Year 10 students from Atherton High School, Bury Church of England School, Harper Green School, Mount St Joseph School, Sharples School, Smithills School, St James’s C E School, St Joseph's RC Sports College and Westhoughton High School had a fantastic day at Lancaster University celebrating their graduation from The Sixth Form Bolton Future Honours Programme.

The Future Honours Programme is an innovative after school programme that introduces high achieving Year 10 pupils to the fundamental elements of critical thinking they will need for success at GCSE, and beyond. Pupils apply in Year 9, and if selected, are invited to attend The Sixth Form Bolton to experience a range of engaging masterclasses over the course of Year 10 and into Year 11.

Throughout the one-year Future Honours Programme, the students took part in a range of activities, seminars and visits which broadened their horizons, taught them new skills, and helped them to make new friends.

As part of the programme, the students have attended five sessions at The Sixth Form where they have worked in mixed groups with students from other schools. As well as a Debate Night and Employability session, they were also able to choose a subject area or strand that interested them. The strands offered were: Creative Artists, Criminology & the Modern World, Future Engineers, Future Leaders and Marvellous Medics. The students attended two sessions focussed on their chosen strands where they took part in engaging activities related to those subject areas.

In their final session, the Future Honours group visited Lancaster University which gave them the opportunity to enjoy a range of activities. In the morning, they had a campus tour which provided an insight into university life and the benefits of undertaking a degree-level qualification. During the second half of the day, the students enjoyed a study skills session delivered by student ambassadors. They then experienced a graduation ceremony, celebrating their achievements and receiving their completion certificates from a member of Lancaster University staff.

Mark Goodwin: Assistant Principal - Student Experience, felt the programme had been a huge success and said:

“Congratulations to all the students who completed the programme and became our esteemed Future Honours Graduates 2024 – 25. Every student has been a credit to their school, as they have adopted a professional attitude throughout the programme and proved a joy to work with. We look forward to meeting again during the college application process and welcoming you to our Honours cohort.”

Mark Heslop, Future Honours Co-ordinator, was really positive about the Lancaster University trip and said:

“It has been a great year for the Future Honours Programme with many staff at The Sixth Form commenting on how actively engaged the students have been during all sessions. The trip to Lancaster University was a fantastic way to end the year with students gaining an insight into University-level study  before ending the day with their Future Honours graduation ceremony. I hope that the students will continue to grasp similar opportunities as they continue their academic journey.”

The Future Honours Programme will continue next academic year. Find more information here