Socrates Programme - Sydenham High School

Socrates Programme

Socrates Programme

Socrates Programme

Every school should have a Socrates programme or something similar. The idea of allowing pupils to develop key learning skills through whatever interests them most lies at the heart of a modern, relevant approach to developing a life-long love of learning. Nothing matters more. Bravo to the educators at Sydenham High.

– Christopher Lloyd, author, lecturer and CEO, What on Earth Publishing

Socrates Programme 2023-24
Socrates Programme 2022-23

What our pupils say…

  • Imogen, Year 10

    I was lucky enough to be part of the Socrates project from year seven to year nine. In year seven, I was eager to get started and was very interested when the opportunity of Socrates arose. I loved that I could do anything I wanted, and the project focused on finding out the origin of my house and links in my family which was something I was eager to find out. At first, I felt overwhelmed with this new responsibility, however, there was plenty of support from my mentor at the time and all the teachers involved. For the second year, I made a project on the impact of COVID 19 and most recently, I did an environmental project in my garden. 

    Throughout this experience, I learnt many skills and lessons. The most important being to not give up and to listen to the advice of others because without the people who were crucial to the outcome of my project, I would not have been able to finish it. My organisational skills were definitely needed! The lectures also really helped spark interest and inspiration. Hearing everyone’s advice and stories were so helpful and moving.

    I would recommend the programme to everyone as it is so rewarding when you finally finish!

  • Megan, Year 10

    During the three years I took part in the Socrates Programme, I learned so much about the world around me, outside of school and inside school, not only through the incredibly interesting and fun lectures from various inspirational people, but also from my mentors guiding me through. Not only did Socrates allow me to explore interests I already had, but it developed my skills to be more fit for the future, for my life outside of school. I learnt how to manage stress, how to manage my time effectively to complete all tasks, but also how to turn a fun hobby into something more meaningful as well as enjoyable. In lectures, I learned about people’s real experiences, but also about fun and interesting jobs I may consider taking up. My favourite lecture was probably one we had about bees, as I love bees and I thought it was very interesting to learn about them in more depth, along with a small jewellery business talk we had. Through Socrates I achieved so much, I created three great in-depth projects reflecting my different interests every year, my personal favourite being my year nine piece about video games and mental health due to the fact I got to educate many parents about how to control their children’s gaming time and how that will affect the child. Overall, I believe Socrates is a great learning opportunity for anyone who wants to get a head start on their future and learn how to manage future stress, which I believe everyone should aim to do!

  • Ruby, Mentor

    From taking part in KS3 to mentoring a younger student when I was in Year 12, the Socrates Programme has taught me vital skills in research and development of ideas. Participating in the Programme allowed me to learn about topics that I was curious about but did not have the ability to fully explore in lessons and it also helped me discover my passion for sustainability in Science. Having the opportunity to mentor a student with their own project was extremely rewarding as it was wonderful to see their progress and improvement throughout the project with my guidance. I would highly recommend older students take the opportunity to mentor as it builds confidence in leadership and improves your communication skills whilst also helping another student. Overall, the Socrates Programme has helped guide me towards my future career and also given me the chance to build a connection with younger students and positively impact their school lives.

     

  • Leah, Mentor

    As a mentor in the Socrates programme I helped my mentees identify and explore their initial thoughts and ideas, before they narrowed these down and each chose their final project to pursue. I supported and encouraged both my mentees throughout this process, providing advice and suggestions to develop their work further. I found it rewarding to watch them grow in confidence and take control of their work. It was important for me to listen, let them lead, and only help when required. I learnt how to facilitate and give constructive feedback.I found this to be a valuable experience and a good opportunity to form relationships with younger students and gain mentoring skills that will prove helpful in the future.

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