The Aspire Programme at Huddersfield New College

The Aspire programme at Huddersfield New College is for those students who have the ability and potential to achieve highly.

This means both gifted students, that is those who have achieved high grades in academic subjects such as maths, science, languages, English, history, geography at GCSE and therefore have the potential to achieve A and A* grades at A level, and talented students, that is those who show a particularly high level of skill in areas such as music, theatre, sport, art, design.

Aspire aims to support these students to achieve their potential.

• Aspire aims to encourage ambition in the students selected to achieve highly in their chosen subjects and to go beyond the limits of their A level study
• The programme provides guidance on which subjects to choose in order to ensure good preparation and choice when applying to the most prestigious universities.
• Students recruited onto the programme are placed in specialist tutor groups where their particular needs can be addressed.
• In these groups students engage in a programme of study skills development in addition to the usual tutorial programme.
• Students in the programme are encouraged to take up the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in year 13. This additional qualification enables students to choose a topic in which they are interested to investigate and engage in research. It is respected by universities because it develops planning, independent learning, research and presentation skills required at university level study. It is equivalent to an AS level subject.
• Aspire also encourages students with academic potential to join the HE+ scheme which is a Cambridge University led initiative to give students the opportunity to participate in subject based sessions which stretch beyond A level to help prepare for study at top universities.
• Aspire students will have the opportunity to visit a range of prestigious universities such as Leeds, York, Sheffield, Newcastle, Oxford and Cambridge to experience university level study and help make choices about applying to university.

Selection onto the programme will depend on high achievement at GCSE or in other areas. That means at least 5 grade As in academic subjects for gifted students. It is also possible though to achieve inclusion onto the programme by achievement at the college, for example at AS. But your own commitment to achieving success is also important