Leadership & Skills Development Opportunities

Leadership and Skills Development Opportunities in the Sixth Form at ICHS

 

National Citizenship Service

In year 12, all our pupils take part in the NCS programme which consists of three phases. The programme is integrated in our school calendar and offers our pupils –

  • Aspirational opportunities: Students will experience success in different environments and realise their potential through pushing themselves to take on new challenges.

  • Community engagement: By delivering a Social Action Project, students will discover that they have the power to make a difference in their local community. 
  • Membership to a graduate network: NCS provides access to apprenticeships and work experience at extremely prestigious companies, amongst other opportunities. ·
  • Skills development: The programme helps students pick up many of the skills and competencies employers are looking for.
  • Excellent evidence on a UCAS statement or a CV: NCS helps them prove their ability to go above and beyond and challenge themselves. Writing about experiences gained on the NCS programme is recommended by UCAS.
  • For more information about the National Citizenship Service see  https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/take-part/national-citizen-service

 

Student Leadership Positions –

Students have the opportunity to apply for the following leadership positions within school –

  • Charity and Enrichment Captain
  • Language Captain
  • Form Captain
  • Deputy form captain
  • School Councillor - our School Councillors meet with the Redbridge Mental Health Support Team regularly to support with getting their peers voices heard beyond school and tackle pupil well-being.

 

Faith Ambassadors –

The Ambassadors of Faith and Belief (AFaB) scheme gives students the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills by attending training workshops and then visiting our local primary schools to deliver presentations on their faith or belief system.

 

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme –

Students have the opportunity to work for the prestigious Gold or Silver Duke of Edinburgh award whilst in the sixth form at Ilford County High School. This will enable them to hone their leadership skills as well as developing a range of other competencies and interests.

For more information about the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme see https://www.dofe.org/

 

Links with Universities – 

University admissions talks and visits – e.g. Oxford University.

Our partnership with Queen Mary University London enables our Year 12 and Year 13 pupils the chance to visit the university and attend talks within different specialisms. This offers them the ability to explore different degrees and pathways for the future whilst also supplementing their A-Level subjects with A04 knowledge they obtain from these lectures. we also have access to academic support and tutoring from undergrads at the university for any A Level subject.

Insight Outreach – eligible students have the opportunity to apply for Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme. For more information about Insight Outreach see https://insightoutreach.org/

 

Alumni visits and talks-

We have a large network of alumni in subjects ranging from finance, engineering, economics, medicine, dentistry and law, who provide opportunities for students to get inside information to secure university places in their chosen subjects and to succeed after graduation in the real world.

 

Apprenticeship events –

In collaboration with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6, sixth formers are offered Apprenticeship events. The organisations visit and provide further insight into the Intelligence Agencies. The Recruitment Team discuss how pupils can obtain skills to get into these programmes and support with application processes.

We offer our pupils the opportunity to partake in the BBCs Technology Apprenticeship schemes as part of our ongoing partnership with the BBC

 

Young Reporter Scheme –

Young Reporter in conjunction with Newsquest Media Group, run an exciting extra-curricular opportunity for students allowing them to experience what it is like to work for a real live newspaper. It is a fantastic experience for students to put on their CVs and it can be run alongside Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Throughout the scheme, students can apply to cover some exciting events, interviews, theatre reviews, large attractions and other opportunities.  For more information about the Young Reporter Scheme see https://www.youngreporter.co.uk/

 

Nuffield Research Placements –

Our sixth formers are offered the opportunity to partake in Nuffield Research Placements. Thus, enables them to develop research and quantitative skills on a short project which enhances their university applications and future employment opportunities. For more information see https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/students-teachers/nuffield-research-placements

 

Fantasy Wings Programme –

Year 12 and Year 13s are introduced to the Fantasy Wings Programme. The Aviation development programme provides young people with a crucial understanding of the skills needed to become professional pilots and all about the world of Aviation, from Engineering to Aviation Leadership. At ICHS, we cover our pupil’s registration fees supporting them with this fantastic opportunity to receive the cost of training for their 45-hour Private Pilot License and the exam for their Private Pilot License. For more information see https://fantasywings.co.uk/

 

Wings of Hope Association Award -

We offer our pupils a chance to partake in The Wings of Hope Association Award. Our pupils learn exceptional important lifelong skills such as communication, teamwork, entrepreneurship, leadership, finance and above all time management. In teams of up to 6, they organise fundraising projects over a period of 6-12 weeks. During this time, they are mentored and helped with their projects with mature international students from London Business School. Wings of Hope also host workshops on various topics like CV writing/ Interview skills, learning computer coding (SQL) and many more. The pupils end the programme in the Summer Term with an invite to the Houses of Parliament. For more information about Wings of Hope see https://thewingsofhope.org/

 

InvestIN –

Our continuing partnership with InvestIN at KS5 means pupils can take advantage of the workshops and career insight events. For more information about InvestIN see https://investin.org

 

Team Up –

Our partnership with Team Up means we offer our sixth formers the chance to take advantage of the following benefits whilst tutoring disadvantaged pupils: - Career guidance, skills training and exclusive events - Volunteering experience to add to UCAS applications & CVs - An accredited leadership qualification to add to UCAS applications & CVs - A personal reference for applications to jobs or further study. For more information about Team Up see https://teamup.org.uk/

 

Trips and visits –

Sixth formers are invited to a wide range of trips such as the Supreme Court to allow them to explore the different avenues and obtain experience in different fields.

 

The Sports Leadership Award Level 3 -

The Sports Leadership Award Level 3 is offered to our sixth formers supporting them with enrichment opportunities whilst giving them the chance to add additional qualifications to their applications and CVs. For more information about the Sports Leaders see https://www.sportsleaders.org/