Ysgol Bryngwyn School

Ysgol Glan-y-Môr School Ysgol Glan-y-Môr School

More Able and Talented (MAT)

The Super Curriculum at Bryngwyn

Extra-curricular v super-curricular?

Extra-curricular activities are those you take part in outside of the normal school curriculum. You may play a sport or a musical instrument, or you may be part of a club such as Air Cadets.

Super-curricular activities take your learning beyond the classroom. They will develop your interest in subjects in more detail than your teachers will have covered in the classroom or through homework.

Why super-curricular?

Super-curricular activities allow you to develop skills that will help prepare you for university or employment. They will enable you to develop a deeper knowledge of a subject you already have an interest in or allow you to develop an interest in an entirely new topic or subject. It will develop your ability to think critically and creatively!

Today, employers and universities are putting more emphasis on super-curricular activities. The skills you develop will give you an advantage on UCAS and job application forms. This is especially important if you are thinking of applying to a competitive university. Cambridge University website states:

“they can help you make a competitive application, and prepare you for a challenging academic environment, so we strongly recommend them. Super-curricular participation can enhance your personal statement, give you greater confidence in your subject choice, show that you are serious about your area of study, and give you a wealth of ideas to draw upon in discussions if you’re invited to interview.”

What is a super-curricular activity?

Super-curricular activities include reading (books, magazines, journals), listening to podcasts, visiting museums and galleries, entering academic competitions and attending or downloading lectures, as some examples.

The following links take you to the super-curricular pages for Oxford and Cambridge universities:

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/super-curricular-activities

https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/applying-to-univ/explore-your-subject/

On this page you will soon find links to activities and competitions for a variety of subjects. If you are interested in the subject, have a look at the activities you can take part in.

 

Post 16 choices

 

The following link is to the Russell Group Informed Choices page, which helps students think about subjects they may be considering taking at A-Level, and looking at how A-level choices can affect options at university. It may be a useful starting point, whether you know of have no idea what you want to study at university:

 

What you study at sixth form or college can affect your options at university and your future career. Use Informed Choices to help you understand which subjects open up different degrees, particularly at Russell Group universities.

The link below is to the University of Cambridge 'The Subject Matters' post-16 choices booklet, which also explains how A-Level choices can affect options:

Year 10 University Summer School opportunities

Please see link below...

Trinity College, University of Oxford, webinar series - All Year Groups

Trinity College is running a series of webinars from March to July, for students in years 7-13. They will run on a Wednesday afternoon from 4.30-5.30. The link with details of the topics and to sign up is below:
"Our online after-school academic enrichment programme is back for 2025 and will feature a new series of mini lectures, Oxplore taster sessions, academic skills talks and advice about preparing for university study and submitting a competitive application to university and the University of Oxford. A certificate of participation from Trinity College, Oxford, for those attending 7 or more sessions!"

 Oxford University Modern Languages Competition - All Year Groups

It is that time of year again! Oxford University has released the languages competitions. 

I have attached information for those of you interested in languages: French and Spanish are 100 word short story competitions. The German competition has set a task on "Spiel and sport".  It is open to students in years 7-11. First prize is £100 and your piece published on the Oxford Uni blog, runner up prize is £25. The deadline is MIDDAY, 31st March 2024 for the French and Spanish competitions, and 6th March for the German competition.

Have a look at the attached links, and you can see last years winners and runners up as examples.

 If you are under 13 and decide to enter, your parents will need to complete a consent form.

 

Exeter University Essay Competitions

Computer Science competition

computer science advert.pdf

 History competition

history advert.pdf

 

Year 10 Competitions

Socoiolgy

The university has launched its annual sociology competition. Budding photographers are asked to take a photo on the theme of "the sociology of hope" and write a small paragraph explaining the photo. The first prize is £100, and the deadline for entries is the 6th May 2024. The link with all the information and examples from previous years is below. Any questions, see Mrs Stephens in A13

 

https://www.sociology.cam.ac.uk/photo-competition-2024

Film

film 23 24 qr.pdf

 

Philosophy

 

philosophy 23 24 qr.pdf

 Modern Languages competition

 

modern languages advert 2.pdf

 

Year 11 Competitions

 Sociology

The university has launched its annual sociology competition. Budding photographers are asked to take a photo on the theme of "the sociology of hope" and write a small paragraph explaining the photo. The first prize is £100, and the deadline for entries is the 6th May 2024. The link with all the information and examples from previous years is below. Any questions, see Mrs Stephens in A13

 

 

Film

film 23 24 qr 2.pdf

 

Philosophy

 

philosophy 23 24 qr 2.pdf

 Film Making

If you are a budding film maker, St Edmund Hall College, University of Oxford, have launched their annual Big Think Competition.

 

I have attached a link to the information page. You are asked to make a video of no more than 5 mins from a list of topics and questions, in subjects from the sciences to arts and humanities. 

 

The deadline is 1st May.
 

11 Modern Languages competition

modern languages advert 2 3.pdf

 

 Year 11: Interested in Medicine

Newcastle University will be holding a series of 5 on-line sessions in November for any students interested in medicine/medical sciences. They will also be holding an additional 'Applying to med school' session in December.

You do have to be 15 or older to sign up. The link is below:

 

LINK TO WEBSITE HERE    

University Webinars

On Tuesday 1 October, from 5.30 – 6.30pm, Jonathan Padley (Admissions Tutor at Churchill College) and Sandy Mill (Admissions Tutor at Homerton College) will be giving an online webinar on making A Level choices. The webinar will help students to start thinking about applying to competitive for entry universities and how to choose suitable A Level combinations to support this.  The link is:

 

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZjUzZmNiMmQtODc2Yy00NTI1LWEyNDktMTRjNDRkOGZhZWFh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7B%22Tid%22%3A%224f3f0e52-b734-4164-9409-1b601d147993%22%2C%22Oid%22%3A%22701d1b37-9522-4c72-be0b-145ef4ced854%22%2C%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3Atrue%2C%22role%22%3A%22a%22%7D&btype=a&role=a
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