Sixth Form Academic Enrichment

All of our Year 12 pupils take part in academic enrichment lessons as part of their curriculum. Our pupils are spending one lesson every week away from their examination subjects, learning about areas not on their A Level specifications.

Our aim is to broaden and deepen their intellectual experience and to get our Sixth Formers valuing different areas of learning they might not have known much about, or thought about, before. We are hoping that this will make them more informed and rounded students, thinkers, university and job applicants and people.

Many Chigwell students also take the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), for which work is usually undertaken between Christmas in Year 12 and the same point in Year 13, supported by a teacher acting as their academic mentor. The EPQ is equivalent to half an A Level. It is valued by many universities as a piece of independent research culminating in a presentation and dissertation-style essay which lays the groundwork for the more autonomous demands of an undergraduate course.

Mr Simon Coppell, Head of Sixth Form

The Williams Project is Chigwell School’s academic enrichment programme, named in honour of Sir Bernard Williams – one of Britain’s foremost twentieth-century philosophers and an Old Chigwellian. The programme challenges pupils to think expansively, make connections across disciplines, and engage with ideas that reach far beyond the classroom.

Each half-term, we welcome a distinguished visiting speaker to deliver a lecture or workshop that opens new intellectual territory. These sessions encourage pupils to explore complex questions, encounter pioneering research, and develop confidence in articulating their own ideas.

Events are hosted in a range of venues across the school – including the Sixth Form Centre, the library, larger halls and, where appropriate, online – ensuring accessibility for our whole community. Pupils from all year groups are invited to attend, and many talks are open to parents, alumni, and friends of the school, fostering a vibrant culture of shared academic curiosity.

We welcome contributions from academics, researchers, writers, creative practitioners, and industry experts. By sharing their expertise, visiting speakers play a vital role in inspiring our pupils and encouraging them to think boldly, critically, and imaginatively about the world.

The Pilot is a magazine which features a variety of academic work and art across a broad range of interests from our talented senior school pupils.