Pushing The Most Academically Able

The Penrice Scholarship Programme

Penrice offers a prestigious Scholarship Programme for academically high-performing students, running from Years 8 to 10. Launched in 2022, approximately 150 students are currently enroled on this programme having opted to apply, providing a range of additional opportunities to help inspire and push the most capable students.

The Core Programme Structure

Year 8 – The ‘Big Question Society’
Year 8 Scholars attend a series of group talks based on the Oxbridge questioning tool, sparking academic discussion and nurturing curiosity.

Year 9 – Scholarship Lecture Series
In Year 9, scholars enjoy a lecture series run by staff across the school, creating a university-style experience to help students discover their passion and possible future aspirations.

Year 10 – The Higher Project Qualification (HPQ)
The HPQ is an independent study project. This Level 2 qualification is equivalent to half a GCSE and allows students to discover the joys of independent learning, take responsibility for their own study and develop new life and study skills. The qualification is highly coveted by colleges and sixth forms!

Additional Opportunities
In addition to the core programme structure, Penrice Scholars will also benefit from additional experiences. Scholars can attend workshops and seminars with visiting key speakers which have recently included representatives from Cambridge University, Imperial College London and Brighton & Sussex Medical School. Scholarship field trips also occur, such as the recent Cornwall Spaceport experience.

Penrice Scholars visit Cornwall Spaceport

The Future Medics Programme

A bolt-on to the Scholarship Programme and new for September 2024, the Future Medics programme increases awareness of what it takes to study Medicine and Healthcare subjects through fun, inspiring and interactive teaching focused on medicine, health and science.

There are a range of opportunities that provide advice and hands-on experience, including guest speakers, webinars and practical exercises, allowing Penrice students to gain detailed insight into possible future careers in the sector.

A massive thank you to the staff at Peninsula Medical School, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust who have worked with us to get this fantastic programme off the ground. We look forward to seeing the future success it can bring!

The Mandarin Excellence Programme

Penrice Academy is the only school in Cornwall and Devon to offer the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP), an intensive curriculum offering in which settings must have a strong performance in Modern Foreign Languages to be eligible to deliver.

This is an ambitious course designed to push the most academically able, starting in Year 7 and running right through until Year 11. Students who wish to learn the second most spoken language in the world can apply to be a part of the MEP as part of their transition process when joining Penrice. More information can be found via the link below.

The Mandarin Excellence Programme at Penrice