Academia Society

The Academia Society is an important part of the Most Able extra-curricular programme at Platanos College. Pupils in year 7, year 8 and year 9 are given a project per half term to complete independently.

Projects are typically based around a topic that is part of the wider curriculum at Platanos College. This allows for pupil’s independent research and it also allows pupils to discover areas of academia that may be completely new to them.

Most recent projects

Spring 2020: ‘Diseases throughout History and their impact on the world’. The project was relevant to what was going on in the world and as pupils had so many questions about Covid-19 it was an interesting research project for them to undertake.

Summer 2020: ‘Mount Everest – A Mountain that conquers man or that man has conquered?’ Geography was added to the curriculum in September 2020 as an additional subject. Pupils had not previously studied geography. This project was a suitable accompaniment to the addition of Geography to an already robust curriculum.

Spring 2021: ‘Space Exploration’. Pupils do not typically study astronomy at secondary school. However, there are many benefits to pupil’s intellectual growth; philosophy behind ‘what else is out there’, the science behind space exploration and discovery, the historical element relating to the lives of the astronauts and their backgrounds.

Spring 2021: ‘History of the game of chess, it is not just black and white.’ This project thoroughly interested pupils. Pupils even extended their research to include the differences between British chess and Chinese chess and the hotly contested argument around when and where chess was invented.

What skills do pupils develop from the Academia Society?

By completing independent research on previously unknown topics, pupils are introduced to new ways of thinking. Pupils develop their research and problem-solving skills.

Pupils become more thoughtful thinkers, in-depth thinkers and develop into young adults who are more aware of the world around them.

Pupils develop confidence and knowledge as they discover new areas of academia that may take them outside of their comfort zones. Independent and autonomous learning can be a new experience for pupils.

These transferable skills equip our pupils for life beyond Platanos College.