at University of Kent: Year 10. BA French experience day at Canterbury Christ Church University: A workshop in translation, and presentations on the various opportunities offered by universities for those wanting to study French: Year 11 & 12. CinĂŠ club - French films every Friday lunch time: Years 10 -13. A Level Student Conference in London: Years 12 & 13. Trip to the Gulbenkian Theatre to watch a French film: Years 12 & 13. Workshop with French High School students from Normandy learning to debate about French contemporary issues: Years 12 & 13. Slam poetry workshop for Years 10 - 13 with a renowned German slam poet, who will guide students in writing and performing multilingual poetry. There will be the opportunity to participate in a public performance event at the university campus. ALL: Various opportunities to combine cooking lessons and French culture. Day trip to French Christmas market in Lille.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
GEOGRAPHY
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Humanities Twilight Forum: Years 12 & 13. Canterbury trip and associated project: Year 7. Exam booster workshop: Year 7. Visit to Stratford and Olympic Park: Years 12 & 13. Local Place Study in Ashford: Year 12. Entry to the Geographical Association Physical Geography Photographer of the year competition. KS3 local fieldwork using school grounds and surrounding areas. Fieldwork trip to Winchelsea beach and Hastings: Year 10.
GERMAN
Humanities trip abroad every 2 years depending upon numbers (Italy 2016).
German culture trip to Rhineland/Berlin: Years 7 - 12. Participation in German Careers Fair in London: Years 10 - 12. Students entered for competitions in conjunction with Goethe Institute: Years 10 – 12. Students have spent 3 weeks in Germany in the summer with other UK students as a result. “German Theatre” (basic performance of Cinderella in German): Year 12. German Fashion Show: Year 7.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
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Year 11 presented to Year 7 as part of the outcome of their team project on expanding people’s knowledge of different cultures. They also sent surveys to Sixth Formers in Germany on the same subject.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
HISTORY
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Humanities Twilight Forum for Sixth Form - a discussion forum on a History or current affairs topic, based on prior reading. Canterbury trip and associated project about Pilgrimage. This combined Humanities project for Year 7 students incorporates learning in RS, History, Geography and English about Thomas Becket and Chaucer’s Pilgrims. The trip lays the groundwork for a presentation project and the winning presentations are awarded a certificate. Trip to a 17th century historic site: Year 10. This changes every year; 2018 was Ham House, 2017 was Royal Observatory; in 2019 it will be Chatham Dockyard and in 2020, St Pauls Cathedral. Trip to Cabinet War Rooms to support Modern Britain course: Year 12. Trip to Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition - to support Interwar Germany GCSE unit: Year 11. Imperial War Museum trip (Cold War galleries): Year 12. Other trips happen which are not fixtures every year, e.g. Year 9 Ypres trip 2017, Ashmolean Museum trip 2018 for Year 13.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
Subject
MATHS
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What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Students have the opportunity to sit the age appropriate UKMT annual individual Maths challenges (Years 7-8 Junior, Years 9-11 Intermediate, Years 12-13 Senior). High scorers by invitation continue to the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Olympiad rounds under the guidance of a mentor. Maths teams in each year group participate in both school, local, regional and national team competitions. Ashford School hosts the regional UKMT Team competition for Year 8 and 9 and our senior team has qualified for the national final 6 times in the past 10 years. Maths Society supporting creative problem-solving allowing students to explore mathematics beyond the school curriculum: Years 9 -13. Senior Students: Olympiad and STEP problems activity. Junior Students: Maths Puzzle activity.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
MUSIC
Subject
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
In October a concert was held to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice – featuring the music of Sir Hubert Parry and Ernest Bristow Farrar - the performance featured guest mezzo-soprano, Louise Winter and the Augmented Choir and Orchestra was made up of students, staff and guests numbering 120+. Termly concerts featuring the large ensembles (Orchestra, Wind Band, String Orchestra, Jazz Band, Elastic Band, Junior Singers, Chamber Choir), plus some smaller ensembles. The main platforms for solo performances are the Junior and Senior Scholars’ concerts, the Guitar Showcase, The Keyboard Kavalkade (aka Piano Soiree) and a series of ‘Teatime Tootles’, given in conjunction with the Prep School. With the Drama department a large-scale joint production is performed each March. In the final week of each academic year on a rotation basis either a Music or Drama interhouse Competition is held. Students attend workshops/performances in Canterbury and Southwark Cathedral. Plans for Year 7 and 8 to take part in a large-scale concert performance of Carmen in London (in June 2019). Trinity Term concert with all of Year 7 playing as an orchestra. Prep Schools/Primary School are invited to a Music Day in the Trinity Term. Close cooperation with Prep School, and close links to Ashford Choral Society and Ashford Youth Jazz Orchestra. The School hosts residential courses for Kent Music Ensembles, including Kent County Youth Orchestra (summer). All our school pianos are supplied by Steinway and Sons. In Year 7 all pupils take part in a weekly Instrumental Teaching Scheme, with Strings, Brass and Guitar teachers.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
Subject
PHYSICS
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What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
STEM club: Years 7 & 8. Formula 1 competition: Years 8 & 9. EDF Energy Pretty Curious event to promote uptake of STEM subjects amongst girls: Year 9 girls. GCSE Physics Olympiad: Year 10. Designing / building crumple zones competition: Year 11. CERN trip - visiting the largest particle accelerator in the world and attending workshops to build cloud chambers and interpret results: Year 12. Diamond Light Source synchrotron visit (UK’s largest particle accelerator): Year 12. AS Challenge competition: Year 12. Physics Olympiad: Years 12 & 13. Iceland trip: Year 13. The purpose of the Iceland trip is to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of renewable energy resources. We visit several geothermal sites as well as two power stations – a hydroelectric one and a geothermal one. We also use it to consolidate knowledge of electric and magnetic fields as students learn about the northern lights and hopefully even get the chance to see them. Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad: Year 13. EPQ projects - students mentored by Physics teachers: Years 12 & 13. CREST Gold award projects - students mentored by Physics teachers: Years 12 & 13.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AT THE SENIOR SCHOOL
Subject
POLITICS
What academic enrichment activities are on offer?
Sixth Form only Politics conference (December each year) at Central Hall Westminster. If we are lucky enough to secure it, a trip to the Palace of Westminster courtesy of the Parliament Education Service.
PSYCHOLOGY
This year the School was visited by Damian Green, MP for Ashford.
Sixth Form only Trip to London to a Science and Psychology Conference: Year 13. Brain Day delivered by Dr Sutton, Honorary Lecturer at the University of Nottingham Medical School. Wider Horizon lecture on Developments in Neuroscience: Years 12 & 13. Trip to London to attend Psychology conference featuring prominent psychologists including Professor Elizabeth Loftus (leading American academic expert in the field of eyewitness testimony): Years 12 & 13.
RS
Lectures and tours in the Psychology Department of University of Kent: Year 12.
Religious Studies conference in London: Year 12.
SPANISH
Bringing Christianity out of the textbook at St Mary’s Church, Ashford: Year 11.
Spanish educational and cultural trip to Seville/Malaga: Years 10 - 13. Spanish trip to the Teatro Cervantes in London to see Lorca: Years 12 & 13. Spanish travelling theatre company performance at Highworth Grammar School: Years 7-9. A-Level student conference in London: Years 12 & 13.
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