Supra-Curricular Activities
- Career related workshops and talks – partnerships with Zurich investment, local and UK wide talks from businesses.
- Subject related competitions and activities - annual Game-Making Challenge, MMO Sandbox Programming World, annual Cipher Challenge and the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge.
- Trips - Bletchley Park Museum, Museum of Computing, Science Museum.
- University masterclasses and conferences.
- Discover Bath Programme.
Extended Project Qualification
All students on the Medicine Programme must take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in Year 12. The EPQ is a standalone qualification designed to extend and develop students’ skills in independent research and project management. The EPQ is awarded UCAS points worth half an A-level and is recognised by universities and employers. Some leading universities, such as Southampton University, make alternative offers to students undertaking an EPQ. The EPQ requires students to carry out research on a topic that they have chosen and is not covered by their other qualifications. They then use this research to produce a written report and, in the case of practical projects, an artefact or a production.
Access to Bristol Scheme
As part of this career pathway students will be supported to apply to the Access to Bristol Scheme. The Access to Bristol Scheme is for students taking A-level and BTECs courses. Taking part shows a commitment to further study that will strengthen their application when they apply to university. On completion, they will be guaranteed a contextual offer/interview from Bristol, a top-ten UK University (QS World University Rankings 2020).
Students attend a series of sessions, held at the University on Wednesday afternoons during the autumn or spring term. They will choose to study one subject stream from a selection, representing many of the degree subjects available at Bristol.
Students will get an idea of what it is like to study at the University of Bristol, working with academics and current students who can offer advice and guidance about higher education and their subject area.
Please note: students are NOT guaranteed a place on this scheme, but we will support them with their application and transport them to sessions.
Depending on the course that students are studying, they can elect to apply for one of the schemes below:
Economics
This stream is only open to students currently studying maths. Economics is a social science that can best be described as “the science of choice”. It looks at the trade-offs and incentives faced by individuals, firms and governments – what to buy, where to live/work, what to produce, what to eat, whether to commit crime, who to trade with, how much to invest, whether to tax/regulate – and the consequences of the choices that are made. It offers a toolbox that can help to tackle any social and economic problem, including the major challenges of our time such as climate change, inequality, obesity, ageing and immigration. In this stream we will touch upon some of these themes, using economic reasoning and observation of real-world data to better understand the causes of these challenges, and how we may go about facing them. Past economic sessions have covered very topical issues such as “inequality”, “a market for organs versus donation”, “social and economic networks”, “panic buying”, and a variety of topics relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. These sessions will help demonstrate how students will be able to apply their specialism to challenges that matter.
Management
This stream is only open to students with a 7/A in GCSE Maths. We live and work in a world characterised by rapid change on a global scale. Globalisation, inequality, the digital transformation of work and environmental, economic and social sustainability all involves organisations and managers operating in a global environment. This Management stream will focus on the major challenges and opportunities that face individuals, business, communities, policymakers and society in general in the 21st century. A Management degree is arguably one of the most flexible qualifications making it a good basis for a wide range of careers in private, public, and not-for-profit organisations. This stream gives students the opportunity to explore the sorts of topics they might study as part of an undergraduate degree. The skills students develop during this stream are highly attractive to employers and for future job prospects. The programme is designed for those who are interested in questions such as: What do we mean by management? How and why is the study of management useful? To whom is it useful? What are the impacts and prospects of management on the global challenges facing our society? These questions will be explored through academic rigour with real-world examples and case studies. At the University of Bristol, students can combine this subject with ‘Innovation’, helping them find creative ways to apply your specialism to challenges that matter.
Mathematics
This stream is only open to students studying maths and another maths-related subject (biology; chemistry; computer science; economics; physics). Mathematics is the key to the sciences. It provides many of the tools used in research and management as well as being a powerful means of communicating ideas and solving problems. This stream will offer students an opportunity to develop the skills Bristol University looks for in Mathematics applicants, and also to see how the subject develops as students progress from A-level to university. Each session will contain a mixture of lectures and activities. Lectures will cover areas of general mathematical interest. There will also be considerable student activity. A range of topics are covered that represent the research interests and specialisms of the department, for example, proofs, group theory, cryptography. Students will come away with an overview of what mathematics is like at university level, an understanding of how it differs from other STEM subjects, and knowledge of how to enhance their UCAS application.