Derby College Group A level students set for a week of world-class experiences

Derby College Group is giving its A-level students an extraordinary final week of term, with a packed programme of employer visits, cultural experiences, higher education tasters, and community activities designed to bring classroom learning to life.

Project Week runs from Monday 29th June to Thursday 3rd July and involves all 434 year one A-level students. Rather than winding down for summer, students will be heading out across the region, and further afield, for a series of hands-on experiences spanning arts, science, humanities, social science, languages, and careers.

Among the highlights are visits to Twycross Zoo with an animal behaviour talk, a trip to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, a criminology and forensic science taster day at the University of Derby, and a site visit to global medical technology company Getinge.

Students will also visit the National Justice Museum in Nottingham, Hardwick Hall, RAF Cosford, and the National Archives in Derbyshire. Two groups will attend Crown Court sessions across the week, while others take part in French and Spanish teaching placements at local primary schools.

Thursday 3rd July features one of the most varied days of the week, including a careers morning with talks from UHDB Imaging, Socotec, the Police Apprenticeship programme, and the RAF, alongside a Green Careers presentation, a powerful lived experience session on schizophrenia, and a knife crime awareness session.
Running throughout the week is a programme of Work Ready Interviews, giving students the chance to practise and develop their professional communication skills ahead of university applications and future employment.

Sally Archer, head of A levels at Derby College Group, said: “This year is especially exciting because it marks the launch of our first Project Week on this scale, allowing students to bring everything they have learned in the classroom to life through a wide range of real-world experiences.

“This week reflects the breadth and quality of our A-level provision, and the strength of our relationships with employers, universities, and cultural organisations across the region and beyond. It will be a genuinely inspiring week for everyone involved.”

The week culminates on 3rd July with Year 1 Celebrations and Progress Day, recognising the achievements of students completing their first year of A-level study.