SCOTT FAULKNER
Assistant Principal
Being a student at New College Doncaster is not just about achieving outstanding results, it’s also about gaining new experiences, meeting new people, developing wider skills and having great opportunities. We are proud of our extensive enrichment and extra-curricular provision.
Whether it’s our wide range of clubs and societies, the chance to take part in trips and international residentials, competitions, visits from guest speakers, or the chance to gain additional knowledge, skills and qualifications beyond your main courses, New College Doncaster is a great place to widen your horizons.
This booklet showcases just a few of the many things that take place in college, which you can be a part of, sitting alongside our Sports Academy.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS & RESIDENTIALS
THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE THE WORLD!
• Ski Trip: With a range of Italian resorts under our belt, the annual trip is open to everyone, including those who may have never skied before.
• Malta: Those students interested in a career related to coaching can apply for a place on our annual Malta visit. Funded through the Turing scheme, students have the opportunity to work in Malta for two weeks, helping coach local children in a range of sports.
• Thailand: This program offers an excellent opportunity for students interested in pursuing a career in education or conservation. With a subsidised programme through the Turing Scheme, students work within schools across the North of Thailand, teaching basic English as a group. Students also spend a week in an Elephant Sanctuary, helping to support the role they play in the conservation of the animals.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS & RESIDENTIALS CONTINUED
• Iceland: The annual optional geography trip to Iceland explores a range of geographical features, with trips to lava fields, waterfalls, glaciers and hot springs. Those lucky enough may also have the opportunity to spot the Northern Lights...
• Visual Arts: The annual Visual Arts residential provides opportunities for students to visit exciting galleries and exhibitions in a range of locations, with previous visits including London, Paris, Manchester and New York.
• Spanish Exchange: Working alongside the University of Salamanca, students have the opportunity to study for a week in Spain, living with local families and fully immersing themselves in the local language and culture.
• Subject Enhancement Days: As well as trips and visits throughout the year, all subjects organise an additional visit for our subject enhancement day each July. This includes a broad range of activities including trips to the Bank of England, the Olympic Park and the Houses of Parliament.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
Because supporting your development is so important to us, we have a dedicated enrichment slot built into our timetable each week.
This creates the time and space for you to get involved with a wide range of groups and activities, depending on your interests.
With over 60 opportunities, there’s something for everyone.
You can find out more and sign up for the things you’re interested in during Freshers’ Week at the start of Year 12. Some are short 5-week activities, allowing you to dip your toes in without a big commitment, but some of the programmes run for the full year and allow you to really develop new skills.
For more information about this year’s programme visit QR code below. We’ve selected a few to give you a flavour of things to come.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.NCDONCASTER.AC.UK/ENRICHMENT/
CLUBS & SOCIETIES
Examples include:
• E-sports: The “NCD Vulcans”
E Sports compete weekly against other schools and colleges across the UK. Students can represent the college in either Rocket League or Overwatch, meeting on a weekly basis to compete throughout the school year.
• Chess Club:
The Chess Club meets weekly to discuss and play all things chess. Helping to develop problem solving, the chess club is extremely popular enrichment and regularly provides a challenge to many of our students.
• College Production:
With stage shows like Six and We Will Rock You under their belt, the College Production has achieved great success in bringing a variety of musicals to life. This is perfect for those students wanting to gain confidence and experience in the field of Performing Arts.
LEADERSHIP, LIFE SKILLS, STUDY SKILLS & CAREERS
These programmes are designed to help you develop transferable skills that you can use throughout your career and life.
Examples include:
• Duke of Edinburgh (Gold Award):
Having celebrated its 68th anniversary recently, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is an amazing complement to any student’s study. The award aims to develop active citizenship by allowing students to develop a life skill, take part in a challenging 5 day expedition and improve their teamwork and leadership skills.
• Allied Health:
This programme is tailored for students interested in NHS careers, including nursing, care support, and specialised areas such as medical imaging. It provides valuable insights into the skills required for daily roles within the NHS.
• Oracy Project:
Designed for students who want to pursue a career in teaching, the Oracy Project offers hands-on experience in the classroom. Each week, participants work in local primary schools with small groups of primary age students, this helps build confidence and gain exposure to a variety of teaching strategies taht they can use going forward in their own teaching career.
• Student Executive:
The Student Executive is composed of a diverse group of students from both year groups within the college. Their primary role is to represent the student body by sharing their views through a number of committees and groups, and by developing projects and campaigns of their own. The student exec promote a range of activities including equality and diversity, health and wellbeing, fundraising, and student events across college.
• Charitable Fundraising:
In collaboration with the Student Executive, students play a crucial role in raising funds each year for a wide range of charities chosen by the student body. Recent examples of our supported student charities include Papyrus and Mind. Students also participate in wider college charitable events, including Children in Need, Comic Relief, and our annual Christmas gift appeal.
I have taken part in multiple enrichments including The Student Exec, competitive football and The Royal Economics Society. These have been a great opportunity for me to meet new people, gain new skills and give me an edge with my University applications.
Jun
SUPER-CURRICULAR PROGRAMMES
These programmes and activities are designed for students that want to explore subjects above and beyond the A Level and BTEC Course specifications, often exploring topics that students might go on to study at university. These enrichments also provide the opportunity to take part in prestigious competitions for bodies such as The Royal Economics Society, The Chemistry Olympiad, UKMT Maths Challenge and many more.
Examples include:
• Coding Beyond the Basics:
Open to all students that may be interested in computer architecture and coding, this group offer the opportunity to explore a number of coding languages that are proving vital in today’s competitive labour markets.
• Archaeology Club:
Providing an introduction to archaeology and open to all students, this club is the perfect way to learn about the techniques used to discover historic artefacts and preserve history.
• Royal Geographical Society:
The Royal Geographical Society essay competition asks students to explore how we might overcome some of the world’s greatest emerging threats.
• EPQ – Extended Project Qualification: EPQ offers students the chance to develop vital skills essential for study at university. With the guidance of a dedicated supervisor and timetabled lessons, students conduct extensive research to produce either a written essay or an artefact in their chosen field. This qualification is particularly valued by highly-competitive universities.
• Research Skills:
Ideal for students considering university, this project hones critical skills like evaluating sources, spotting misinformation, and questioning bias. Upon completion of the project students also have the opportunity to progress on to the EPQ.
