Making Super-Curricular Activities Accessible to All Students

“It’s not enough to get good grades anymore.” 

This is a sentiment increasingly shared by parents and students alike as the university admissions landscape becomes more competitive and, in many ways, more opaque. As if GCSEs, A-Levels, and extracurricular commitments weren’t demanding enough, students are now expected to demonstrate a deeper, more personal engagement with their academic interests through something called super-curricular activities.

Super-curriculars refer to learning that goes beyond the classroom. Those activities that show genuine curiosity in a subject students hope to study at university. These might include reading academic books, watching lectures, enrolling in online courses, or attending subject taster events. Unlike extracurriculars (like playing a musical instrument or a sport), which demonstrate breadth and balance, super-curriculars are about depth. They’re now a critical feature in university applications, especially for competitive courses and institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, and many Russell Group universities.

While the intention behind super-curriculars is positive - they allow students to showcase academic motivation and independent learning - the reality is more complex. For many families, particularly those without experience navigating higher education pathways, the term itself is unfamiliar. For disadvantaged students, the challenges are even greater. Access to enrichment activities, quiet study time, academic mentorship, or even just the awareness that these expectations exist, is not equally distributed.

This creates a growing divide. Research from the Sutton Trust shows that students from wealthier backgrounds are significantly more likely to have engaged in academic enrichment beyond the classroom. These students benefit from access to reading lists, parental guidance, and teachers who can suggest extension materials. Others may have the means to attend paid courses or travel to academic events. Meanwhile, equally capable students from less advantaged backgrounds may find themselves falling behind, not due to lack of potential, but due to a lack of opportunity.

It is precisely this gap that our Sophos Education Summer School seeks to address. We believe that academic curiosity should not be gatekept by resources, networks, or jargon. These livestream lessons are designed to demystify concepts like ‘super-curriculars’ and show students how they can meaningfully engage with their favourite subjects.

Super-curricular engagement can be enriching and empowering, but only if all students are given a fair chance to participate. With the right support, curiosity can flourish regardless of postcode or income. We hope our livestreams offer one more stepping stone toward a more equitable education system, where success is shaped by passion and perseverance, not privilege.

Let’s ensure that every student has not only the ambition to aim high, but also the tools to get there.