Anyone interested in acquiring or developing programming skills is welcome to join this club. Concentrating mainly on Visual Basic, pupils have the opportunity to learn new programming techniques and to develop their own programs.

There are opportunities to explore different aspects of programming, such as animation or database programming, and students can work on their own or jointly with others on group project work. Books, worksheets and an experienced teacher are there to help.

There are plans to introduce an annual Programming Competition. Each year the brief will be different and there will be a prize for the winning entry judged in terms of functionality and quality of coding.

Both before and after selecting GCSE or AS/A2 subject options, students can attend Design Technology as part of the College's Activity Programme. There are many afternoon sessions on most days of the week from which students can choose the start of each term. The sessions are normally an hour long.

Design Technology is housed in a superbly resourced and spacious building with an open plan and vaulted ceiling. There are zoned areas for working with wood, plastics and metals, as well as a "hot-metals" area with forge, foundry and brazing hearths.

In the main area there are multi-purpose benches and a generous supply of power tools, including two centre lathes, a CNC industrial milling machine, a bandsaw, two pillar drills, two wood turning lathes, a belt sander, a plastics forming centre and Hegner jigsaws.

Leading off of this main workshop is a smaller project workshop, equally well-equipped with a CNC router (Educam) and CNC lathe (currently being refurbished), a pillar drill, disk sander, vacuum forming machine and flat bed cutter and two further jigsaws.

Alongside the project workshop is the Lower Design Studio. Recently refurbished, it has 10 PCs with the latest versions of software in use, including CorelDraw and Solidworks, as well as the standard Office suite of applications. This area can be used for design and planning work.

Students can work in most resistant materials on projects of their own choice in consultation with the teacher taking the activity. Our highly experienced technician is also on hand to offer help and advice.

Students often work on a single project as part of a team. Those undertaken recently include:

• Furniture and Storage units

• Go-Karts

• Electronics

• Speaker Units

• Silversmithing and Jewellery

• Electric Scooters

• Chess Boards and Games Tables

Teacher in Charge: Beth Day. Email: B-Day@epsomcollege.org.uk

This rewarding activity aims to give pupils basic, lifelong skills in designing and making their own garments. No prior knowledge of the subject is needed, just imagination and the desire to have fun.

Open to all pupils regardless of experience and ability, both boys and girls start with basic articles, such as beanbags and cushion covers, to establish good cutting and sewing machine skills.

After acquiring a grounding in the basics, pupils progress to a free choice of projects and fabrics, eg designing and making dresses (evening and summer), skirts, pyjamas, teddies and much more, adapting commercial patterns and customising and mending old clothes. Pupils can also opt to do knitting, tie-dye, fabric painting and bead work.

All M4 pupils take a short course as part of the Creative Arts Carousel, making contemporary items, such as iPod/iPhone covers, desk tidies, ski hats and slippers/boots, and carrying out T-shirt transfer printing.

Support is also available to 6th form students for design and textile-related Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs).

Subscriptions to Vogue and InStyle magazines keep the group up to date with current design trends and innovations.

This popular activity is enjoyed by a large number of pupils, who gain a sense of achievement from their work and return term after term, year after year, to explore new projects. 

Master in Charge: Nick Payne. Email: N-Payne@epsomcollege.org.uk  

The College Fish Keeping Club meets once a week during activity time and provides students with an opportunity to learn something about the science of aquarium maintenance.

Keeping a marine aquarium in tip top condition is essential for the health of the fish and science plays a large part in good maintenance. At Epsom College, computer-controlled pH levels maintain the correct acidic/alkaline balance and the tank is kept at a constant temperature of 27°C. An ultra-violet sterilising system is used to keep the tank free of pathogens and a sophisticated lighting system is controlled by an automatic timer. Although the water in the aquarium is constantly filtered, 10 gallons are removed and replaced every two weeks with a solution of distilled water and salt.

Head Gardener: Mike Day. Email: M-Day@epsomcollege.org.uk

This new activity is open to all age groups. It runs on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2.15 to 3.45pm and is designed to introduce pupils to the fundamentals of landscape architecture, design and horticulture.

Pupils have the chance to work individually, or in small teams, to design a section of garden and work on it from concept to completion. They learn about hard landscaping, building methods, plants, trees and shrubs and their suitability for their environment. Routine maintenance will fall alongside the exciting part of developing a sustainable landscape.

Students will have the chance to explore developing a sensory garden and a public space. A key element of this activity will also be designing, planning, installing and maintaining an organic fruit and vegetable garden. An interest in doing "something different" is the only pre-requisite qualification needed!

Master in charge: Chris Davies. Email: cjd@epsomcollege.org.uk 

Tech Club is the new Tuesday/Thursday activity for people who are interested in everything "high tech".

The extra curricular department has combined the programming and robotics clubs, together with the electronics, web design and movie making activities, to create a single, new, exciting club. Pupils can pursue the activities that interest them most.

The club runs from 4-6pm twice a week, but pupils can sign up for a single hour if they wish.

Head of Young Cooperative: Helen Hynd. Email: hhh@epsomcollege.org.uk

The Young Cooperative Society was established as a way for pupils to engage with ethical consumerism. Members are expected to trade their way to a profit, but are restricted to using Fairtrade products.

Many of the Society's ventures are in competition with Young Enterprise companies, which are frequently able to undercut the Young Cooperative group. Competition is also faced from the school's Charity Committee. The Society aims not only to sell its ethical wares, but also hopes to raise the profile of Fairtrade within the school and encourage pupils to think about how food is produced.

Enterprises include selling roses for Valentine's Day and candy canes at Christmas. The Society also took part in a world record attempt by arranging to send footprints to the Landirani Trust, which gathered the prints into the largest footprint made from children's feet.
Last year, the Young Cooperative Society raised over £800, which was used by the Landirani Trust to help orphans in Malawi to "walk out of poverty." The funds were used to buy animals such as cows and items like mosquito nets.

A popular additional qualification in the L6th

An opportunity to participate in running a business

Valuable skills learnt in communication, managing time and working with others

Introduction

Young Enterprise is a national education charity founded in1963 to forge links between schools and industry. Its mission is to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise.

Those who have been in the school for a number of years will be familiar with the scheme and may have purchased YE products such as College rugby balls, ‘hoodies,' play programmes, pashminas or attended events such as the Junior Dance.

YE presents pupils with a unique opportunity to set up and run a company in the L6th year.

Entry requirements

Young Enterprise companies need individuals with ideas, enthusiasm, initiative and commitment.

The selection process

There are 24 places in the two companies that operate, but as the scheme has been very popular in the past it is necessary to adopt a selection process:

• The first stage involves completing an application form.
• If your application is successful you are called for an interview and a reference will be taken up.
• The interviews are held in the second week of the Michaelmas term and successful candidates will form the companies.

Further information and an application form are sent out to pupils in the summer term at the end of the GCSE exams.

Course outline

In the YE scheme pupils work together as a company and will have the power to make all the decisions associated with its running, including marketing, production and financial management.

Pupils will also be responsible for paying YE VAT and taxes and the company can decide on how any profits will be shared or allocated.

Staff from the Economics and Business Studies Department will oversee the two companies. A YE Link Advisor from the commercial sector and a Link Teacher from Epsom College will assist each company. The activity takes up two teaching periods per week. YE is also included in the activity programme and one session will be included in a pupil's activity programme. Work is also undertaken outside of these times.

There are regional and national competitions that pupils can enter.

The scheme involves 2 exams undertaken in March and the qualification gained is equivalent to a GNVQ Level 2 qualification.

Higher Education and Careers

Pupils enter this qualification on their UCAS application and employers recognise this qualification.

Subject Combinations

Pupils in the past in the YE companies have studied a range of A levels. Pupils who undertake Business Studies A level will be able to bring their Finance subject knowledge to the sessions.