Richmond School and Sixth Form College is celebrating the success of 12 students as they graduate from The Scholars Programme, a prestigious national university access programme run by education charity The Brilliant Club.
The Year 12 students produced challenging university-style essays exploring Decolonisation and Decline: The ‘End of the British Empire.
They were encouraged to think and work independently across seven tutorials with a subject expert PhD researcher.
During the programme, they learnt about the topic and then completed a challenging final essay which was given a university-level grade.
The Scholars Programme, run by UK-wide university access charity The Brilliant Club, supports students aged 8-18 to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to progress to the country’s most competitive universities and succeed once there.
By bringing together two communities – PhD researchers and students – who might otherwise never interact with each other, young people can study innovative and inspiring topics.
Katie Wade, Year 12 student, said: “The Brilliant Club opportunity has really helped me to understand more about university-style writing.
“I also learned a lot about research techniques, what sources you can use for your information and using references for your sources.
“I’ve always liked history but didn’t take it as an A-level, so it was nice to be able to continue this in some way – it has inspired me to do a history-based EPQ.”
Sandra Johnson, assistant headteacher who co-ordinates the Brilliant Club programme, added: “Thank you to Uni Connect (Future Hy) for their ongoing support for the Brilliant Club.
“Due to their generous sponsorship we have been able to offer the Brilliant Club to students for a number of years now and it has had such a positive impact on their self-confidence, and ultimately their destinations after sixth form.”
