A Level students from the GATE (Gifted and Talented Excellence) programme at Neath College have participated in the yearly GATE Academic Poster Fair; a chance to showcase the skills they have honed over the year. They were tasked with creating an academic poster on a specialised topic, researched at a level beyond A Level, highlighting their expertise in critical thinking, digital literacy, and communication.
The GATE programme has been designed to provide students with a pathway to develop their skill set, enhancing critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis and the ability to form structured and coherent arguments. It also supports students through applications to competitive universities. The programme requires students to look beyond the boundaries of their A Level studies and use existing knowledge to challenge themselves in different and innovative ways.
Sixth Form Academy Lecturer at GATE Co-ordinator Samantha Oxley said: “I oversee the structured programme designed to provide exceptional opportunities and support to students who have excelled in their GCSEs. The primary goal of this programme is to guide students through the competitive application process for Russell Group universities, focusing on achieving success in highly competitive fields such as Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Science.
“Thanks to this support, many of our students have received offers from top universities; This year alone, several have secured places in competitive programmes such as Medicine, Pharmacy, and Neuroscience, to name just a few, and gained access to a range of prestigious placement opportunities through the Seren Network. In addition, our GATE students regularly achieve recognition in national academic competitions, including the Maths Challenge and the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Olympiads.”
GATE students from across the Sixth Form Academy subject areas got involved in the competition, displaying their areas of expertise with discussion posters including: ‘Drugs vs Genetics’, ‘Why are our Chocolate Bars Getting Smaller?’ and ‘How Far is Wales from Independence?’ The students explained how they got involved in the GATE project and how it will help to shape their future.
Joseph Battle: “I got involved in this academic poster project by choosing a subject that my peer and I were interested in and excited about researching. Through the GATE project, I have undertaken a research review, multiple debates, and a critical thinking test and I have created an academic poster.
“I feel that the GATE project has been very beneficial to me, helping me to increase my confidence as well as providing me with lots of invaluable skills, such as essay writing and critical thinking – which will be helpful for university.
“I would recommend GATE for eligible students as it is a great experience which pushes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to experience new opportunities.”
Kate Ewens: “Through the GATE programme I have undertaken a few different activities including the research project, critical thinking document, and this poster project. These have all helped me develop my research and analysis skills which will help me for future essays and projects in uni.
“I approached the poster competition by creating a plan with my team to split the work evenly between the three of us. This allowed everybody the chance to research for themselves.
“The GATE project will help me in the future as being a good researcher is a very good skill and it allows you to find valuable and reliable information quickly.
“I would recommend it to eligible students because it grants the opportunity to not only meet people like you but also develop many skills and techniques that will help you with essays and projects”.
There was a guest judge at this year’s Fair which saw the return of our longstanding GATE Coordinator, recently retired Bernadine McGuire, who won last year’s Teacher of the Year at the Pride of Wales Awards.
The competition was hotly contested and after much deliberation, the judges’ panel chose the top three entries:
In third place was ‘Do we Teach Foreign Languages Ineffectively in the UK’ by Elodie Berni, Lily Mandale and Sarah Jones. In the joint runner-up spot was ‘Hypersonic Aircraft. The Future of Flight or a Thing of the Past?’ by Patrick Conde and ‘The Shadow of Tyranny’ by Amaris Messenger and Madeleine Herdman and the overall winner was Alexander Harris’s ‘How Does Marketing Affect a Film’s Success?’
Click the button below to find out more about the GATE Programme.
