Enrichment Opportunities
Exploring your passions. Serving others. Growing together.
When you join St Paul’s Sixth Form, you become part of a community that believes learning isn’t confined to the classroom. Our enrichment opportunities help you grow in confidence, creativity and character. They help you lead, connect, recharge, and explore what you love.
Whether you’re leading, performing, volunteering, or discovering something new, there’s a place for you to shine, and to make a difference.
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
Why Extra-Curricular Matters
Engaging beyond your courses is central to your development here:
- Balance & wellbeing: Activities away from study help restore energy, clear your mind, and bring joy.
- Skills & confidence: Teamwork, leadership, communication, resilience are built when you take on challenges outside the classroom.
- Belonging & community: You’ll meet new people, share experiences, and feel part of something bigger.
- Stand out: Universities and employers value the students who go beyond the curriculum; who show dedication, passion, and commitment.
Sport & Physical Activities
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
Sport at St Paul’s is about energy, teamwork, and belonging, whether you’re playing competitively or just getting involved for fun. Sixth Form students are encouraged to stay active, take part in clubs and fixtures, and enjoy a healthy balance between study and wellbeing.
If you prefer a more relaxed or social approach, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, from volunteering through the Sports Leaders programme, to helping run college events and mentoring younger students.
Every summer, our Sixth Form Sports Day brings everyone together for a light-hearted morning of fun and friendly competition. Events like skipping races, welly-wanging, and the classic egg and spoon race all contribute points towards the overall house total. It’s one of the most joyful highlights of the year.
Sports Academy
Our Sports Academy gives students the opportunity to train and compete at a professional standard while maintaining academic excellence.
With highly successful teams in football, netball and basketball, students benefit from expert coaching, dedicated training sessions, and fixtures against local colleges. The academy provides its own training and playing kit to strengthen that sense of team identity and belonging.
Whether you’re striving for peak performance, developing leadership skills, or simply staying active, the Sports Academy is a space to grow in confidence, discipline and teamwork which are all great values that extend far beyond the pitch.
I thought about leaving, but I realised no one else would care about me the way St Paul’s does. Here, I’m not starting over, I’m moving forward.
— Student Name
Performing Arts & Music
Performing Arts at St Paul’s is alive with energy, creativity, and collaboration. Every year, our Performing Arts Department stages a large-scale musical production in the Spring Term. Recent shows have included Annie, 9 to 5, Legally Blonde, Beauty and the Beast, Oliver and Sister Act.
Sixth Formers play a leading role both on and off the stage, whether that be performing, joining our live student band, or taking part in the backstage crew that makes the productions come to life. It’s a wonderful opportunity to work alongside younger students, share your skills, and develop leadership and teamwork as positive role models within the College community.
Music is an equally vibrant part of Sixth Form life. The Music Department hosts half-termly concerts for soloists, ensembles, and groups, offering plenty of chances to perform and grow in confidence. Highlights of the year include the Senior Musician of the Year Concert, along with our Winter and Summer Showcase Concerts, where Sixth Formers share their talents with appreciative audiences.
Students also have the chance to take part in overseas music tours, previous trips to Austria and Italy have been unforgettable experiences that combine performance with friendship and travel.
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Through the five sections – skills, volunteering, physical activity, expedition, and residential – you’ll set personal goals, develop resilience, and build lifelong confidence.
You’ll learn to work as part of a team, take initiative, and stay calm under pressure; skills that will stay with you well beyond college.
Completing your Gold Award shows real commitment, determination, and leadership which are all qualities that stand out to universities, apprenticeships, and employers alike.
For many students, DofE becomes one of the most memorable and rewarding parts of their time at St Paul’s: a journey of challenge, growth, and self-discovery.
I thought about leaving, but I realised no one else would care about me the way St Paul’s does. Here, I’m not starting over, I’m moving forward.
— Student Name
Leadership, Service & Volunteering
At St Paul’s, we believe our faith is lived through action. Sixth Form is a time to grow not just academically, but as a leader, a role model, and a person who makes a difference.
All Year 12 students take part in at least 10 hours of voluntary service, giving back to our community and developing valuable skills in the process. You might support younger students with reading, help lead sports sessions, assist backstage or front-of-house during performances, or take part in community partnerships such as our link with the University Hospitals Sussex Trust volunteering department.
Our Senior Prefect Team plays an important part in college life, representing St Paul’s at events, visiting local schools, and helping to lead the College Council.
We also run a pastoral mentoring programme, where Sixth Formers are trained to support younger pupils who need a listening ear, encouragement, or a positive role model. These experiences build confidence, empathy, and leadership; qualities that will stay with you long after Sixth Form.
Guest Speakers & Enrichment Talks
We regularly host speakers covering diverse fields like arts, sciences, business, social justice, enabling you to broaden your horizons, spark ideas, and challenge your thinking.
You arrive as you are, and you’re celebrated for it. You leave ready to take on the world.
— Sixth Form student
Inspired to Teach Programme
If you’re thinking about a future in teaching for primary, secondary, or higher education, the Inspired to Teach Programme is designed for you.
Running alongside your A Level or BTEC courses, this one-year programme offers a blend of seminars, school-based experience, and personal mentoring to help you explore what it means to teach and inspire others.
As part of the Bosco Teaching School Alliance, we work closely with partner schools across West Sussex and Brighton & Hove to give you real insight into classroom life and professional pathways.
- Learn about different routes into teacher training and what makes an outstanding teacher.
- Receive guidance on crafting strong university and apprenticeship applications.
- Take part in mock interviews and develop your confidence as a communicator and leader.
- Complete supported work experience in one of our alliance schools.
- Train in coaching and mentoring to build the skills that future teachers need.
I thought about leaving, but I realised no one else would care about me the way St Paul’s does. Here, I’m not starting over, I’m moving forward.
— Student Name
By the end of the year, you’ll have the experience, insight, and connections to take your next steps towards a rewarding career in education, and the confidence that comes from knowing you’ve already made a difference.
Get Involved in your Sixth Form
Every student is welcome to try something new, and you don’t have to commit forever.
Attend a club, watch a rehearsal, help backstage, or simply attend an event. You’ll find posters, sign-up sheets, and staff ready to help you get started.