Gap Year Programme
This programme is suitable for accomplished young people aged 17-20 who are wishing to further explore an area of interest before attending university. The Gap Year programme is run alongside the 2-year programme and students will have the choice of studying any of the extensive array of subjects from the complete College curriculum, as well as taking on an in-depth independent study of their choice. Many of the courses are run as intensive blocks which last 3 - 6 weeks, enabling students to engage deeply with a subject before moving on to something new. The journeys to Lapland and the Sinai are also on offer depending on which is available that year. There is a strong accent on personal development.
Each student is allocated a mentor and this relationship allows for exploration, guidance and support as the learning journey unfolds.
The independent study aspect of the Gap Year will involve each student choosing an area they would like to explore (this can include anything from martial arts to physics, from astronomy to sound recording) and establishing a personal course of study resulting in an end of year public presentation and a portfolio of work.
A further aspect to the Gap Year is to support the student to develop work place skills through on-the-job training. This is to enable the Gap Year student to develop a skills set that they can use in the UK and abroad and that will pay more than the minimum wage. This skills set can help them support themselves through university or training or to be able to fund travelling to other countries. This will be supplemented with life skills such as CV writing, cooking, managing one's personal finances and presenting themselves in interviews. Other options are work placements abroad and opportunities to join international youth networks running work camps and conferences.
In order to meet the entry requirements for the Gap Year programme you will:
1. be between 17-20 years of age
2. be able to present a portfolio of work or show exam results
3. be able to supply a school or college report
4. have personal motivation.
