Mission Statement
At Barton Court Grammar School students are supported, inspired and challenged to achieve their very best in all that they do in order to reach their full potential and academic excellence. Students develop into independent and resilient learners who are able to succeed in an ever-changing world. When they leave Barton Court, students are articulate, confident and principled young people who have made a positive contribution to their school and the wider community.
“ Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and pupils are curious to learn.” OFSTED
Welcome to Barton Court Grammar School
Please take time to read our Sixth Form prospectus. I know that you will be impressed by our strong examination results, our first-class facilities and our impressive range of courses.
At the heart of our successful Sixth Form is our commitment to delivering excellence through support, inspiration and achievement. Personal excellence is ensured through an innovative curriculum, high expectations and the highest quality of teaching and learning based on an understanding of each student’s individual needs.
Whilst in Barton Court Grammar School Sixth Form we want to develop your talents and interests, preparing you for the best universities or high-quality training and employment. We believe students achieve when they are in a supportive and purposeful learning environment. You will be supported with regular tutorials and you will receive specialist advice and guidance. We have a dedicated independent Sixth Form Learning Centre in which you can maximise the effectiveness of your studies. In Barton Court Grammar School Sixth Form you will choose between a wide range of Advanced Level courses and have the opportunity to study Vocational Qualifications, depending upon your chosen pathway. Beyond the curriculum you will develop new friendships, take on roles of responsibility and in a broad sense reflect upon what is important in life. Through this you will develop a mature sense of values. We believe yours is an exciting future, together we can work towards achieving your goals.
Barton Court Grammar School’s Sixth Form is unique. We are large enough to offer a full and diverse range of courses whilst being small enough to make sure students are not lost in the crowd.
Ms K Cardus Executive Headteacher
Mr J Hopkins Headteacher
“ Teaching in the Sixth Form is very strong, which has led to improved results and very high attainment.” OFSTED
Academic Curriculum
A broad and versatile curriculum ensures that your time spent studying allows you to develop, not only academically, but also personally with regards to skills needed for life.
Whatever your talents, you can find the right course and subject combination to suit your aptitudes. Whichever course options you decide you can be confident that you will be supported to achieve your full potential. As well as all these opportunities, Barton Court Grammar School has a dedicated academic team to support you through the Sixth Form as well as the Tutor System to nurture and guide you as you develop into the person you have the potential to be.
Students will typically take 3 or 4 subject courses in Year 12 and 3 or 4 subject courses in Year 13 depending on their individual aspirations. Students will also develop their research skills and demonstrate independent learning through the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the AQA Baccalaureate Qualification.
“ Leaders have a clear vision for an ambitious, academic curriculum.” OFSTED
“ Leaders have improved the range of courses available in the Sixth Form.” OFSTED
Developing Leadership Skills
The skills of leadership are not skills you are necessarily born with, but rather skills you develop and hone through practice and time.
At Barton Court Grammar School, we seek to give you many and varied opportunities to develop your skillset throughout your time in the Sixth Form. As a young adult you will be expected to be a responsible role model in the School, setting the right example for others to follow. There are many formal positions of leadership within the Sixth Form, these include: The Prefect Team, the Tutor system; Student Voice and responsibilities in the leadership of clubs and societies. In addition to these whole school roles there are opportunities for subject and peer mentoring, providing support for younger students. Mentors report how fulfilling the role is and how, as well as helping younger students, the mentors themselves also benefit from the opportunity to inspire interest in their subject.
Therefore, whichever role you choose to play in the Sixth Form you can be confident that it will contribute to your development as a person and leave you better equipped to be successful in whatever you choose to do in the future.
“ Students have many opportunities beyond lessons to help them develop skills and characteristics to prepare them for their next steps.” OFSTED
Life-long Learning: A Thinking Schools Approach
At Barton Court Grammar School we believe that education is more than the sum of subjects taught. It is also about what you learn and how you learn.
Research by The Sutton Trust has shown that when students understand how they think and learn they make greater progress and become more resilient and adaptable. Students are encouraged to become resourceful and resilient learners who take responsibility for their own learning. We have placed “thinking” at the heart of our teaching and learning, and have developed a common visual language of learning to enable our students to become independent, confident, life-long learners.
Students are encouraged to work together in teams and enjoy new friendships, take on roles of responsibility and develop a mature sense of values.
We want our Sixth Form students to stand out from the crowd in this competitive world and, as such, we actively encourage them to develop their independent and enquiring minds. An independent Learning Centre enables students to think and work in quiet, calm and modern surroundings. Here, they can make extensive use of ICT facilities, including wireless technology for their own devices. All students are encouraged to develop their own area of academic enquiry through the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). This provides students with the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect or theme of any area they are interested in and conduct their own enquiry into it.
“ Pupils work hard, think for themselves and enjoy grappling with problems.” OFSTED
Raising Aspirations, Delivering Excellence
As you will be aware opportunities for school leavers are increasingly diverse.
Therefore, it is essential that students attend the university that is going to provide them with the greatest number of opportunities when they graduate, or employment or training opportunities appropriate to their needs. Barton Court Grammar School provides extensive support and guidance for students to help them secure the best university offers and to ensure they are fully prepared for life beyond Sixth Form. As examples, Year 12 students have a UCAS day when they are guided through the application process and every student receives an individual career guidance session with a qualified adviser, whilst in Year 13 students take part in “preparing for life post-18” activities in an Enrichment day.
There are a variety of well-established bespoke support programmes in place at the School. Students wishing to apply to Oxford or Cambridge are supported through a specific Oxbridge programme; students interested in Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry benefit from a specific “Medics” programme and those interested in Law or STEM careers also benefit from a bespoke programme. Students are invited to attend our “Inspire Lecture Programme” and encouraged to complete “super-curricular” activities to broaden their skills, horizons and knowledge.
Students who wish to enter the world of work at the end of their Sixth Form studies also have the support of an independent Careers Advisor and benefit from our work experience/ shadowing programme which enables students to better understand the world of work and career they may be interested in. Whatever you choose to do at the end of your Sixth Form studies at Barton Court Grammar School you will be confident that you will have achieved your full academic potential and developed the personal skills necessary to be highly successful.
Partnership and the Trust
Barton Court Grammar School is the lead school within the Barton Court Academy Trust, a trust which is also comprised of Barton Manor School in Canterbury and The Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs. In particular, Barton Court works closely with Barton Manor, a Free School that opened in September 2022. Moving forwards the two schools will share a joint Sixth Form that will enhance and expand opportunities for students from both schools and the local community. The Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs is one of the leading non-selective schools in the county. We promote an individual identity for each of our schools so that they continue to respond to the needs of their pupils, their families and the wider community they serve.
“ Highly committed staff enable pupils to benefit from experiences beyond that necessary for exam success. This promotes pupils personal development very well.” OFSTED