Springwest Scholars

Springwest Scholars is a co-curricular opportunity for students who have demonstrated high levels of motivation and academic achievement. It aims to empower students to develop their Intellectual Virtues: ambition, autonomy and curiosity. We do this through facilitating students to undertake extra research, exposing them to knowledge and experiences beyond the curriculum and enriching their cultural capital. The below plan is targeted at KS3 students and KS4 follow an adapted programme with respect to their GCSE study commitments, although they may opt into following the below programme too. 

Autumn Term 2026

In this term, students will work on their presentation and discussion skills. In the first half term students will work on creating slides about a topic of personal interest and then presenting this to the Scholars. The Scholars are then able to ask questions for the presenter to respond to. 

The presentations are followed by learning oracy and debating skills in the second half term, with the opportunity for some Scholars to represent the school at a debating competition outside of school, such as those run by Oxford and Cambridge University Debating societies. 

Spring Term 2027

In the Spring Term, students will read an ambitious text together, whcih also prompts them to think about their own character and prospects. Scholars will engage in seminar-style discussions about the text, in order to develop their reading and discussion skills. After this, students will head out on a trip to the National Archives in Kew where they will learn about the foundations of historical knowledge and complete a research project using the skills that they learn in this trip. 

Summer Term 2027

During the final term of the year, students will visit a university in order to help guide their aspirations for the future, and also engage with other education routes that they may embark on after Springwest. The Summer Term will celebrate what the Scholars have achieved and explore futher topics based upon group discussion and intrigue.