The Sirius group is self-selecting, but is aimed at those who intend to apply to prestigious universities and for competitive courses and who have an intellectual curiosity about all aspects of the world around them.
Sirius aims to provide a broader background for students by introducing them to a range of cultural opportunities and philosophical concepts outside the confines of the A Level curriculum.
It gives students the opportunity to meet with like-minded peers and, through discussion and debate, to become more confident in thinking on their feet and articulating their point of view in a stimulating and intellectual peer group.
We meet for an hour each week but students are expected to commit time outside this to reading, research and preparing a presentation etc. Sessions may be led by a member of the group, a member of York College staff with a particular expertise, or an outside speaker. Some past topics have included Buddhism, Afghanistan, French Politics, Archimedes, Ethics, Peter Blake, Palestine, Greek Tragedy, Classical Music, Darwin and an introduction to Philosophy.
Students are encouraged to apply for external courses where appropriate. Over the last few years, students have attended courses at Villiers Park (an educational charity offering week-long residential courses to stretch the able in a range of academic disciplines), participated on the Cambridge University Shadowing Scheme and attended courses at the Excellence Hubs run by the Universities of York, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield.
