Able and Ambitious
The Cowplain School provides a comprehensive programme for able students and those who are ambitious to succeed.
Numerous activities take place throughout the year, including academic sessions at the University of Oxford, guest speakers from the University of Cambridge, the Able and Ambitious Residential and study skills sessions.
Each department hosts a series of challenging Masterclasses to stretch students academically, develop enquiry and teamwork skills and to encourage the joy of learning.
We have an excellent relationship with the University of Portsmouth, taking part in a wide range of events including the Summer Residential, Higher Education Taster Days and workshops in Cosmology, Psychology, Maths and Technology. The University delivers assemblies and Science and Maths roadshows in school, including the exciting Astrodome. Our students make up a high proportion of those attending the University’s holiday activities.
Honours Programme
As part of our extended curriculum we offer an ‘Honours’ programme to all our students.
This takes the form of a series of after school workshops for students who are achieving highly and have proved themselves inquisitive learners.
The programme offers students the opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge that are not part of their GCSEs, and therefore to help them become adaptable and confident learners. Students can also use this time to experience subjects that they might want to study in the future but have never had the chance of experiencing in their usual lessons. For example, our students benefit from learning about team building, photography, hair and beauty, fundamentals of finance and learning how to open a business.
In 2022, the Honours programme will start on the 28th of February and will run for the remainder of the academic year, before resuming in September with new activities.