Enrichment is an important part of College life. As the name suggests, it enriches your time at College and develops skills that will put you at a distinct advantage when applying for university or jobs. Our Specialist Academies are the enrichment options that can most significantly boost your career prospects.
With links to Higher Education, these Specialist Academies are designed to support students with particular career ambitions. If you are thinking about a career as a doctor or an engineer, for example, joining the appropriate academy will help reinforce whether this is the right career for you and impress university and employers when you make applications in the future.
Here are some of the academies you could join – click the links to learn more:
- Archaeology Academy
- Computer Programming
- CSI Solihull
- English Academy
- Humanities Research School
- Pre-Medical School
- Psychology Research School
- Social Sciences Academy
- STEM Programme
- Teaching Academy
- Visual Arts Academy
- Young Enterprise
Activities with these academies may include trips, mentoring and project work at the university partners, as well as specialist support in making applications to university. Some courses, such as Medicine, require you to apply early and undergo interviews, so our specialist academies will focus on ensuring you are prepared for that challenge.
Many of the academies give students the chance to complete an Extended Project Qualification. The EPQ is a piece of private research on a topic of your choice, which can be presented using a method of your choosing, be it an essay, a piece of artwork, a video, a magazine, a website or whatever creative way you can think of. It is graded like an A level and can significantly boost your university hopes.
Our most able students, often with ambitions to study at prestigious universities like Oxford and Cambridge or on highly competitive courses, often also take advantage of the College’s Stretch & Challenge Programme.