WG6 Student Correspondent Blog
“Hi, my name is Ruby Kaufman the student correspondent for WG6. I am an aspiring journalist working with the school blog to advocate for the student voices within the sixth form and to share my own personal experiences. I encourage all students to put forward their own ideas that they would like to see in the School Blog and I commit to making them possible! “
Why electives?
The Wednesday afternoon off was always enticing when the Electives Program was introduced, however as I began to learn more, the opportunity became even sweeter.
The electives span four categories encompassing academics, sports, community and personal development and they range from university cooking to German for beginners.
For my first elective in Year 12, when I was unsure and went with the WG6 newspaper knowing that I had a passion for writing and wanted to jump on the early train to build experience. Many of my friends were confused and didn’t know what to pick, which resulted in a random selection, but we all look back and are grateful to the memories the program gave us. Winning the smarties Easter bunny in race around the world, publishing the WG6 newspaper with my name under editor and watching hilarious batting in rounders were the highlights of my Year 12 electives experience.
I was so nervous when arriving at my first elective (the WG6 newspaper) worried that I was alone and didn’t know anybody. However, I was easily comforted by welcoming faces unified by the same concerns. I quickly made friends and even chose to become the editor, taking on more responsibility and helping others with their articles. From the first week as strangers to then becoming a collective group working alongside each other to produce a cohesive newspaper taught me about how the Elective Program was worthwhile.
The Elective Program provides you with independence, freedom to enhance your extracurricular activities and to cross paths with people who you would not encounter usually. I made meaningful friendships outside of my lessons and these continued to flourish throughout the year and remain today, a year on.
From the confidence developed from my 1st elective, I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and choose rounders for my second elective. Whilst I was not great at the sport, I enjoyed the teamwork aspect and the slight competitiveness. Playing outside in the sun, on a Wednesday afternoon with my friends was a great way to de-compress from the pressures of school. I thoroughly enjoyed my Year 12 electives, and believe it was truly a stand-out of the year. I recommend taking this into consideration when looking at applying to WG6 sixth form as it is a unique opportunity for students to have.
Electives change slightly in Year 13 and allow for students to complete them anytime and anywhere! This allows for even further freedoms with a larger variety of choices. Electives work around you as a student and fit into your own busy schedule. For example, this year I have decided to pick writing my own blog, which has allowed me to begin building a portfolio for university and ensure that I pursue something that I love to do and not become overwhelmed by the demands of Year 13.
Our Electives Programme options can be viewed here Courses – Wilmington Grammar Sixth Form (wg6.co.uk)
Thank you for reading!
Ruby Kaufman, your student voice at WG6.