Year 10 Discovery Courses 2026
Try out some taster lessons in subjects offered here at Godalming College.
If you’re in Year 10 and starting to think about what to study at Sixth Form (Year 12), our Discovery Courses are the perfect way to explore your options.
With lots of subjects to choose from, these sessions give you the chance to try something new and exciting before making your final A Level or Vocational course choices.
What You’ll Gain from Discovery Courses
Our Discovery Courses are designed to help you:
- Get a real feel for what each subject is like
- Understand how subjects are taught at Sixth Form level
- Explore topics in a fun, engaging way
- Discover how subjects link to future careers
- Decide which courses match your interests, strengths, and skills
By the end, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you enjoy and what could be the right path for your future.
Course Dates and Booking Information
- Time: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
- Dates: Every Tuesday from 2nd June to 23rd June 2026
- Flexible Booking: Choose one course or attend multiple sessions (one per week)
- Cost: Completely free of charge
- Spaces: Limited availability – early booking is recommended
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at admissions@godalming.ac.uk
Take this opportunity to explore your future and make confident choices about your next steps after Year 11.
Choose from the following courses each week...
Week 1 - Tuesday 2nd June
Ancient History: "It's all Greek to me” - The taster session is designed to give you a sense of what it is like to study Ancient History at Godalming college and will focus on the Greek side of the course which is 50% of your A level. In the A level itself this will be studied alongside Ancient Rome which will make up the other 50%. This session will focus on Athens and Sparta and students will get a chance to explore key differences between the two city states and learn more about what it meant to be an Athenian or Spartan. This will cover their military outlooks, cultures, religion and political structures.
Art & Design: Introduction to Drawing Skills - Godalming College Art Department believes everyone can be an artists and they get the results to prove it! Come along and have fun experimenting with a range of exciting drawing techniques – you don’t need to be studying Art GCSE to join in! Time to make your mark!
English Language & Linguistics - Find out how English Language A level is completely different from what you’re experiencing at GCSE! Ever wondered why people speak differently to one another and why some have such strong opinions about this? Ever thought about how the same media story is presented in multiple ways? Ever thought why language changes and how Gen Alpha are using terms like sigma, rizz and skibidi? If you’re interested in knowing the answers to these questions, this is a great course for you!
Environmental Science - In order to meet our goal of becoming a carbon neutral country we will have to rely on natural processes to absorb and store the carbon dioxide we release. Environmental Scientists need to be able to measure carbon stores like forests to estimate how much they can hold. We will examine a method of doing this, and discuss why it’s important to have this information, and how it can be used by policy makers to help fight climate change.
Sociology (NOW FULL) – Join us for a taster session of Sociology as we review the range of perspectives which attempt to explain human behaviour, focusing on culture, social behaviour and relationships.
Week 2 – Tuesday 9th June
Drama/Performing Arts (NOW FULL) - ClassAction encourages students to be playful and open in their approach to theatre. You'll be encouraged to experiement, play and push your imagination as you build bold, beievable characters. Dive into the powerful techniques of Stanislavski and Uta Hagen, and learn how actors create real, authentic performances; discovering how to make every moment on stage feel true.
Economics (NOW FULL) - Why are prices increasing? Why do I have to pay tax? What role does the Government play in ensuring I am a healthy, happy individual? Was BREXIT a good idea? Where does money come from? These are the types of questions that an Economist might ask? Economics is a social science and students studying it often move into careers areas such as Accountancy, Finance, Insurance and Business. This introductory session will be a series of debates and discussion over some of the key issues in the news today using some basic Economic Analysis.
History of Art: Art through the Ages - Every artist and architect is influenced by the times they live in, some break the rules, others continue traditions but all use their creativity to make us see, question and learn. In History of Art, we explore art and architecture from the Classical era to the present day. In this session, you will use your visual analytical skills to consider how one artist uses colour, light, form and other features to convey meaning in a painting. We will then consider how other factors, including science, technology and the past have also impacted this work of art.
Vocational IT: Cybersecurity & Hacking - An introduction to our newest vocational course that can be studied alongside any other of our subjects, including our Vocational Computing (Applications & Games Development) course.
Week 3 – Tuesday 16th June
Biology (NOW FULL) - Biologists are always looking for novel ways to investigate the processes occurring within living cells, and these investigations can often involve surprising and inventive methods. We will explore a technique called immobilisation to look at how micro-organisms are affected by a range of factors. This will be a good opportunity to learn some new practical skills, and to practice collecting and interpreting results in the lab. In addition to collecting your own data you will get an opportunity to discuss how these techniques are used in the biotechnology industry, and the benefits that they bring.
Dance: Commercial and Jazz - No matter your dance experience, ability or grades… dance is about having fun, moving and taking on new challenges. ‘Do one thing that scares you everyday’ …. to achieve what you want in life it is sometimes necessary to move outside of your comfort zone and take a chance. Come along and try something new. We will learn some movement, share some skills and explore what dance can offer you. (There is a minimum number of students required for this session).
Debates in History - Perhaps you have loved studying History at GCSE, or perhaps you left it behind in year 9 and have become more interested in it since - either way come along to the History A level taster session to find out more about what it's like to study History at A level. We will be exploring topics linked to our two popular courses (Revolutions & Rebellions and Democracy & Dictatorship) through a mixture of activities we use on the courses, including debates, discussions and group work.
Travel & Tourism – Most people have experienced tourism; whether it’s enjoying a week’s package holiday in Spain, trekking in the Andes Mountains of South America or even a school trip to a museum in London. By any measure Travel & Tourism is a vast industry – so what’s it all about, why do people travel? Which are the organisations that enable us to travel and why are some destinations so popular? What impact does Travel & Tourism have on the environment, the economy and people/communities? In this introductory session you will be planning a trip for a client while considering the answers to these questions.
Week 4 – Tuesday 23rd June
Health and Social Care: Is the NHS in crisis? - All of us at some point will need the NHS. If you study Health and Social Care you will probably work within the NHS. Did you know the NHS is the UK’s biggest employer and the sixth biggest employer in the World. So why is it struggling? We will look at the current picture in the NHS and the jobs that you might never heard of. Roles in Health and Social Care form a central part of our course here at Godalming College. (There is a minimum number of students required for this session).
Music Production - Music is not just about performing. Every aspect of media, from computer games to films, podcasts to radio, advertising to apps, is enhanced by music. Learn how to create music using professional music production software. Unlock your creativity with an extensive sample library and sounds to make your tracks sound great. Discover which instruments complement each other and how to arrange your musical ideas into a great sounding product.
PE - An introduction to this popular subject which covers the physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of sport. Booking for this course is paused until Tuesday 5th May at 9am.
Philosophy: The BIG Questions (NOW FULL) - Philosophy attempts to deal with questions that come naturally to children, using methods that would be more familiar to lawyers, mathematicians and scientists. Questions like: “Does everyone else see the world like I do?”, “Why should I listen to my parents/teachers?”, “Could this all be a dream?”, “Can robots be conscious?” and more. We will look at some of these questions you may well have asked yourself and see what great thinkers of the past and present have had to say. Bring your own questions too, and prepare to think hard!
Politics - Did you know that the Labour government got into power in 2024 having achieved only 33.7% of the national vote? Do you think it's fair that Reform UK received 14.3% of the votes but won just 5 seats in Parliament? Are you excited about Zack Polanski and the rise of the Green party? Come along to the Politics A level taster session where you will have the opportunity to find out more about elections and political parties in the UK. You'll also have the chance to learn about the different elements of the course, including UK Government, political ideologies and the Global and US Politics options.