Our Oakleaf Diploma celebrates your Sixth Form achievements as you prepare for life beyond Leighton Park. Awarded at the end of the Lower Sixth, it teaches strong values, builds character and instils a sense of community. The ‘softer skills’ which are so necessary for success in adulthood also inspire you with a lifelong commitment to charitable behaviour and build up your enjoyment of intellectual, physical and social activities. Some elements of the diploma are undertaken by you in your own time, others are timetabled into the Sixth Form curriculum. This balance ensures that the programme is a bespoke experience ideally suited to every student.
The four key elements of the Oakleaf Diploma are:
Preparation for Adult Life (PAL)
You will spend one or two timetabled periods per week strengthening your independence through four units. This activity is timetabled for one period every other week on rotation with CAS. The four units are:
1. Finance
2. First Aid
3. Cookery
4. Adulting
• Getting Dressed Up: laundry and ironing, basic mending, tying a bow tie
• Getting it Right: drafting a CV, writing formal letters, sending condolences
• Getting Around: UK travel options, planning interrailing, booking a holiday
• Getting Ready for Uni: staying safe, selfdefence, eating and cleaning
Ethical Changemaking (CAS)
Teaching others
You will develop your ethical changemaker skills as a Literacy Ambassador helping KS2 children at a local primary school with their reading. This creativity, action, service (CAS) programme makes a real difference to the educational outcomes for younger pupils and teaches you the benefits of giving back to the local community. This is timetabled for one period every other week on rotation with PAL.
Learning from others
Five inspirational talks by active changemakers dynamically engaged in making a difference to the world. These talks will be delivered across the Lower Sixth year during timetabled PSHE lessons. The programme includes speakers from organisations such as the Centre for Social Justice, Livingstone Tanzania Trust, Cotswold Fayre and King’s College Hospital.
School Supported Opportunities
The co-curricular programme offers a variety of clubs enabling you to become changemakers.
• Amicus: Sixth Form charity support club
• House Charity: fundraising with your House
• Amnesty International: addressing political injustice
• Model UN: debating topical issues
• DofE Gold: volunteering opportunities
• Peer Support: become an academic mentor, peer mentor or mental health first aider
• Fox Trot: join the annual Quaker pilgrimage and discover more about the heritage of George Fox
Student-led Opportunities
There are situations every day when it is possible to make a difference to others. We encourage you to be conscious of the choices you make in relation to others and to the environment. This is achieved through the Quaker ethos and reinforced in regular Collects throughout the Sixth Form.
In association with:
Academic Extension Study Skills
Professional study skills coach, William Wadsworth, will prepare you for Sixth Form success with a series of talks offering advice, guidance and trouble-shooting techniques on academic work. He will present during timetabled PSHE lessons and you will continue to enhance your study skills in your PAL classes guided by the Sixth Form leadership team.
School Supported Opportunities
The co-curricular programme supports academic extension between Period 6 and tea.
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
• Aspiring High: preparation for Oxbridge entry
• Subject specific clubs eg Maths, French or Dance
• Academic skills clubs eg debating, dissection or student newspaper
Student-led Opportunities
Independently undertaking academic extension work is excellent preparation for university and can be chosen by you in your own time. Online courses such as MOOCs, TED talks, a Microsoft Diploma and lectures or webinars are all options.
Wellbeing
Physical Education Lessons
You have two double periods timetabled each week so that you can participate in PE lessons and gain the health and wellbeing benefits of physical activity. You may love the competitive team sports we offer, you may prefer to progress independently through sports such as swimming, badminton, judo and yoga.
School Supported Opportunities
There are around 30 clubs relating to sport in the co-curricular programme and an excellent variety of choice in the creative arts which can support health and wellbeing through relaxation. Music, art, dance, drama, textiles, photography, gardening, model making, Lego, board games and more all offer stressbusting benefits and provide a balance to your academic commitments.
Student-led Opportunities
It is possible to build on wellbeing through independent activities for example travel, hobbies or part-time work outside school. Pursuing a passion not only develops skills but builds mental resilience and can offer an enjoyable outlet that helps build lifelong friendships.
Starting your Oakleaf Diploma
You can start working towards your Oakleaf Diploma at the end of Year 11, prior to starting Sixth Form at Leighton Park. The long holiday after GCSE exams provides an excellent gap for you to use your time well and get stuck into some of the student-led opportunities that you can count towards your award.
Applying for your Oakleaf Diploma
To gain your Oakleaf Diploma you need to prove that you have participated fully in all four areas:
• Preparation for Adult Life (PAL)
• Ethical Changemaking
• Academic Extension
• Wellbeing
You should gather your evidence as you progress through the year and submit a powerpoint or Google Slides document to Helen Taylor, Head of Sixth Form, by the last day of the Summer Term at the end of the Lower Sixth.
Your submission will be assessed over the Summer holidays.
Awards will be announced in Collect and the best submissions will be shared at the Scholars’ Award Ceremony during the Autumn Term of your Upper Sixth.
Structure of the Award
Some of the activities will have been completed as mandatory timetabled slots by every member of the Lower Sixth. If you have also got involved in the School supported opportunities and made the most of all that Leighton Park has to offer through the co-curricular programme, trips and talks will receive a Bronze award if you submit your application. To gain a Silver award, we are looking for evidence of how you have gone beyond the requirements for a Bronze award and independently gathered experiences and enjoyment from activities you have organised yourself. If your application is exceptional you will be recognised for your achievements with a Gold award.
Preparation
Bronze Attended the course
Volunteered as Literacy Ambassador
Attended five Ethical Changemaker talks
Joined one or more clubs or House activities relating to ethical changemaking
Attended Study Skills
course
Joined co-curricular clubs promoting academic extension within School
Attended PE lessons
Joined some co-curricular clubs relating to mental and/or physical wellbeing
Silver Attended the course
As Bronze plus: Pursued an ethical changemaking activity independently outside School
Gold
As Bronze plus: Independently followed online courses or undertaken trips to enhance knowledge and understanding
Exceptional achievement across all areas
As Bronze plus: Sought out and completed wellbeing activities outside School
