Sixth Form Prospectus 2022-23

WELCOME TO KINGSWOOD SIXTH FORM

co-curricular offering means that there is something for everyone, from Sport, Music and Drama to outdoor pursuits, Model United Nations and academic societies. We look to our Sixth Formers to provide leadership in our community and aim to ensure that they all have the opportunity to experience a leadership role at some point over the two years they are with us.

At Kingswood, we offer our Sixth Formers a supportive and caring environment in which to navigate an exciting and pivotal stage in their educational journey. The needs of the individual lie at the heart of everything we do. Our strong commitment to pastoral care means that every Sixth Former has a personal tutor who works alongside them, offering encouragement and guidance at every step. A flexible academic curriculum allows us to tailor a programme to each individual student, whilst the breadth of our

Service is central to our vision of leadership, and our extensive charitable and mentoring activities provide further opportunities for our Sixth Formers to give back, both locally and further afield.

Finally, a well developed careers and higher education guidance programme ensures that all Sixth Form receive the advice and support they need as they make choices about their future.

interests they can find a welcome here and a space in which they can grow and excel. What binds us together is a shared set of values built around care and support for each other and the world around us, a desire to make the most of our abilities, and a willingness to take part. It is these values that make our Sixth Form such a special place, and which ensure that our students leave us not only with good qualifications, but also as well rounded individuals with the skills, independence and resilience needed to thrive.

Craig Woodgate Head of Sixth Form

Our Sixth Form is a warm, vibrant and happy place. We are proud of our diversity, and that whatever an individual’s background or

“What binds us together is a shared set of values built around care and support for each other and the world around us, a desire to make the most of our abilities, and a willingness to take part.”

SIXTH FORM TEAM

Harriet Wilson Assistant Head of Sixth Form (Pastoral)

I love working at Kingswood because my role allows me to teach Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, a subject I am passionate about, as well as get fully involved in the Outdoor Pursuits programme. Supporting senior students is rewarding and I enjoy watching them grow and develop into successful young adults who are ready to take on the world.

Ed Allchorne Assistant Head of Sixth Form (Academic)

The reason I went into teaching is because I love my subject (Biology) and I want to inspire others. My role is so rewarding and I meet regularly with Sixth Form students to offer guidance and keep them on track with their goals. I organise evening events focusing on mock interviews and facilitate inspiring enrichment talks to ensure students come away feeling empowered.

Designated Deputy Safeguarding Lead (Sixth Form)

I love being part of the Kingswood community; being able to teach Geography, coach sport and get outside on Duke of Edinburgh trips is why I went into teaching. My role as a member of the Safeguarding team is aimed at enabling every senior student to feel safe and supported during their time in the Sixth Form and allowing them to flourish academically and socially.

Bernard Stuttard

PASTORAL CARE

The move into the Sixth Form is an important step towards life after school and our goal is to support our Sixth Form students to develop autonomy and resilience, ensuring they have fun while achieving academically and personally.

Sixth Form students are part of a Senior House, made up of day and boarders from Years 9-13. Our dedicated House staff are supported by a team of handpicked tutors, who work with a small group of up to 12 students.

Tutors meet their tutees as a group at least once a week and regularly on a one-to-one basis. Our experienced

tutor team offer guidance through Years 12 and 13. The support offered reacts to the needs of students providing tools for supporting Mental Health, or the space to cover topical and contentious issues.

We believe that it is important the students have a say in the pastoral support offered, and we encourage the Sixth Form students to start to take the lead with this in order to promote autonomy and ensure engagement.

The Sixth Form General Studies lessons see external speakers sharing their insights while our Life Skills

programme gives students the knowledge to navigate the changes, pressures and uncertainties of facing exams, leaving school and beyond.

Topics include: finances, mental and physical health, healthy relationships, study skills, employment skills and more. We believe that this is an important part of preparing students for life after school, teaching them the soft skills necessary to develop employability, make the most of independent study and higher education, succeed in the workplace, and feel prepared for the life of a young adult.

THE SIXTH FORM COMMUNITY

Sixth Form life at Kingswood revolves around the much loved Dixon Sixth Form Centre. At the heart of the building are over sixty study rooms, spread across four floors. Every Sixth Former is allocated to one of these shared rooms which provides a dedicated work space. This is a student’s base during the school day, a place which they can make their own, to work and socialise.

The newly opened Association Café offers Sixth Formers another great space in which to work and meet up with friends. Light, modern and designed to replicate the atmosphere found in a coffee shop

on a university campus, the café is popular with students as a place to both study and relax.

Dedicated Sixth Form classrooms, a fully equipped IT suite, galley kitchen and Wi-Fi throughout complete the Sixth Form Centre. Boarders and day students mix easily with each other and there are many opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. A programme of social events, including quiz nights, dinners and the Leavers’ Ball, give Sixth Formers the chance to come together and enjoy each other’s company.

THE SIXTH FORM DAY

8:15

Register with House Staff

Chapel, Assembly or Tutor Time

Two lessons or private study 11:20-12:15 Lesson or private study

Lunch or lessons in either lunch hour. Activities and Sports available 14:10-16:20

Two lessons or private study

Afternoon Break

Activities

“The Sixth Form was amazing – the atmosphere was really friendly and it’s been great to study in depth the subjects that I’m interested in. It was certainly the right choice for me.”

Supper (bookable for day students)

Prep (Bookable by Day Students)

“Boarding has offered me a variety of opportunities, such as my role as a Westwood prefect, where I help and assist the younger years. It has given me the chance to embrace all that Kingswood has to offer.”

Nisha Sixth Form Student

SIXTH FORM BOARDING

Years 12 and 13 are busy not only academically, but also in the array of leadership and co-curricular activities on offer. It is no surprise then that many Sixth Formers consider becoming a boarder for these busy and important years and we believe that the independence of boarding helps to support a smooth transition to life after school.

Whether flexi, weekly or full boarding, students benefit from a framework of staff support academically, pastorally or in cocurricular activities, as well as the time and freedom to develop their passions. Our four senior boarding houses are a “home from home” for boarders from Years 9 to 13, and for

students from across the UK and the world; life-long friendships are forged in our houses, classrooms, stages and sports fields.

Our resident staff celebrate in student’s success and offer support should any challenges arise; in combination with our Tutors, they are at the forefront of our excellent pastoral support, and are the first point of contact for any questions from parents or guardians.

Each boarding house has large communal rooms, smaller spaces for quieter time and, for the Sixth Form, access to laundry facilities to help hone an important life skill. Our Sixth Form rooms are doubles or singles, many are en-suite and

each bedroom has a study space.

Boarders have their own study in the Dixon, our Sixth Form Centre, as well as the option to work in the Sixth Form area of the Library.

Being a vibrant boarding school, Sixth Form students can throw themselves into over 100 cocurricular activities available during the week, as well as during our busy weekends. Sixth Form boarders are able to join the wider weekend activities, including theatre, trips to sporting events, and amusement parks but also visiting London and Bath.

We invite you to visit us to meet our boarding team and to find out more.

OPPORTUNITIES

ACTIVITIES

SIXTH FORM LEARNING

Overview

The Sixth Form curriculum is the culmination of the Kingswood learning journey but also serves as a launch pad to the world of Higher Education studies. At Kingswood, we want students to embrace both depth and breadth in their studies. Following on from the broad experience of GCSEs, students typically choose three subjects in which to specialise in at A Level (four subjects for Further Mathematicians). It is our expectation and goal that students develop deep expertise in their favourite subjects; it is through A Level study that students begin to think in a new way, developing the analytical and creative habits of mind that lead to genuine enquiry into ‘the most important things that have been thought and said’. Our A Level programme will provide ample opportunity for intelligent young people to step away from the sometimes fixed and restricting requirements of GCSE study, developing real passion for their subjects and for the learning process itself. Indeed, the A Level

programme at Kingswood is about much more than just gaining grades for university entry: it is our mission to help our young people develop sharpness of mind, depth of knowledge and expert articulacy, so that they can enter the world of adult learning as powerfully educated human beings.

Partnership

Our Sixth Form lessons are typified by university-style seminars, with students working in small groups alongside expert teachers to discuss key concepts and debate apparent truths. It is our intention that students and teachers should form a partnership of learning. Teachers know their students well and seek to provoke them to think for themselves through demanding questioning and rigorous intellectual exercise. Students are treated as young adults, and partners in the learning process. As with all things at Kingswood, this learning partnership is suffused with kindness, patience and good humour, ensuring that all students are seen, heard, valued and understood.

Support

Whilst the ultimate goal is one of intellectual independence, another hallmark of a Kingswood education is bespoke and personal support. The Sixth Form classroom at Kingswood is fully inclusive in its approach to demanding standards.

Students of all abilities are challenged and supported to achieve their best possible outcomes; it is usual for Kingswood Sixth Formers to receive personal support from their teachers during lunchtimes and after school as they seek to grapple with advanced material and processes.

It is also typical at Kingswood to find students supporting one another in their learning – our Dixon Sixth Form Centre is a hive of collaborative effort. Our young people understand

that the best learning is a product of generosity, that through sharing our knowledge we only deepen it for ourselves.

Breadth

Although one of our key aims is to ensure that all our Sixth Form students achieve the best grades possible, the learning experience is about so much more than examination success. We encourage our students to embrace the breadth on offer beyond timetabled lessons. A successful Sixth Form experience should not just provide the essential knowledge for Higher Education, but also the independent study skills required to thrive in a highpaced university environment. We therefore aim to provoke our students into wider reading and

research, whilst also providing an expansive range of supra-curricular options to deepen learning. Many of our students, for example, pursue an EPQ, a programme which has proven hugely successful over recent years as students have researched and explored a topic of interest with great depth and creativity. Alongside the EPQ, Sixth Form students are given a range of other opportunities for intellectual growth, some of which are detailed elsewhere in this publication. The point of all this is not just to improve a CV; rather, it is an invitation to a more mature and developed mind, with a level of critical thinking that not only ensures success in Higher Education, but also serves as the root of an enlightened and intellectual life.

“Students are treated as young adults, and partners in the learning process. As with all things at Kingswood, this learning partnership is suffused with kindness, patience and good humour, ensuring that all students are seen, heard, valued and understood.”

“Kingswood has given me freedom and independence in my studies. I enjoy the discussion-based learning allowing me to concentrate on the subjects that I am most interested in.”

Tom Sixth Form Student

SIXTH FORM ENRICHMENT

A rich and varied programme fosters a spirit of intellectual enquiry, providing the opportunity to explore areas of wider interest. Led by specialists eager to share their passion for their subjects, the programme inspires a love of learning, broadens horizons, and equips students with the independence and curiosity needed to thrive at university, and beyond.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Externally examined, the EPQ offers students the chance to investigate an area of their own choosing, developing a range of research skills in the process.

The Apprenticeship of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The AFA in Creative Writing

introduces students to a variety of genres. They are then able to put what they have learnt into practice, producing work which is assessed and rewarded with a nationally recognised qualification.

General Studies

Each week the General Studies programme provides Sixth Formers with the opportunity to hear from a range of outside speakers, addressing topics as diverse as the US prison system, war photography and the Syrian Civil War.

National Competitions

Kingswood students regularly take part in national competitions, including Linguistics, Biology and Chemistry Olympiads, the National Big Bang STEM competition, the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and the UK Philosothon.

The Wesley Society

Established to stretch and challenge our students, the Wesley Society offers a programme of evening speaker events. Recent guests have included politicians Wera Hobhouse, Dominic Grieve and Lord Griffiths, broadcaster Justin Webb, scientists Richard Dawkins and Lewis Dartnell, former Beirut hostage John McCarthy

and frontline conservationist Niall McCann.

Model United Nations

Kingswood hosts one of the largest MUN conferences in the country.

Sixth Formers take part as delegates representing the member states of the UN, as well as chair organising and leading the conference committees.

Overseas Visits

Our programme includes languages trips to Spain, France and Germany, a Drama Department trip to New York, a Politics and History visit to Washington DC and Philadelphia, and Geography trips to Barcelona and Iceland.

“A rich and varied programme fosters a spirit of intellectual enquiry, providing the opportunity to explore areas of wider interest. Led by specialists eager to share their passion for their subjects.”

THE WIDER SIXTH FORM EXPERIENCE

Our Sixth Formers have the opportunity to practice talents, find new interests and develop friendships outside of the classroom.

Serving the Community

As an important part of the Methodist ethos, Sixth Form students are strongly encouraged to play an active role in serving the Community. Whether through our partnership with Mentoring Plus, which sees students trained as mentors or working with local junior school pupils. Students fundraise for projects in Malawi or House charities and have the opportunity to consider the world as others experience, developing their compassion and challenging them to find out how they can be of most help to those in need.

Co-curricular

An important part of life in the Sixth Form is engaging with the holistic education on offer. The varied and inclusive programme of co-curricular activities changes each term, and enriches the experience of our students. Providing students with the opportunity to engage with established areas of interest and

enjoyment, to also try out and develop new skills and promote balance in their daily lives for mental and physical wellbeing. The activities programme changes each term but often includes:

• Climbing

Theatre Tech

• Kingswood Jazz Orchestra

• Sustainable Development Society

Film

Debating

The Repair Club

Football

Rugby

Hockey

Swimming

Some Sixth Form students become Activities Prefects where they assist staff members in running clubs, imparting their knowledge and developing leadership skills. Many look to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, undertaking expeditions across the United Kingdom, and testing their resilience, organisation and teamworking abilities. The Army Ten Tors event is popular each year; following a competitive selection process, six Year 12 students complete the 45-mile challenge with a night of wild camping on Dartmoor.

Mary

Despite joining Kingswood after the start of Year 12, Mary represented Kingswood on the sports field, as a talented musician and as a Senior Prefect. Mary applied for a Degree Apprenticeship in Software Engineering, receiving multiple offers from major consultancy firms.

Olly

Olly balanced his full A Level timetable, studying Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Maths with a place on the Senior Prefect team as well as competing in national Orienteering competitions. With excellent results, he is studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University.

Lari

Lari boarded at Kingswood, and as well as her A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, she excelled in Sport, Music and took a very active role in the Medicine Society. She is studying Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

CAREERS & UNIVERSITY PREPARATION

Careers

Making the right decision about a career is vitally important, and from the earliest possible stage we encourage our Sixth Formers to explore carefully their options for the future.

A programme of seminars with visiting employers in Year 12 offers valuable insights into a wide range of career paths, whilst at the end of that year all students are given the opportunity to have a week of work experience.

Kingswood enjoys strong links with local, regional and national employers and our Sixth Formers benefit a great deal from having the chance to spend a week in a workplace, learning not simply about a career that interests them, but also about the process of making a job application and how to perform well in an interview.

Higher Education & Apprenticeships

Most Kingswood Sixth Formers go on to university, although an increasing number choose to embark upon higher and degree apprenticeships. Support is available for both pathways, as well as for

those looking at other options. A programme of outside speakers ensures that parents and students are fully prepared for the application process, from choosing a course and university to negotiating the UCAS website. Extensive use is made of the Unifrog platform, with tutors working alongside their tutees as they research their options. Tutors and subject teachers also offer advice about how to put together a successful application for a competitive university and draft an effective personal statement.

For students with particular requirements, additional specialist support is available.

The Kingswood Medical Society

This provides an extensive programme of support for students who wish to read a degree in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science. Led by Sixth Formers, it offers opportunities to meet with and learn from a range of medical professionals, from GPs to junior doctors and consultants. It also provides comprehensive interview

preparation events, problem based learning experiences, and support in finding relevant work experience.

The society’s activities are complemented by a detailed and wide-ranging handbook of specialist advice concerning all aspects of medical applications.

Oxbridge Applications

Students who hope to apply to Oxford or Cambridge are offered a programme of preparation and support. The Kingswood Oxbridge handbook provides advice on all aspects of the application process, including tips on how to develop the skills and qualities expected of a successful applicant. A termly plan of activities throughout Year 12 helps students to prepare step by step and allows them to evaluate their progress. In Year 13 applicants are offered weekly preparation sessions by subject teachers, ensuring they are ready for both interviews and entrance assessments. Each student also benefits from a number of mock interviews.

Outcomes

The overwhelming majority of Sixth Formers go on to secure places at their preferred universities (95% average, 2021-2022). Popular university destinations include: Exeter, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford Brookes, Warwick and Manchester.

A REMARKABLE LOCATION

Whilst our local families already appreciate the beautiful place in which they live, we cannot complete this prospectus without highlighting how fortunate we are at Kingswood in being within walking distance of such a renowned World Heritage City.

Bath takes its name from the perfectly preserved Roman Baths which are visited not only for their historic value, but also the natural hot mineral water springs that are still evident and even available to be enjoyed within the Thermae Spa in the heart of the City.

Bath is certainly regarded as one of the loveliest places in the world.

Whether it is the magnificent eighteenth century Georgian architecture, the landscaped gardens and parks, the fine art galleries and museums or the vibrant and cosmopolitan shopping centre with a plethora of cafés and restaurantsthere is something for everyone and it is compact and safe enough to walk everywhere.

Our boarding students have the opportunity to spend time enjoying the City at weekends within their friendship groups and benefit from the many cultural events that take place, including the Bath Mozartfest

in November, the Bath Literature Festival in March and the Bath International Music Festival in May - a particular feature in the School calendar involving many of our musicians who are regularly invited to take part in the opening ceremony.

As well as offering a rich variety of activities, Bath is surrounded by beautiful countryside and is extremely accessible to many other famous places including Oxford, Stratfordupon-Avon and, of course, London, which is only 90 minutes away.

Birmingham International

By Rail

Kingswood is only 1.5 miles/ 2.5 kms from Bath Station.

London to Bath by Intercity takes 1.5 hours.

By Air

The nearest airports are; Bristol (approx. 20 miles/ 32 kms), Heathrow (approx. 90 miles/145 kms) and Gatwick (approx. 110 miles/ 177 kms).

Bristol

Luton Southampton

Heathrow

Gatwick

HOW TO APPLY

We thank you for your interest in our Sixth Form and would be delighted to welcome you to our Sixth Form Open Day, our main school Open Day, or for a personal visit. Further details can be found here

UK candidates looking to enter Kingswood Sixth Form will be invited to interview at Kingswood School in mid November. Offers will be extended based on the interview, predicted GCSE results and current school reports.

International students looking to enter Kingswood Sixth Form will take entrance papers in the three subjects they would like to study for A Level, and an appropriate English language

paper if their first language is not English. Students can sit papers in their own country, invigilated at their current school, an agent’s office, or in a British Council Office.

Scholarships and Bursaries

Academic scholars are available as Single Subject or Overall Academic Scholarships, and require students to complete Scholarship Papers.

Sixth Form Scholarships are also available for Art, Drama, Design and Technology, Music and Sport.

Full information in regards to the application process and eligibility are included in our Scholarships and Bursaries booklet.

Admissions