Sixth Form Extended Curriculum and Trips

"Exploring our calling and achieving the best for others and ourselves".

Personal development and enrichment at St. Aidan’s is a high priority in the Sixth Form. Our students flourish because of the quality care, nurture and education they receive here at St. Aidan’s and we believe education goes far beyond the classroom. 

Our enrichment programme provides a diverse range of opportunities beyond the timetabled curriculum, designed to enhance learning, build cultural capital and offer meaningful leadership experiences. From clubs and sport to the creative and performing arts, academic challenges and trips there is something for everyone to enjoy. These experiences encourage students to explore new interests, develop essential skills, grow as leaders and form lasting friendships. 

senate

Senate is a group of Year 13 Sixth Form students, elected by their peers and teachers, who help lead school life. There are 12 Senate members, including 2 Senate leaders. There are always 2 places reserved for students who joined the school at the start of Sixth Form. Senate meet fortnightly to organise events, support charities, represent student views and work closely with the St John Fisher Congress. 

Student Ambassadors 

Year 12 students have the opportunity to apply to become Student Ambassadors during their first term at school. This is a rewarding role that allows students to play an active part in school life and make a positive contribution to the wider community. Student Ambassadors work closely with the Sixth Form Team and teaching staff, helping to support and enhance the learning experience of students across the school. The role may also include assisting with administration, supervision and a variety of school events. As representatives of the Sixth Form, Student Ambassadors act as positive role models for younger pupils. Students selected for this role are expected to demonstrate maturity, good judgement and reliability, and to behave responsibly at all times. Becoming a Student Ambassador is an excellent opportunity to develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills while giving something back to the school. 

Peer Readers 

Sixth Form peer readers are students who are regular users of the Library. Staff matched interests with the students needing support, aiming to develop positive relationships between the young readers and their mentors. They meet every Friday morning during WALK time - the aim is to develop the positive benefits of reading so they can read together or discuss and choose books. It's a "safe space" for less confident readers to grow in confidence and become more comfortable with the regular practice of reading.

Dance, drama and music 

Sixth Form students can take part in a thriving and wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular music, dance and drama across the Associated Sixth Form, alongside their academic studies.

Students are involved in a variety of musical ensembles and choral groups, including St. Aidan’s Chamber Choir, Symphonic Wind Band and Swing Band, with regular performances, participation in national events and competitions, and overseas music tours including performances at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Dance and Drama students work alongside musicians in high-quality school productions staged at both schools, including musicals such as Fame, Annie, and The Little Mermaid. Opportunities are available both on stage and in technical and backstage roles, allowing students to gain valuable performance and production experience as part of Sixth Form life.

Sports  

Sports teams are accessible for all students in the Associated Sixth Form. Our training sessions are inclusive and the teams are coached for inter-school competitions. The main sports we offer are Netball, Hockey, Football, Rugby, Basketball and Cricket. Teams enter local or national competitions, and while the level of success may vary from year to year, they are always competitive and enthusiastic. Dedicated performers are strongly encouraged to join senior clubs in the respective sports.

Debating Society 

The Debating Society meets each week at lunchtimes throughout the school year. A varied calendar of events is arranged including debates, contests against local schools and entry into national competitions. Students take the opportunity to develop communication skills and gain confidence in public speaking. We have a record of success in the ESU Mace Debating Competition where we were NE Regional Champions successively in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We won the title again in 2025. We then took part in the national finals of the Mace at the ESU headquarters in Dartmouth House, London, where we competed among the top twelve debating teams in the country.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is available to all students in Year 12 of the Association. The Award gives you the chance to do something completely new and to improve on things you are already doing. It takes you out of your comfort zone and into a place where you’ll push yourself and have amazing new experiences. You’ll build confidence, resilience, skills for work and friendship groups. We aim for participants to complete all sections of the award by the middle of Year 13 and to attend the Award Ceremony at one of the UK Palaces.

This most prestigious award requires hard work and determination, but it is well worth the effort.

The award comprises five main sections:

• Physical Recreation
• Service to the Community
• Skill
• Residential Project
• Expedition

Students complete a three-day training expedition during the spring term to develop essential skills, followed by a four‑day qualifying expedition in the summer term.

trips (UK and overseas)

The Associated Sixth Form run trips to different countries to enhance students’ learning and are pleased to offer an extensive range of visits some of which take place in WALK enrichment week at the start of July and some during the start of the summer holiday.

• Geography trip to Iceland
• Physics trip to CERN
• Technology students’ visit to London
• Annual European Music tour
• Annual Ski trip to a European destination (February half term holiday)
• Language trips
• A creative writing residential week in Wales
• A Politics/Economics/History/ Psychology trip to London
• Art and Textiles trips to London

There are also a number of day trips to enhance the subjects taught at A Level.

Charity

Charitable involvement is an important part of Sixth Form life at St. Aidan’s, offering students meaningful opportunities to support others while developing leadership, teamwork and a strong sense of social responsibility. Students are actively involved in a range of fundraising initiatives across the year, supporting both local and national causes.

Our long-established student-led organisation, Zawadi, plays a central role, with Sixth Form students organising regular fundraising events in and around school to support Artizan International. Alongside this, students also take part in whole-school charity events such as Children in Need, as well as other community and awareness raising initiatives such as Dementia Forward and Breast Cancer Now.