Enrichment

Enrichment refers to all of the additional qualifications, awards and extracurricular opportunities available to our sixth form students, above and beyond A level and BTEC courses.

Competition is often fierce for university places, positions of employment and higher level apprenticeships, and it’s for this reason that enrichment is vitally important. Our enrichment programme is designed to help develop our students, not just academically, but as well rounded individuals who are able to stand out from the crowd when applying for degrees courses or employment. Ultimately, enrichment in the sixth form at Forge is designed to provide students with skills, knowledge and competencies that support transition to university, the world of work and adult life. Moreover, our students are able to draw upon  the experiences they gain from enrichment during job interviews and when writing their personal statements for universities.

When a student joins the sixth form at Forge, we work with them to put a personalised enrichment programme together. This includes:

• One enrichment qualification; a course that leads to the awarding of a formal qualification. 
• One form time enrichment activity; a position of responsibility that is fulfilled during one form time each week.
• One timetabled enrichment / awards; an enrichment activity that is timetabled during one period each week.
• The opportunity to make a difference to others by volunteering in the local community.

More information on the various enrichment qualifications and activities available to our sixth form students can be found below, along with the enrichment options form, which students complete during enrolment in order to devise their enrichment programme.

Enrichment Qualifications 

The majority of sixth form students are required to undertake one enrichment qualification, which is built into whichever pathway they choose to follow (A level, vocational or medicine). The four enrichment qualifications students can choose from are:

• Core Maths
• The Extended Project Qualification 
• Level 3 Certificate of Personal Effectiveness 
• Diploma in Financial Studies 

Students undertaking the football programme or Btec Health and Social Care are not required to undertake an enrichment qualification, as these programmes / courses already have additional qualifications built into them. Click on the link below to read more about our enrichment qualifications.

Form time enrichment activities

All sixth form students are required to undertake an enrichment activity that takes place during one form time each week. These are activities designed to give sixth formers some leadership responsibility and promote their position as role models to younger students within the Academy.  There are three activities to choose from:

• Peer reading- this involves reading with a younger student in the Academy to help them improve their reading age.
• Supporting younger students with numeracy- this is a great opportunity, particularly  for students undertaking A level Maths, and it involves working with a younger student in the Academy to help them improve on their mathematical skills 
• Become a student form leader- this involves being assigned to a year 7-11 form group and supporting the form tutor with delivery of form time activities.

Timetabled enrichments / awards 

All sixth form students are required to undertake one enrichment activity / award that is timetabled once per week. There is a choice of three and these are as follows:

• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award-students can work towards completion of the bronze award or work towards a higher award if they have already secured the bronze award. Students typically complete the volunteering strand of the award during the timetabled hour and complete other elements in their own time.
• Study Skills / additional online learning-this involves receiving weekly support with the development of study skills and the opportunity to undertake a series of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in particular areas of interest.
• Becoming a peer mentor- this involves receiving training on how to work with young people with specific needs and then working with a younger student to support them with their needs.

Enrichments in the local community

We encourage our sixth form students to take an active role in their local communities and make a difference to others.  Whilst not compulsory, we support students in securing voluntary positions in local hospitals or volunteering on local community based projects. In addition, there is the opportunity for students to go out and visit a local primary school and support a primary school child with their literacy or numeracy.