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Aspire+

Aspire+ is a supplement to your academic provision, aimed to help equip you with skills in wider academic research, debating and critical thinking. Ultimately, this is to help prepare you for the rigorous admissions processes that are used to gain entry to: Oxbridge; Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Science; competitive courses at Sutton 30 universities. More so than ever before, Universities are expecting you to possess a repertoire of core skills that are not only vital to succeeding at undergraduate level but are essential to creating adaptability in the ever-evolving twenty-first century workplace; therefore, the programme is designed to increase your confidence and develop your abilities as an autonomous scholar.

As part of Aspire+, you will:

  • Study a range of modules including science and nature, philosophy, and popular culture, participate in debates, presentations, and seminars.
  • Have the opportunity to complete the EPQ.
  • Get individualised preparation and support when applying for challenging and competitive university courses, including Oxbridge, Sutton 30 universities, Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Science.
  • Receive additional one-to-one ‘stretch and challenge’ work with your subject teachers.
  • Participate in various access programmes from prestigious universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester.
  • Be given the option to attend organised visits and conferences, including trips to the country’s leading universities.
  • Be able to attend specialised and bespoke talks by guest academic speakers.
  • Have access to academic resources and electronic texts in various university libraries.

If you achieve five or more grade 8/9s at GCSE, you will be eligible to join the Aspire+ programme when it commences in January of your first year. You can also be nominated by your subject teachers or SPDL at the end of the first term.

 

Oxbridge

RSFC has established links with the Oxbridge universities, with staff from both visiting the college. If you are interested in applying to Oxford or Cambridge, not only will you enjoy specialist one-to-one advice on the application process, you will also have the opportunity to visit one, or possibly both, of the universities.

RSFC also participates in the HE+ programme, which allows students to attend taster sessions and visit the University of Cambridge in preparation for future study.

These exciting developments at RSFC are part of the overarching Atom Valley Education Challenge Consortium (AVECC). The consortium aims to build a talent pipeline in Rochdale, addressing the underrepresentation of local students at Oxbridge. In partnership with the Rochdale Development Agency, it also seeks to create career pathways that offer higher incomes for top students, encouraging them to return to the Atom Valley area after university. This will drive innovation in local businesses and support economic growth. The AVECC project is led by Chris Dobbs, who is also the strategic director for Oxbridge progression at RSFC.