Subject-Based Excellence Pathways
Designed to excite your curiosity, deepen your thinking and broaden your knowledge – students have the opportunity to work on more demanding issues and problems. Extension reading is available as a matter of course, and feedback on assignments is tailored to help you understand how to attain the very highest marks.
Excellence@Esher
Sciences: Research projects, competitions, trips and other activities
Each year Esher staff support students to apply for places on science research projects, organised by SATRO (Surrey Science and Technology Regional Organisation). Students are also encouraged to apply for courses such as Headstart and UniQ which take place over the summer and are an excellent introduction to higher education.
Students of the sciences can participate in the UK Mathematics Trust Challenge, Biology Olympiad, Chemistry Cambridge Challenge and Physics Olympiad. Trips are organised for science students to go to Imperial University to attend subject specific talks on issues within the biological sciences or physics. Students have also been taken to CERN by the Physics department, which was very inspiring for budding physicists. There is also the opportunity to get involved in STEM research placements through the Surrey Science and Technology Regional Organisation and the opportunity to undertake a college-based research project to achieve a CREST Gold Award.
Special lunchtime sessions are available for students of maths who are interested in taking the STEP entrance exams for competitive university applications.
The Astronomy club offered by the Physics departments has participants who are particularly enthusiastic and passionate about their hobby.
Suggested Excellence@Esher pathways which are open to all students:
- Natural Sciences Challenge
- Physical Sciences Challenge
- Robotics
- Forensic and Criminal Psychology
Humanities: Essay competitions, trips and other activities
The Philosophy department offers a lively and engaging debating course, which coaches students on verbally articulating abstract and concrete arguments. The most talented and committed debaters are entered for the “Debating Matters” competition. Fans of debating are encouraged by the History department to debate at the Historical Association regional competitions. Politics students also have regular opportunities to hear and question serving MPs.
Students are encouraged to send in their entries for History, Classics, English, Law, Theology and Politics essay writing competitions offered by universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.
The English department has a variety of enrichment activities such as trips to performances (eg, of Hamlet, or Streetcar Named Desire), visiting speakers (such as a British Library talk on Shakespeare) and regular in-house enrichment talks and the popular “Poetry Chat” lunchtime sessions.
Residential trips to Berlin, Brussels and Washington organised by the History and Politics departments are highly popular and effective in bringing the subjects alive.
Suggested Excellence @ Esher pathways which are open to all students:
- Law Pathway
- English Excellence
- Critical Thinking
- Geography Society
- History Society
- Russian for beginners
- Debating Society
- Model United Nations
- Poetry Society
Creative Arts: visits and performances
Please visit our Creative Excellence section
Sports Teams and Leadership
Please visit our Roll of Sporting Excellence (ROSE) Programme