Our three-year Elective Options Cycle at Newstead embraces enrichment, challenge and independent learning above and beyond the GCSE and A level curriculum. Our Sports and Academic Elective Options begin in Year 10 with two dedicated periods every Friday afternoon providing a wide variety of activities which we hope students will find enjoyable and stimulating. Year 11 will have their Sports and Academic Elective Options on Thursdays, and every Wednesday afternoon Year 12 students will be able to continue to develop and grow new skills as they prepare their personal statements and UCAS applications for top universities.
The aims of the Elective Options are to develop enriching life and employability skills, prepare students for study at elite universities and help them to manage their work-life balance. Outreach work at local primary schools can be used as voluntary service for the Duke of Edinburgh Award in Year 10 and 11, learning about Ancient Civilisations in Year 11 will broaden students’ horizons and knowledge, and taking part in ethical debates in Year 12 Medicine will enable students to develop communication skills and foster their understanding of global health issues.
One of the key objectives of our Elective Options Cycle is to keep students’ minds, spirit and bodies healthy while they study at Newstead. Sport, gardening and reading are two popular choices on the programme, helping students to discover new interests and maintain healthy lifestyles. There are opportunities to try out exciting activities not normally taught at school, such as Fencing and Dance, as well as high-level Academic Electives ranging from Oxbridge preparation support to Scientific Research in Crest Engineering. Academic Electives such as our IGCSE Environmental Management course in Year 10, and our unique Medical Dental and Veterinary Elective (MDV) which runs over three years will also help students to become outstanding experts in STEM subjects as they progress towards our Sixth Form.
Over the three years there is a varied and challenging programme of options which will enable students to step out of their comfort-zone and explore areas of interest which, ordinarily, they might not have had the time to do or have had access to the relevant expertise out of school. Our Elective Options are led by specialists from outside of school and by our own staff who specialise in these areas.