Sixth form enrichment

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a voluntary programme of practical, cultural and adventurous activities, designed to support the personal and social development of young people aged 14-25. It offers a challenge and encourages young people to undertake exciting, constructive and enjoyable activities in their free time

Young Enterprise is run as an extra-curricular activity outside of the school day (presently Monday lunchtimes) and as part of Wednesday afternoon activities.

The Young Enterprise Company Programme provides young people (aged 15-19 years old) with the opportunity to set up and run their own real company while they are still at school or college. Each company is guided through the experience by a volunteer adviser from a local business.

For more information:- https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/what-we-do/

Inspired by the charism, vision and values of Blessed Edmund Rice, ERI is an NGO (Non-Government Organisation) committed to working for children and young people who are marginalised because of poverty, access to education, legal status, environmental degradation, or involvement in armed conflict. ERI works at international level to promote and protect the rights of children and young people particularly in regard to education. Care for the environment is also an embedded value. There are strong links with local environmentalists. The group meets weekly and works closely with the ERI Headquarters in Geneva and an annual trip to the United Nations is organised.

Each year the College offers Sixth Form students the opportunity to join the annual Shrewsbury Diocese pilgrimage to Lourdes. The exploration of the spiritual dimension allows students to explore beliefs with like-minded individuals and, in the process, make new friends. We are fortunate to have regular voluntary Mass celebrated in the College chapel where Sixth Formers are central to the organisation and celebration of worship.

Sixth Form students make a significant contribution to community activities such as Chaplaincy work, Cornerstone and Revive, as well as helping the local elderly. Many of these activities are part of our enrichment programme.

We also encourage students to become involved in the Christian Brother led ‘Edmund Rice Camps’ in which students work with younger children from deprived backgrounds in educational, sporting, artistic and spiritual activities during school holidays. There are several other opportunities available to Sixth Form students across the Edmund Rice Network. These include immersions to our sister school in Sierra Leone, advocacy at a local, national and global level and internships at the UN.

Sixth Form students also lead on many of the charity initiatives in school and regularly lead their prospective Houses in fundraising activities

The boys have an opportunity to discuss issues of concern and work as part of a team to impact on college life. They are responsible for running this group, taking minutes and actioning the decisions made. This gives them invaluable insight into how organisations work and how to express their own views while taking the views of others on-board in a sensitive manner.

This Debating Group fields candidates at local and regional debating competitions. There are also other public speaking events organised by this group including the Catenian Public Speaking competition, the Cambridge Union speaking competition and the Edmund Rice Debating competition. There are lively weekly debates organised which provide opportunity for boys to chair and provide feedback to younger students.

Sixth Formers support younger Ambrosians through mentoring. Sixth Formers are linked with a particular House Group and work closely with House Tutors. They may assist the teaching staff by using their advanced subject knowledge, music or sporting skills to work with individual pupils in lessons or at lunchtimes. Many of the clubs and societies open to lower school pupils are organised and run by our Sixth Form students.

Mathematics students in both the Upper and Lower Sixth enter the Senior Maths Challenge, a prestigious national competition identifying top mathematicians. Boys who reach a high level qualify through to the ‘Kangeroo’ round and those who achieve even higher scores qualify for the British Olympiad.

Designed to challenge and inspire the National Olympiads offer a unique opportunity for students to push themselves further and excel in their field of science.  Students develop their thinking and problem-solving skills and test their existing knowledge in real-world situations. 

At the end of the Lower Sixth, applications are invited for Head Boy and Deputy Head Boys. The successful applicants are short-listed and interviewed by the Principal and Directors of Sixth Form. Prefects for each House are also appointed, taking into consideration the views of staff.

Lower Sixth boys who wish to be considered for House Captains and House Vice-Captains are invited to write a letter of application to the Principal. Short-listed candidates are interviewed and appointed by the Directors of Sixth Form and Heads of House.

The Sixth Form leaders meet regularly with the Principal and Directors of Sixth Form to discuss both Sixth Form issues and the programme of competitive activities in which the rest of the College participate. House Captains plan and lead these events and also form a very important part of the School Council, listening to the views of their younger peers before conveying their findings to members of the Senior Leadership Team.

We have an established and progressive careers programme at Saint Ambrose College that ensures that every student leaves our College equipped with the skills to live a fulfilling life. We pride ourselves on offering all of our young people exciting opportunities within the curriculum, whole school activities and extracurricular sessions. We offer independent careers guidance to all students through our partnership with MPloy Careers Service and have a dedicated member of staff who has responsibility for the whole-school careers programme. Some of this year’s events include our annual Careers Convention, monthly Careers Cafés and collaborations with industry professionals. Additionally, we offer a drop-in clinic with our qualified Careers Advisor and any student can access careers guidance at any point during their time with the College. All of these opportunities result in an inclusive careers provision that enables our students, from Year 7 to Upper Sixth, to become aware of the options they have and give them the essential advice, information and guidance they need to make informed decisions.

Saint Ambrose College provides an Oxbridge recruitment programme for those boys who wish to apply for Oxford and Cambridge universities The programme includes visiting speakers, mock interviews, meetings and presentations from former Ambrosians who are studying at Oxford and Cambridge. As well as familiarisation with the admissions tests and a visit to an Oxford College. We have also established links with numerous colleges including Worcester College, Oxford, where a number of our current Lower Sixth students have attended an engaging programme.

A number of students successfully applied for summer school placements at top universities in subjects such as Engineering, Physics, Computing and Mathematics

For students interested in Medicine and Dentistry, there is additional support:

• A trip to a top university medical school.
• Senior Consultants conduct interviews with students giving detailed feedback as well as advice on how to produce a competitive application.
• Work experience placements in local hospitals and GP practices.
• Manchester Medical Society lectures.