Vocational courses

Let's face it, if you like a challenge then you'll be all eyes and ears in this fascinating session. Did you know that portraits are the most difficult drawing you can do? We'll teach you some techniques so you can produce your very own selfie.

Keep your wits about you as you enter the dragon's den and go head to head with our very own dragons! Try to win them over with your entrerpreneurial flair as you pitch them your business idea for a new product or app.

Substance misuse is not child's play. Find out how substances like alcohol and drugs can effect the development of a child. We'll also check out the special qualities and skills you'll need to start a rewarding career as a childcare worker.

Jump into the exciting industry of Esports and start to take a look behind the curtain. Students will begin to make a loose plan for planning a prospective eSports tournament! They will consider all aspects of planning and delivering on their concept including; the name of competition; the game; the competition rules; competition code of conduct; competition framework; location; equipment required and more!

Hack into the fast-paced world of cyber security - find out the risks and how to avoid cyber attacks. You’ll also get the chance to compete in a robotics challenge to test your skills!

If you bring your creative flair, we can give you the industry standard equipment to help you make your mark. We’ll share our expertise with you so you can create some amazing digital images.

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris.

Join us and explore printmaking for interiors as you experiment with creating your own beautiful prints.

Be on the receiving end of care treatment in our interactive health and social care session and find out if a job role in this industry would be the perfect medicine to your career success!

Netflix are looking for their next film commission will you be successful? Learn the skills, techniques and roles needed to create a film. Design and plan your Netflix Original idea, try to impress the board to see if you can get the green light.

Come and have a go at being in a band! Bring a guitar if you have one, or maybe some drumsticks. Or maybe you’re a singer, then just bring your voice – we’ll provide everything else.

Are you interested in pursuing your dreams of becoming a police officer? Have an introduction to the life of a police officer with some exciting activities to test your detective and policing skills!

Do you like the idea of leading a team of sports professional to international glory? Behind every good sports person or team is a good coach. Find out exactly what it's like to wrok as a sports coach and to help people improve their performance and achieve their full potential.

Immerse yourself in the beautiful game with our top class football session. You’ll be put through your paces by one of our Sunderland Foundation of Light coaches to see if you’ve got what it takes to play at the top level.

A-Level courses

Let's face it, if you like a challenge then you'll be all eyes and ears in this fascinating session. Did you know that portraits are the most difficult drawing you can do? We'll teach you some techniques so you can produce your very own selfie.

Keep your wits about you as you enter the dragon's den and go head to head with our very own dragons! Try to win them over with your entrerpreneurial flair as you pitch them your business idea for a new product or app.

Hack into the fast-paced world of cyber security - find out the risks and how to avoid cyber attacks. You’ll also get the chance to compete in a robotics challenge to test your skills!

Discover the significance of language, dialogue and structure in the creation of intriguing fictional characters in famous literature; you will explore how history and gender overlap to create one of modern culture's most famous pieces of fiction.

Join in our lively debate about the coal mines closure in the 1980s, a subject close to everyone's heart in Sunderland. Do the environmental impacts of mining coal outweight the socio-economic loss of community & political conflict? You decide!

Join us, as we take a look at the role of a jury in a real-life criminal case and explore a range of different sentences, from prison through to probation. What is the best way to sentence a criminal? Then, let’s get creative and design your own prison.

What camp are you in – nature or nurture? Explore the oldest argument in the history of Psychology and Sociology. Is your character and the way you behave a result of the genes you inherited or the environment you were brought up in? You decide!

Be part the secretive world of spies! We’ll help you to develop your code-breaking skills and you’ll learn all about different detection systems. You’ll even get to build your own radio to gain intelligence on your real life James Bond!

This medical masterclass comes with a health warning! Get hands-on in our specialist lab and explore a range of health-related issues and find out all about bacteria, viruses, diseases and infections.

Discover science in the modern world and explore real science outside of the classroom! You will be introduced to some life-changing scientists of the world, specialist scientific apparatus and voyage through the essential techniques in laboratory science research and discovery. T Level Laboratory Science offers real career and industry experience, transporting you from the classroom to your future!

Look at the science behind sport in our exciting hands-on session where we will explore the science and therapy of sport in our expert sports physiology laboratory.

Immerse yourself in the beautiful game with our top class football session. You’ll be put through your paces by one of our Sunderland AFC Foundation of Light coaches to see if you’ve got what it takes to play at the top level.

What does it take to make a Hollywood blockbuster? Explore film directors' techniques to make films truly unforgettable, and how marketing techniques promote and influence a wide audience. Push your creativity by designing and planning your own introduction for the next Hollywood blockbuster, to ensure your film receives global attention!