The co-curricular programme at Nexus is second to none. There is a wealth of co-curricular activities on offer on Tuesday to Thursday.
Co-curricular Mission Statement
The enriching co-curricular programme at Nexus complements learning in the academic curriculum to provide each student with a skillset that will support them in their future.
A key priority of the Nexus co-curricular programme is to light the fuse of enquiring young minds: to encourage curiosity, to push our students beyond their comfort zones and to encourage our gifted young students to embrace learning beyond the curriculum.
A combination of academic and co-curricular learning increases the willingness to take risks, develops social interaction, boosts confidence and enhances the development of leadership skills. Providing these opportunities enables the students to face new challenges in an environment where risk-taking is encouraged and supported. It will prepare them for higher education and the world of work. The students can learn to work in teams and take initiative. This will help to produce well-rounded individuals who believe in themselves, who take responsibility for their actions, who are well organised and who are pro-active and persistent.
Why is the co-curricular programme so important?
At Nexus, we ensure our students are drawn into investigation and enquiry beyond the confines of the various examination specifications. They develop their skills and thinking in ways which give them the fullest advantage at university, and the resilience and flexibility to make the most of the opportunities that come their way.
Our co-curricular programme plays a central part in this. The opportunity to engage in an extraordinary range of trips, expeditions and activities allows pupils to develop their self-awareness, skills and competence in all sorts of ways and contributes significantly to the rounded individuals they become.
Nexus Co-curricular Programme
Academic Lectures
Students have the option to attend Academic Lectures on Monday evenings. This amazing experience will give students the opportunity to listen, broaden their knowledge and ask questions to Academic Lecturers from a variety of different fields.
Foundation Co-curricular Programme
The co-curricular programme is broken down into two levels. The foundation programme is for Years 7 and 8. The advanced programme is for Years 9 and 10.
The foundation co-curricular programme places equal emphasis on STEM, Nexus Liberal Arts and Enrichment. The aim of the programme is to encourage students to become well-rounded individuals who enjoy learning beyond the curriculum and who recognise the value of broadening their understanding beyond their natural interests. The programme aims to enthuse and pique student curiosity in areas of learning that they may not have previously considered. Becoming an accomplished and high achieving student requires a love for learning, a breadth of experiences and a wealth of knowledge; the foundation co-curricular programme is therefore an essential aspect of the Year 7 and 8 Nexus Gifted Programme.
There are three foundation co-curricular classes each week:
Tuesday evening – Enrichment clubs: Students participate in one enrichment club per term. Some of the clubs offered include Chess Club, Dungeons and Dragons and Science club.
Wednesday and Thursday evening – Nexus Liberal Arts and STEM co-curricular classes: These classes are delivered each semester. There are four semesters over the course of the year. Some of the classes offered include Young Curators of Forgotten History, Camborne Crescendo, Journalism, CAD design and 3D printing, Robotics and Practical Mathematics Through Time.
Advanced Co-Curricular Programme
The advanced co-curricular programme is designed for Years 9 and 10. In the advanced co-curricular programme equal emphasis is placed on STEM, Nexus Liberal Arts, Research and Enrichment.
Within the advanced programme, our priority continues to be to encourage students to become well-rounded individuals who enjoy learning beyond the curriculum and who recognise the value of broadening their understanding beyond their natural interests. Furthermore, becoming an accomplished and high-achieving student requires a love for independent learning, an understanding for the value of research and the ability to fluently communicate in the written word. This is why we have an established research culture within the Nexus Gifted Programme and why we are including research in the Year 9 Co-Curricular programme.
Year 9 and 10 Advanced programme Details include:
Tuesday evening – Enrichment clubs: Students have the choice to participate in a range of enrichment clubs on a Tuesday evening including Duke of Edinburgh, French and Cadets.
Wednesday evening – Nexus Liberal Arts and STEM co-curricular classes: These classes are delivered each semester. There are four semesters over the course of the year. The programme has been designed to be intellectually challenging. Students can expect to see glimpses of university style learning, seminar style discussions and will be able to submerge themselves in more narrow fields of study (similar to university modules). Students should expect to feel challenged in ways that they may not have experienced previously and will hopefully have some fun along the way! Some of the classes offered in the advanced programme include Advanced Engineering and Robotics, Forensic Science, Pygame, International Relations, Law and Latin.
Thursday evening – Research Project for Year 9: Students will learn the skills needed to undertake research into an area of academia of their choice and will learn how to write a degree style paper. Students are able to choose between a STEM and Nexus Liberal Arts stream. The best final projects will feature in the new Nexus Journal that is being launched this academic year. The HPQ qualification is also available for the best projects. The very best project will feature in a national academic journal.
Thursday evening – Further Maths or Independent Study for Year 10: Further Maths is a standalone GCSE level qualification with exams being taken at the end of Year 11. It provides an opportunity to bridge the gap between GCSE and A-Level. In Year 10 students will learn about calculus, advanced coordinate geometry and matrices alongside extensions of their current GCSE work. Students aiming for a grade 8 or 9 at GCSE will gain most from this course as it places an emphasis on higher order technical proficiency, rigorous argument and problem solving skills. Alternatively, silent study will provide students with time to complete their homework and to revise independently.