We want our students to be able to thrive in whatever future pathway or career they choose. We offer this cultural preparation by giving students opportunities and experiences that would not otherwise be accessible to some students.
In order for our students to open the door to the future of their choice, it is paramount that we also assist them in recognising the full spectrum of choices that are available to them.
Four Cornerstones
The Four Cornerstones underpin everything we do. These are: Academic Aspiration, Culture, Creativity & Rhetoric, Competition & Physical Endeavour, and Leadership & Service.
Electives
Our Electives programme is carefully planned around the Four Cornerstones to help students develop new and wide-ranging interests. Students will build an Electives curriculum in addition to their A Level subject choices. The Electives programme is refreshed each term, please click the toggle below to see a list of potential Electives.
Electives
- Oxbridge and Competitive University Entry
- Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Voice and Presence for Interviews
- Delivering the perfect TED talk
- Netball
- Football
- Fitness
- Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
- Self-Publishing: Making your own ‘zine.
- New Views National Playwriting
- Have I got “Business” News for You?
- Who wants to be an entrepreneur?
- The “Wolf of Hazel Grove”
- Cooking on a budget
- #iSew
- Bake Off!
- Ceramics
- Can You Cut It?
- Master of Arts
- Office, ready?
- An introduction to programming (in Python)
- Video Editing using Premiere Pro
- Image Editing using Photoshop
- Populism and the abuses of power in the 20th Century
- Feminist Book Club
- Classical texts: The Roman Novel and Greek Tragedies
- The Rest is Politics
- Sports Journalism
- Book to Film club
- Politics
- Book Club
- Crochet
- Russian
- Italian
- R programming for Statistics
- STEP-prep
- Chess
- Social Sciences Society
- Meditation & Mindful breathing
- Medicine, Dentistry & Veterinary Science
- Ready TEDdy Go!
Other Opportunities
In addition to Electives, students will enrich their curriculum through a range of opportunities, with further options available across all subject areas each year, including:
- TED Talks
- Sport for All
- Mentoring
- Volunteering
- Charity events
Apertura
September 2020 saw the launch of the Apertura programme. Taking its name from Latin, meaning “opportunities about to open”, Apertura is a Laurus super-curricular programme designed to expose high-achieving students to academic dialogue and independent research in preparation for applications to competitive universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.
Through lectures from visiting academics, small-group supervisions and independent research, Apertura students engage widely in academic thought and discussion. The programme runs through Years 10, 11 and 12, mirroring the three years of a traditional undergraduate Oxbridge college community.
The programme of study is broad, designed to give freedom to students, lecturers and supervisors. Each year, Apertura students explore and investigate a variety of topics drawn from different subjects across three strands.
Alongside supervisions and lectures, the Apertura Research Project provides an opportunity for students to pursue an area of personal interest. At the end of each year, students present and discuss their research findings with an audience from the Apertura community.
Apertura students are also supported in other areas throughout the programme, helping to build confidence, resilience and support their overall wellbeing.
The three strands of Apertura
Social Sciences
(Human Society & Interpersonal Relationships)
- Justice
- Law
- Economics
- Psychology
- Politics
- Sociology
- Anthropology
Physical Sciences & Maths
(Practical & Philosophical Knowledge)
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Geology
- Philosophy
- Astronomy
- Logic
Humanities
(Human Culture)
- History of Art
- Linguistics / Languages
- Ethics
- Gospel
- Comparative Literature
- English Literature
- Classics
- History
- Geography
- Architecture
- Theology
- Musical Appreciation
- Film
- Digital Culture