Year 12 Inspire
Year 12 pupils were invited to attend five “twilight” sessions at a local school. Sessions were duplicated, running once in Ealing and once in Harrow. Each session had two parts: the first half of the session focused upon a particular study skill or information, advice and guidance session (for example, “Preparing for University Applications”), the second had an academic taster session, delivered by an academic. Pupils could opt to attend whichever workshop was most relevant to their personal goals.
Timetable
| Session | IAG / Skills Component | Academic Taster Session |
| 1 | Overview of Programme, ice-breakers | The Environment (one interdisciplinary session, delivered by academics in Geography and Mathematics) |
| 2 | Essay-writing / scientific writing | 1 x STEM, 1 x social sciences and 1 x arts / humanities session |
| 3 | Project Update Independent study: conducting research and effective note-taking | 1 x STEM, 1 x social sciences and 1 x arts / humanities session |
| 4 | Project Update Preparing university applications | 1 x STEM, 1 x social sciences and 1 x arts / humanities session |
| 5 | Project Update Effective revision | 1 x STEM, 1 x social sciences and 1 x arts / humanities session |
Residential Summer School
A three-day residential course was offered, giving pupils the opportunity to meet current undergraduate students, university tutors and alumni, as well as offering them plenty of chances to explore a university environment and to sample a lecture, a tutorial and a seminar at a university.
A key facet of the Year 12 strand of the Inspire Programme is the emphasis upon independent learning and research. Having been asked to work on a mini-project throughout the Year 12 academic year, pupils presented this to College tutors and (in a separate session) to parents, carers and / or teachers at the summer school.
Timetable
| Wednesday 1st August | Thursday 2nd August | Friday 3rd August | Saturday 4th August |
| Arrival and Registration – 1:00pm- 2:00pm Welcome Talk – 2:00pm- 2:30pm College Tour – 2:30pm- 3:30pm FREE TIME Dinner in Hall-6:30pm | Lecture in preferred subject area – 10:00am- 11:00am Tutorial – 11:30am- 12:30pm Lunch – 1:00pm- 2:00pm IAG session on components of university applications – 2:00pm- 4:00pm | Tutor feedback: poster session on independent projects – 10:00am-12:00pm Lunch 1:00pm- 2:00pm Alumni Talk Carousel – 2:00pm- 5:00pm 6:30pm-8:30pm – Dinner with alumni | Poster session with parents / carers / teachers – 10:00am-12:00pm 12:00pm-1:00pm – participants’ programme graduation 1:00pm-2:00pm – departure |
Inspire for Teachers, Parents and Carers
At each Year 12 twilight session for pupils, a parallel informal session for parents and carers or teachers was offered, facilitated by a senior member of staff at St John’s College. Parents, carers and / or teachers were also invited to view pupils Poster projects, at the residential summer school.
Year 13 Inspire & Inspire for Teachers
An Applications Information Day was hosted for teachers and Pupils. Year 13 pupils and teachers were invited from non-selective state schools in the College’s link regions of Ealing, Harrow, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. The programme of events is shown below.
Y13 Applications Information Day
- 10.30-11.00 Arrival and Registration
- 11.00-12.30 Understanding Admissions Tests
- 12.30-13.30 Lunch
- 13.30-15.00 Demystifying Interviews
- 15.00-16.00 Tea and cake