The Denstone Diploma
The Denstone Diploma is an internal programme designed to promote students’ academic interests beyond the curriculum.
Increasingly, universities and employers are looking for that special spark of intellectual curiosity that demonstrates a young person’s independence, drive, determination and curiosity. In our busy day-to-day school lives, it can be easy to miss opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and skills and to be consumed by the here and now. This is the purpose of the Diploma: to fill that gap and to collate and curate interesting challenges and competitions for students to sharpen their academic profile.
The Diploma seeks to promote a host of different challenges, activities and competitions and each department contributes things like, The Rotary Young Writers’ Competition, writing for the school Magazine, joining the Debating Club, or one of the school’s student-led societies, The History Society’s essay prize, poetry writing events, maths challenges, science investigations and geographical conundrums. The nature of the activities is academic and every hour of activity is rewarded by a Diploma point. 15 points will result in a Bronze Certificate, 30 a Silver one, 50 is a Gold and 150 will get you a Platinum Certificate and your name added to the Denstone Diploma board outside the library. The competition runs from 1st to 2nd Form, 3rd to 5th Form and for the Sixth Form.
As well as getting students to be interested and interesting, engagement in the Diploma offers specific evidence for applications to university, jobs, and apprenticeships.