Our vision and ethos is that the Sixth Form provides guidance and direction to young adults, through a  superb academic curriculum supported by a rounded enrichment programme, creating successful individuals with confidence and charisma. We offer more than just academic support and we facilitate students to leave as global citizens, ready to make their positive mark on the world.

Photo by Ash Mills

Timetabled enrichment sessions take place on a Wednesday period 5 and are run by experienced staff members in those areas. Enrichment is delivered to small groups on a half termly basis. Enrichment will always look to be as active as possible and students will find themselves, cooking, voting, playing sports, practising CPR and identifying scams in order to bring key messages to life!

VI Enrichment Offer 2022/23

You will pick any three from the following, but you must pick three.

Full year options

EPQ with Miss Wetherall and Mrs Armstrong

EPQ is short for Extended Project Qualification. An EPQ is an independent research project which is not covered in you’re a Levels which involves writing an essay of 5000 words (that’s around 10 typed pages), or creating a product and a 1,000 word essay. As the project evolves, you must complete a production log to record specific stages of the project and this also contributes to your project result. The third component of the project is an oral presentation. Generally, the whole process from start to finish takes about 120 hours.

Art/Craft/DIY with Mr Clarke

Think of this enrichment as The Purbeck School crossed with DIY SOS and Gardeners’ World. During our sessions you will experience the research, design and building elements used within a garden/interior design career. We will moodboard, mind-map and sketch before beginning our renovation of the Art quad. Our agenda is to create a space that can be used for both inspiration and relaxation and turn the concrete box into something much more colourful and full of wildlife. Hopefully you will pick up some transferable skills that will help with DIY projects at home or inspire you to look after your unloved corners of the garden and welcome wildlife in.

Music with Mr Burns, Mr Foyle and Mrs Chengadu

Do you play an instrument or enjoy singing? If so, this is a perfect opportunity for you to utilise and develop your musical skills whilst having fun. We will be forming a band (or bands), to rehearse together each week and develop your instrumental and ensemble skills. Once we have prepared some high-quality music then there will be opportunities for some/all of you to perform around the school or local community. Develop crucial employability skills of creativity, teamwork, communication and problem solving. We will be open to suggestions about songs and styles you want to learn and perform together.

One term options (You will rotate and do one a term; Year 13 will do only one in Autumn and one in Spring)

Arts and crafts with Miss Stewart

Do you fancy doing something fun? Do you want to do something creative? Do you want to spend Wednesday afternoons relaxing and taking a break from your academic work? If the answer is YES, then come and do something artistic or crafty.

What are the benefits to your mental health:

• Provide relaxation. Relief from stress
• A sense of accomplishment. Reduce feelings of anxiety
• Enhance feelings of confidence. Improve cognitive abilities
• Increase social skills and interactions

What sorts of things will we do?

• Colour for mindfulness Make cards for Christmas etc.
• Pom-pom making
• Cross-stitch
• Origami

 Board games with Mr Nicolaides

Do you like playing games? Would you like to compete against your peers… and win? Do you want to have fun on Wednesday afternoons?

If so, board games are for you.

How will you benefit from playing board games?

• Increase your brain’s function.
• Reduce stress and have a laugh.
• Enhance creativity and self-confidence.
• Improve social skills.
• Learn how to think strategically, set goals and develop patience.

What will you learn?

• Discover how to reduce reliance on luck, or chance; instead you will develop an adaptable, methodical strategic approach to playing games.

Games will include traditional and well-known ones such as Risk, Monopoly and Mastermind, as well as the introduction of contemporary ones such as Mind Genius.

Book Club with Mr Clay

Do you enjoy reading? Are you taking subjects that are not hitting that creative spot?

Book club might be for you. We aim to read weekly and discuss the books that we are enjoying in an informal atmosphere. We will either be reading a book together or just talking about our own current reading – it is very much the group’s decision. Either way, it is a very enjoyable and relaxing way to spend an hour escaping the stresses and strains of school work.

Please feel free to come and ask me any questions.

Politics and Current Affairs with Mr Rainsley

What will we do? We will learn about, discuss and debate (argue) about…

How do governments work?

• Political ideologies – from Communism to Fascism and everything on the spectrum in-between
• How are governments chosen/ appointed? Which is the best (or least worst) system?
• How do governments make decisions and pass laws?

Current Affairs: what’s happening in the news?

• What are the big stories this week, and how do we make sense of them? Domestic and international
• What happens when politics and ethical/ moral/ environmental/ human rights issues collide?
• How do the media report upon, and influence, political issues?
• ‘AOB’: which stories and issues do YOU want to discuss?

Primary teaching organised by Mr Holmes

Experienced gained by volunteering is highly-prized by future employers and higher education providers. This enrichment offer will see you helping to plan educational sessions in our partner primary schools including those in Wareham, Wool, Bovington, Swanage etc.

You may spend an afternoon reading 1:1 with students in Year 3 or 4, or co-leading a Maths or Science workshop for Years 5 and 6. Maybe we will even get to do potato printing! If you are interested in working with young people in the future then this might be the enrichment option for you.

Sport/Couch to 5K with Mr Tarbard and Mr Smith

Whether you are a sports fanatic, or just want to feel healthier, this is the enrichment for you! We will coach you in getting fitter through the couch to 5k programme (or couch to 10K if you are already a keen runner!) interspersed with a multitude of team sports. By the end of the enrichment cycle you will hopefully be able to run continuously for 30mins or longer, and will feel fit and healthy.  You will also have had the opportunity to test yourself against not only your peers, but Mr Smith and Mr Tarbard, in a variety of sports!

Remember, add three options in order of preference and we will do the rest