The Summer Programme is an academic enrichment course for bright, ambitious students aged 11-17 with a strong level of English. All students take four modules: Critical Thinking, Social Leadership, Creativity and Digital Skills. Each module is a 10-hour course and the variety on offer gives students a taste of what academic life is like at Sevenoaks School. Classes are separated by age, with junior and senior pathways following different case studies and module topics.
CRITICAL THINKING It has never been more important for students to possess the critical skills they need to tell good arguments from bad, to learn how to discriminate between information and propaganda and to be able to balance different perspectives with their own views. This module is designed to teach students about a range of real world political and cultural issues, and to develop the skills of critical interrogation. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, bias, fallacies and‘ Fake News’, while each two-day course ends with a fiery debate.
SOCIAL LEADERSHIP AND ENTERPRISE This module enables students to appreciate the role of social leaders in creating social change. On the first day, we aim to deepen students’ understanding of the world around them through the close examination of different social problems and reflecting upon their impact on particular communities. We examine different paths towards effective social change, assessing and advancing students’ own entrepreneurial skills in the process. On the second day, students have the opportunity to work on a practical challenge in which they apply their leadership abilities to a current social issue which they care deeply about, creating innovative solutions. Students leave empowered with the leadership tools and mindset to enable them to make a positive impact on the lives of others, and create the world they wish to see.
CREATIVITY Too easily, young students can become so immersed in their critical reactions to, and appreciation of creative works that their own creativity can become stifled. Keeping a young person’ s passion for creation and self-expression burning is a key responsibility of a progressive education and is one that we at Sevenoaks School take extremely seriously.
This module encourages students to think about what is meant by‘ creativity’ and delves into its various forms including creative writing, drama, theatrical technology and film. It is a crucial message to learn that a creative approach across the board will be perhaps the most important characteristic to set the next generation of graduates apart from their peers.
DIGITAL SKILLS The ongoing digital revolution has brought us deep and powerful tools and resources to push human knowledge and understanding further forwards. The digital revolution has also brought challenging and disruptive elements which threaten to distract and subvert our assumptions about education and society. Soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and patience are cultured in this challenging module which utilises the world-class technology that we have access to at Sevenoaks School.
This module involves coding, design and robotics while equipping students with the skills they need to develop as independent learners in an ever-changing world.