Academic Enhancement and Aspirations (AE&A)
We want our students to be able to thrive in whatever future pathway or career they choose. We support this by providing opportunities and experiences that help broaden horizons and give students access to experiences they may not otherwise have.
In order for our students to open the door to the future of their choice, it is important that we help them recognise the wide range of opportunities available to them.
The key aims of the AE&A programme at Didsbury Sixth Form are:
- To help students develop both broader and deeper knowledge within their chosen areas of study.
- To ensure students maintain a broad outlook beyond their studies and are aware of current affairs.
- To prepare students for interview and selection processes for universities, degree apprenticeships, and employment.
- To provide specialist preparation and support for students applying to the most competitive universities.
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
- Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
- Medicine, Dentistry & Veterinary Science
- Oxbridge and Competitive University Entry
- Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
- Art Therapy
- MOOCS
- Feminism, Politics and Social Change
- Escape Rooms
- History of Art
- Introduction to Media Production
- Quiz and Trivia Club
- A Journey to Middle Earth
- Geography in the News
- Mindfulness, Yoga and Relaxation
- History Mythbusters
- Voice Coaching: Delivering the perfect TED Talk
- Introduction to Programming
- Fitness (in our dedicated on-site gym)
- Current Geographical Affairs
- Debate Club
- Script Writing & Performance
- Ethics Cup
Other Opportunities
In addition to Electives, students can enrich their curriculum with a variety of possible Leadership & Service choices, including:
- Student Mentoring
- Volunteering
- Charity events
Apertura
Taking its name from Latin, meaning “opportunities about to open”, Apertura is a Laurus super-curricular programme. Apertura is 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.
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