Our Life of Learning Programme forms the foundation of our academic ethos. In addition to specialist provision for our Academic Scholars, it incorporates broader cultural and intellectual initiatives such as Electives, Quadrivum & Trivium, Debating, Lectures and Voluntaries and complements the main strands of our co-curricular activity.
Trivium and Quadrivium are the brainchild of Oundle teaching staff. They are bespoke courses, created purely to stimulate and inspire Oundelians beyond the examined curriculum.
Trivium is a timetabled Third Form (Year 9) programme with no syllabus and no prescribed content. It is a course based on ‘interestingness’. The brief is to educate; to introduce pupils to ideas and culture, to sow seeds and to broaden the educational experience. Pupils study one of ten different course per term with examples including: the music of protest movements; the history of the Olympic games; identity; mindfulness; Chinese architecture; surrealist art; Italian cinema and AI.
Scholars play a central role in the academic ambition of the pupil body and our bespoke Scholars programme encourages pupils to apply knowledge and solve problems with an independence of thought that comes with a willingness to take risks and get things wrong. At the core of our offering for Scholars is Conversaz for Third Form and Colloquium for Fourth Form upwards. The aim is to present pupils with thought-provoking aspects of their timetabled subjects that they have not seen before. Augmented with trips to theatres, museums and external lecture, pupils explore a delicate balance of subjects across STEM and the liberal arts. The programme develops as Scholars move up through the School, as does the responsibility for leading the sessions. The Upper Sixth largely run their own Colloquium, presenting for 15 – 20 minutes each on a theme of their choice, often closely linked to their university application before taking questions from the floor.
“Being a Scholar means we get to sink our teeth into so much. I love Biology so to hear from someone who is doing a PhD in Biomaterials at Cambridge is just amazing. It really validates your efforts, having people recognise your work and then providing you with little channels to go down and specialist opportunities to explore.”
“You are given so many opportunities at Oundle and especially as a Scholar. If you make the most of them, you will just fly. it’s a very positive atmosphere and there is a very close relationship between scholars when it comes to stretching each other.”
“Being a Scholar has made me more conscious of being a role model to those around me and I have learnt so much from being around other Scholars. Being given so many opportunities to work with professionals has also made a huge difference.”
These are sessions on Tuesday afternoons where all pupils are welcome to visit any subject department for specialised support to extend or clarify their understanding, or to review work in progress.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a highly regarded formal qualification involving pupils undertaking a self-directed research project. It potentially earns pupils up to half an A Level worth of UCAS points and allows them to explore a topic of specific interest to them. In contrast, Quadrivium is a broader, non-assessed course for pupils wishing to expand the scope of their learning more broadly. Both develop valuable academic and transferable skills providing a valuable preparation for university and beyond.
We offer our Scholars more because they give more and they need more. We look to them as our academic leaders; to inspire in others a sense of what is possible. That being said, pupils who have not been awarded entrance scholarships are regularly nominated by their Tutors to attend sessions that appeal to their academic interests. As they progress through School, pupils are invited to become permanent members of the Colloquium Scholarship groups based on outstanding performance and clear evidence of wide-ranging intellectual curiosity or an unusual talent in a particular area.
Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School
These are sessions on Tuesday afternoons where all pupils are welcome to visit any subject department for specialised support to extend or clarify their understanding, or to review work in progress.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a highly regarded formal qualification involving pupils undertaking a self-directed research project. It potentially earns pupils up to half an A Level worth of UCAS points and allows them to explore a topic of specific interest to them. In contrast, Quadrivium is a broader, non-assessed course for pupils wishing to expand the scope of their learning more broadly. Both develop valuable academic and transferable skills providing a valuable preparation for university and beyond.
We offer our Scholars more because they give more and they need more. We look to them as our academic leaders; to inspire in others a sense of what is possible. That being said, pupils who have not been awarded entrance scholarships are regularly nominated by their Tutors to attend sessions that appeal to their academic interests. As they progress through School, pupils are invited to become permanent members of the Colloquium Scholarship groups based on outstanding performance and clear evidence of wide-ranging intellectual curiosity or an unusual talent in a particular area.
Oundle offers a vast range of societies which usually take place on weekday evenings. Many are related to academic subjects and are usually department led, split into junior and senior levels to ensure they are targeted appropriately. External speakers are a key strand of societies, as well as the encouragement of pupils to prepare and present their own research.
Non-department led societies usually focus on general interest or campaigns and are often pupil led or initiated. These include Amnesty International, the Environment and a Mediation and Chat Lounge.
Debating experience is offered to all age groups and levels of expertise from First through to Sixth Form. It trains pupils to hone their critical thinking and to respond flexibly, articulately, and persuasively; to listen carefully, and to view questions from a variety of standpoints.
Pupils enjoy internal competitions such Junior and Senior inter-house debating, parliamentary and outreach balloon debates as well as prestigious external challenges, such as the Model UN and the Oxford and Cambridge union debates. Debating, Public Speaking Societies and Balloon Debates engage pupils across all year groups.
A programme of Assemblies invites teaching staff to talk about their passions and interests in such a way as to inspire each year group and give them a taste of the cultural and intellectual riches available to them if they explore widely with an open mind.
Talks offer plenty for the liberal arts and science fraternities alike, while sessions on the need for scepticism and a refusal to accept received wisdom, aim to give the pupils the tools they need to adapt their learning to the modern world.
50+ Electives are offered across the Michaelmas and Lent Terms to pupils in the First to Fourth Form. Most take place on Thursday afternoons, with some societies also coming under the Electives umbrella. Electives are not necessarily academic but offer pupils the chance to have a bit of fun, spend time with a different group of people and broaden horizons by exploring artistic, literary, cultural or sporting activities.
Academic-focused Electives examples include UK Linguistics Olympiad, UK Maths Challenge extra, Writing for Film, Television and Radio, Programming, Book Club, Dissection, Astronomy and History of Art.
Given by eminent guests on a wide range of topics, the lecture series is aimed at introducing pupils to different perspectives, new ideas and information, and stories of extraordinary experiences. Previous lectures have covered space missions, supersonic cars, sports journalism, science and suffrage and North Korea.
Group discussion follows each lecture and members of the public are welcome to attend.
Oundelians are encouraged to take part in internal and national academic competitions. Winning essays from the internal Science Essay Prize are published annually while scientific Olympiads often yield a plethora of medals. This year two pupils qualified for round 2 of British Physics Olympiad Challenge, a significant achievement. Pupils regularly enter national essay competitions such as the John Locke Essay Competition based at Oxford and Princeton Universities.
