JCoSS The Scholars' Programme

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The Scholars’ Programme

The Scholars’ Programme promotes a culture of academic curiosity and super-curricular engagement across JCoSS. Its purpose is to cultivate the intellectual passion, habits and skills that enable students to access the most competitive university courses and future pathways.

Cross-Curricular Academic Enrichment and Opportunities

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Oxbridge and Medicine Programme	The programme provides comprehensive support for highly competitive university applications. This includes advice on course selection, super-curricular resources, personal statement feedback, tailored mock interviews, and individual mentoring from a current or former Oxbridge/Medical student. For Medical applicants, this preparation is led by Dr Salem. Key features include: UCAT preparation NHS policy awareness Understanding differing university teaching models	Year 12 and 13
Mentoring Programme	A mentoring programme pairs Year 12 Oxbridge and Medical applicants with selected Year 10 students who have demonstrated strong engagement with the Scholars’ Programme. The programme includes guidance on: Super-curricular activities Independent research and university courses A Level subject choices Networking Transferable skills Model personal statements and references Interdisciplinary thinking Resilience Gratitude and professional communication Academic presentation and oracy skills	Year 10, to be extended to Yr 9 2027
Competitions	This includes competitions such as: My Favourite Quote Super-Curricular Poster Competition	Y7 All Years
Massolit website subscription	Provides students access to university lecturers across all subject areas. There are a range of courses and students can watch videos that relate to their wider reading. This fosters independent learning and is hugely beneficial for students revising.	Year 12 and 13
Introduction to Philosophy Course	Provided online free of charge by the Philosophy Foundation. This is a great way for your child to practice debating and critical thinking skills. The lecturers are excellent at outlining philosophical thought experiments and facilitating students of all ages to engage with them. If you would like to find out more about the Philosophy Foundation, here is their website: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/in-schools	Year 12
Scholars’ Programme Team	A platform for discovering a wide range of resources, events and competitions for all subjects. Any student can be added to this team by asking Miss Taylor	All Years
Legoland reward trip	A fun and educational reward trip, which includes a ‘Physics of Rollercoasters’ workshop	KS3
Oxbridge Conference Trip		Year 10&12

Art

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Year 10 residential trip to Spain.	ADT and Spanish students visit and explore historical and cultural aspects in Southern Spain over 5 days. Students gain an insight on how to be inspired from surroundings which supports advancements in their coursework.	KS4
Life Drawing	GCSE and A Level students are offered after school life drawing sessions where they have the opportunity to draw from a professional life model. This helps them to improve their figure drawing skills. Those students who are applying for art courses in further education are able to include this work in their portfolios.	KS4 and 5
Museum/Gallery Visit.	GCSE Art students take a trip to an Art Gallery. The trip is designed to support their coursework and exam units. Seeing art work at first hand is a vital part of understanding art	KS4
KS4 and 5 Booster sessions	After school workshops to enable exam groups to use the studios outside of lessons to work on their projects.	KS4 and 5
Art Club	Lunch sessions for students to take part in art activities that they wouldn’t normally experience during art lessons.	KS3

Business & Economics

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Student Investor Challenge	Students put together a virtual share portfolio and trade over several months	Year 10 and 12
BASE Accounting Competition	Students analyse a company’s performance and make recommendations to management	Year 12 Economics students
Tenner Challenge	Students start a business and aim to make as much profit as possible from a £10 initial investment	Year 8 students
Economics In Action	Talks from a variety of leading economists	Year 13 Economics students

Computing

Provision	What is Involved?	Who is it for?
Cyber Discovery Competition	A national competition aimed at improving understanding of cyber security	Years 10 to 13
Coding Club	Students can develop their own code one lunchtime per week and get support	Years 7 to 11

Drama

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
NT Connections	Rehearsing and working together to bring a text to life. Concentrating and focus on stage and performance skills. Workshops and performances at JCoSS and Arts Depo, Finchley.	KS4 and KS5
Frantic Assembly Workshop	Visiting practitioner from Frantic Assembly Company to work with students using Physical Theatre techniques.	KS4 and KS5
The Stanislavsky Experience	Visiting practitioner working with GCSE and A level students with a focus on Devising Skills, Stanislavsky and Brecht.	KS4 and KS5
Theatre visits	Students have had opportunities to visit theatres. Productions this year have included: DNA, Label, Straight Line Crazy, Legally Blonde, Antigone, Witness for the Prosecution and musicals such as Newsies Oklahoma	KS3, KS4 and KS5
Theatre Production	Students have options to use performance skills or work in sounds/lighting areas and stage management areas for this production in the Summer Term.	KS3, KS4 and KS5
Whole School Production	Students have options to use performance skills or work in sounds/lighting areas and stage management areas for this production in the Summer Term.	KS3, KS4 and KS5

D&T & Food Tech

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Year 10 residential trip to Spain.	ADT and Spanish students visit and explore historical and cultural aspects in Southern Spain over 5 days. Students gain an insight on how to be inspired from surroundings which supports advancements in their coursework.	KS4 – Year 10
D&T – 6 week Workshop Machine course	Learning how to use the machinery in a safe environment	Less confident students. A&A D&T students will help
D&T – Run a Design Venturer competition	A competition linked with the Design Museum	A&A D&T students
D&T – Rotary Technology Tournament	A problem solving competition	A&A Yr10 & Yr11 students
Food Technology	A cooking competition run in heats	Self select process – all years
KS4 and 5 Booster sessions for both D&T and Food Technology	Opportunities for students to come and improve their coursework.	KS4/5: Years 10-13

English

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Able readers Carnegie shadowing	Students are provided with copies of the books to share, facilitate group discussion, and support preparation of presentation for the inter-school event. They will gather and edit book reviews for inclusion in the website and feed this into other students’ reading experiences in LRC lessons.	Nominated Year 8 students
Book Club	Students who enjoy reading are welcome to join Book Club one lunch time a week where they will read and discuss different books each week. Students will also put together the short list of books for the ‘JCoSS Book Award’ and help to run the competition.	Y7, 8, 9 and 10
JCoSS Book Award	Launched by the students in the Book Club, all of KS3 are invited to read the books on the JCoSS Book Award Shortlist. Once the reading is completed, students will present creative responses to the books. The best creative responses will be selected to participate in a reward trip.	All KS3 students
Globe theatre trip	Students are able to attend a free performance at the globe of a Shakespeare play that has been adapted especially for students.	Reward for ambitious Y8 students
Workshop at the Globe	To support the study of Romeo and Juliet diligent students are rewarded with a trip to the Globe where they work with actors from the theatre company on key scenes from the play.	KS4 ambitious students
Paired reading	Students in Year 10 meet with Year 7 students weekly to read books together.	Able and ambitious Year 12 students
New Views	This is a prestigious playwriting competition run by the National Theatre. The New Views programme gives students a unique and exciting opportunity to work with playwrights to produce their own short play, about a challenging issue. The winning play is performed by a group of professional actors at the National Theatre and the runners up see a staged reading of their play.	Students from KS4 and 5
Theatre trips	Key Stage 5 theatre trips are frequent throughout the year. There are opportunities to see set texts, as well as enrichment trips to see productions of texts that are relevant in terms of genre or time period.	KS5 Literature students
Study Days	Lectures on various set texts. Selected students attend the day of lectures, take notes and feedback to classmates	Y12 and Y13 English students

Jewish Education (Formal and Informal)

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
6^th Form JE	Lessons on a broad range of Jewish themes	Years 12-13
Alan Senitt Upstanders Leadership Programme	Inter-school leadership training programme	Year 10 – Self Select
Beit Midrash	Intensive Jewish learning	Years 7-9 – Self Select
Charity Fair	Fair to choose school charities for the year	Self Select
Festival activities	Activities in the heartspace for festivals	Self Select
Gap Year Workshop and Fair	Introduction to gap years	Year 12
Interfaith Tent	Interfaith encounters and workshops in the Interfaith Tent	Years 7-9
Interfaith Week	Interfaith social action projects	Years 7-9 – Self Select
Israel Club	Lunchtime club – Israel games and activities	Self Select
Israel Journey	2 week immersive Israel Tour	Year 9 – Self Select
Israel Tour Fair	Youth movement promotion of Israel Tour	Year 11
JCoSS Leadership Academy	Leadership development programme	Years 12-13 – Self Select
JCoSS Shabbat	Baking Challah for JCoSS Shabbat	Self Select
Kabbalat Shabbat	Kabbalat Shabbat prayers	Self Select
Poland Trip	Poland Trip	Year 12 – Self Select
Pride Week	Activities for LGBT+ Pride Week	Self Select
Rosh Chodesh	Prayer, reflection and Jewish education sessions on Rosh Chodesh	Years 7-9
Rosh Chodesh	‘TED’ style talks on Rosh Chodesh from distinguished guests	Years 10-11
Shinshin Games	A morning of exciting games and activities, all run by our Shinshinim	Year 7
Summer Programme Fair	Youth movement promotion of summer camps	Years 7-10 – Self Select
Volunteering Opportunities, Community Visits & Fundraising	Visits to care homes and community events	Self Select
Tikkun Olam Day	A day of volunteering, social action projects and learning	Year 7
Weekly Tefillah	Thursday morning tefillah service	All year groups, self select
Year 7 IJE	Values based curriculum delivered through IJE	Year 7
Year 7 Shabbaton	Weekend away	Year 7 – Self Select
Year 8 Volunteering	Each student completes an hour of volunteering in school time	Year 8
Yom Tzedakah	Fundraisers days led by each year group	Each year group
Yoni Jesner Award	Volunteering award	Years 7 & 8 – Self Select

French, Spanish, Ivrit

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Study Day	French Institute	Year 10
Spanish Language Trip	Andalucia	Year 10
French and Spanish Students	1:1/ Small group Foreign Assistant speaking sessions	Y10 – Y13 French & Spanish Students
Shinshinnit	Israel Club and Hebrew language support from Israeli Scout leaders volunteering in the UK from Israel	Y7-Y13 Ivrit
Linguistic Olympiad Competition		– Open to all Y11, Y12 & Y13 students.

Humanities

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Geography	Stretch and challenge in lessons	KS3
Geography	Differentiated interventions focusing on high level exams skills – Subscriptions/ Magazine articles from – Geographical review, the economist, the Royal Geographic association.	KS4
History	Stretch and challenge tasks in lessons	All students
History	Use of academic texts alongside the text book at A-Level, including key historians such as William Doyle.	KS5
History Reading List	The History department has curated an in-depth reading list that goes way beyond just reading. Favourite historical works, novel, podcasts and films are among the many recommendations for students who wish to explore their subject more widely.	All Students
Sociology	Tailoring resources to stretch the most able for example, exam booklets of past exam questions – Academic literature in the classroom – Notice board of revision materials – Sociology Review Magazine
Politics	Visit Parliament with discussion with a Peer and MPs Trip to student conference , featuring prominent speakers (e.g. Speaker of HOC) Politicians visit the school (e.g. Luciana Berger, Theresa Villiers) Subscription to Politics Review Year 13s mentoring of Year 12s Model answer booklets Independent reading list for key topics to extend student reading
Politics	Mock trials – these dynamic virtual mock trial workshops, run by experienced tutors, are designed to provide participants with a true-to-life interactive experience of a criminal law case in a virtual Crown Court, from start to finish. Participants will assume the roles of barristers and witnesses and carry out a full trial. This is a perfect experience for any students interested in a career in law, or keen to gain further understanding of the subject. Students will also have a chance to engage in a Q and A, run by the tutor overseeing the course.	Year 10

Maths

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
UKMT junior, intermediate and senior individual challenges.	Students sit a paper in exam conditions. Questions are designed to make you think out the box.	Years 7-13
UKMT team challenge.	Trip out of school to compete against other schools in different style maths challenges	Years 7-13
British Mathematical Olympiad	This is the follow-on round for the senior UKMT Challenge.	Years 12-13
STEP	Preparation and support for STEP exams, aimed at Oxbridge candidates	Years 12-13
Mathematical Olympiad for Girls	Aimed to encourage and inspire as many girls as possible to get involved in advannced mathematical problem solving	Year 11
Reach for the 9s	Weekly additional sessions for GCSE students aiming for grade 9	Year 11
AMSP Maths Feast	The Y10 Maths feast is an enjoyable and challenging team competition testing mathematical, team working and communication skills.	Year 10
Weekly Maths Quiz	Challenging problem solving questions	KS3
Integral Maths website subscription	A valuable resource for all students taking A Level Maths and Further Maths as well as those preparing for Oxbridge admission tests, whether they are TMUA, MAT, PAT, or STEP	Year 12 and 13
It All Adds Up	The Mathematical Institute and Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, host two inspiring and engaging day-conferences in Mathematics for girls	Year 10
STEM Aspire Days	Science, Maths and Tech work in a lab based exploratory learning environment to promote critical thinking and higher order thinking.	Years 8/9 – A&A students. Staff nominated.
Arkwright Scholarship	An Arkwright Engineering Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship of its type in the UK to inspire and nurture school-age students to be the country’s future leaders of the Engineering Profession	Year 11

Media & Film Studies

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Film Club	Creating films and entering film competitions	Year 7 and 8 students (self-select and recommended by teachers)
Media Team	Students form a media team to film events and shows in school. Filming events that happen in school	Year 12/13
Media Consultant	A media consultant industry comes in for a day to run tutored media revision.	Year 12&13

Music

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
JCoSS Singers	Singing to a high level of competence and skill. Performing in public both in and out of school	Auditioned choir KS3-5
Junior Singers	Choir for Year 7-8 – ALL WELCOME	Choir for Year 7-8 – ALL WELCOME
Woodwind Ensemble	Playing classical wind ensemble pieces All woodwind, brass and percussion instruments to perform in small ensembles and large group	ALL YEARS Welcome
Guitars & Ukuleles Ensemble	All guitarists, bass and ukulele players	All guitarists, bass and ukulele players – ALL YEARS
Jazz	Playing Jazz/Big Band music Performing in public both in and out of school.	All brass, woodwind, drummers & singers welcome
String Ensemble	Playing classical string ensemble pieces Performing in public both in and out of school	All String players welcome
Percussion Orchestra	Playing arrangements and original music for tuned percussion ensemble	Percussionists/Pianists ALL YEARS
Funk and Soul	Auditioned advanced musicians	Auditioned advanced musicians
GCSE / A Level Comp	All GCSE and A Level Music Students Welcome for extra help	All GCSE and A Level Music Students
Samba	All drumming students can attend – OPEN TO ALL	All drumming students can attend – OPEN TO ALL
Cage Experimental Music Group	What is Music? What can we make it? There are no wrong answers! Let’s experiment with sound	ALL YEARS welcome
KS3 Music Tech Club	Want to learn to use Logic and more? Come and practice your skills!	Open to all KS3

Physical Education

Able information:

Students get nominated to attend trials in a range of sports at district and county level (not all year groups have district or county teams to nominate students for)
Extra-curricular fixtures for students to represent JCoSS at County/Regional level (boys and girls football, table tennis, Cross-country)
Extra-curricular fixtures for students to represent JCoSS at District level (boys and girls football, badminton, athletics, basketball, netball, rounders, cricket, handball, table tennis, Cross-country)
Extra-curricular school clubs in a range of sports after-school for students
Inter-Form Competitions for students to represent their forms in basketball, handball, football, netball and athletics.
Maccabi Tournaments for students to represent JCoSS competing in inter-school events
Nominations to represent Maccabi GB in a range of sporting activities.

Ambitious information:

Students can apply to be a Sports Ambassador in year 7 and if/when places become available in subsequent years
Sports Ambassadors represent the school in external competitions as coaches, umpires and leaders
Sports Ambassadors also run sporting initiatives within JCoSS to increase oppurtunities for their peers to participate in sport.

Science

Provision	What is involved?	Who for?
Engineering4Kids robot workshop	Engineering4Kids robot workshop Involves students building, programming and battling their own robots! As well as being a lot of fun, this is an amazing way to exercise skills particularly demanded in STEM careers. If you would like more information on this organisation, please see here: https://www.engineeringforkids.com/	Year 7
CREST Silver Science Award	For those interested in studying science at university or taking 2+ science A-levels, this program aims to take the students through the whole academic research process including: – Choosing a problem – Justifying the importance of solving the problem by exploring its impact on society – Researching ways to solve it – Performing preliminary tests which will be used to inform the method of the final experiment – Learning to handle, analyse and present data – Learning how to write in both the journal and report formats, as well as how to make engaging presentations and posters	Year 12
Bronze Industrial Cadets programme	A unique extra-curricular opportunity to create a solution to a problem in cooperation with mentors from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) industries. Over 12 weeks, Ms Hancock will supervise after school sessions to enable the team to present their findings as a video and report.	Years 8 and 9
Research projects	Numerous research projects built in to our KS3 scheme of learning as extension and enrichment activities	KS3 students
Science club	Weekly experiments and science enrichment activities	KS3 students
Arkwright Engineering scholarship	An award that encourages you to go on to read Engineering at university or college. It will help you to do well in your A levels through enrichment and mentoring. All scholars are given many opportunities to attend ‘engineering experience days’ or to network with other engineers and scholars. This can lead to enhanced job opportunities. All scholars are given money – currently £600 – to put towards their engineering endeavours (projects, equipment etc.) during Yrs 12 & 13.	Year 11
Davidson Inventors Challenge	A collaborative school outreach initiative between the department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge and the Association of Science Technology and Innovation (ASTI) in Malaysia, and also supported by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). This school competition is aimed at students in UK schools interested in STEM. The theme is sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations to address global challenges. The teams are required to first select a challenge/problem area they’d like to work on from a list of sustainable development goals and come up with a potential sustainable and innovative solution. See more on previous winning innovative solutions and information on the challenge and registration https://www.ceb.cam.ac.uk/events/davidson-inventors-challenge-2022-2023	Year 11 & 12