2015/16 The joint Sixth Form provision for Saint Gregory’s Catholic College and St Mark’s Church of England School
“The sixth forms of Saint Gregory’s and St Mark’s have come together to create a unique provision for young people in the Bath area: a high quality sixth form built on Christian foundations. We want all our students to continue to develop the values, confidence, knowledge and skills they need for adult life, and to grow into caring, well-rounded citizens who will contribute to the common good of society.”
Raymond Friel Headteacher Saint Gregory’s Catholic College
Barnaby Ash Headteacher St Mark’s Church of England School
Welcome to The New Sixth Bath The New Sixth is the joint post-16 provision of the sixth forms of Saint Gregory’s Catholic College and St Mark’s Church of England School, supported by the Clifton Diocese, Bath and Wells Diocese and Bath and North East Somerset Council. The New Sixth is an exciting collaboration between Saint Gregory’s and St Mark’s funded and supported by Bath and North East Somerset council. Located on the southern gateway to the World Heritage city of Bath, The New Sixth is a purpose-built learning environment of the highest quality, including a dedicated learning resource centre for sixth form students on our new site adjacent to Saint Gregory’s. All sixth form courses take place at Saint Gregory’s, making full use of existing facilities, with expert tuition from teachers of Saint Gregory’s and St Mark’s. We continue to work towards the development of Phase 2 of The New Sixth that will include a dedicated performance and gathering space and a home for our chaplaincy, a centre for the spiritual and pastoral support for our students that we have named ‘The Well’. Our fundraising campaign ‘The Gateway’ has already raised a considerable sum towards the cost of this additional development and we will begin work on Phase 2 this year with a two-storey extension to accomodate The Well and extend the atrium. The New Sixth provides a unique post-16 experience in the state sector in Bath and North East Somerset: a high quality sixth form education with outstanding pastoral support and a wide range of enrichment activities, inspired by our Christian values.
For us, this means that each student is uniquely gifted and will be supported in his or her sixth form programme in the best traditions of both schools. We build on the outstanding academic tradition of our schools to inspire our students towards the best possible outcomes, enabling them to continue their journey in the educational or employment setting of their choice. Just as important to us however, are the values our students learn while they are with us and take into the wider world. We want to develop future leaders who will take their place in society as well-rounded, caring and principled citizens. You are very welcome to come and see our outstanding new sixth form. Our Open Evening will be held on Thursday 22 October from 6.30pm - 9.00pm and will be an opportunity to see for yourself all that The New Sixth has to offer. We look forward to welcoming you to this major new development in education in Bath and North East Somerset.
Mr Raymond Friel Headteacher, Saint Gregory’s
Mr Barnaby Ash Headteacher, St Mark’s
The New Sixth Experience Life as a sixth form student will be different for you, but we are committed to providing the same level of personalised support, both inside and outside the classroom, that has been recognised as outstanding. We provide a caring, supportive environment and all individuals are warmly welcomed into the student body. The New Sixth equips students with a rich mix of experiences and opportunities that will prepare them for adult life. Being a sixth form student means developing skills and qualities in leadership, selfreliance and independence. You will have a very vital role to play as ambassadors and role models for younger students. We expect that many of you will be interested in being a part of the Student Council and will want to take a key leadership role as a senior prefect or head boy/head girl. We offer many opportunities for student voice and student representation. We very much want you to have your say in your sixth form and to play an active part as always in making decisions that will enhance sixth form life and the whole school community.
“I am looking forward to studying in a modern environment like the Learning Resource Centre and the wide range of subjects on offer is impressive.” Peter, Year 11, Saint Gregory’s
Your Curriculum You now have an exciting opportunity to deepen your knowledge of subjects that you really enjoy and the chance to embrace new ones. It is a time for intellectual exploration, transforming you in only two years into a mature young person who is ready to pass through the gateway to the challenges and rewards of university or career. Great care and attention has been paid to providing a range of qualifications that are highly regarded by universities and potential employers and which will enable you to grow in intellectual and personal maturity. The majority of students will study four A Level subjects in Year 12 and continue with three A Level subjects in Year 13. We offer 24 A Level courses, from which you can select those which will provide you with the right personal challenges. Our personalised approach also extends to those who have not yet reached the entry requirements for level 3 courses and need an additional year to achieve their ambition. This will include concentrated study at GCSE and a range of level 2 BTECs. This will enable students to progress onto level 3 courses here or to begin or continue level 2/3 courses at other schools, colleges or training providers. Full course details and specifications can be found in The New Sixth Course Guide or online at www.newsixthbath.org.uk
Choosing your Course •
If you have a specific career in mind, check as to whether that will require specific advanced level subjects for entry to university. Many do not, but a few do. Medicine, veterinary science, engineering, teaching and architecture are among those that do require specific subjects.
•
Some subjects go well together or support each other. Maths is helpful if you are studying physics or chemistry, for example.
•
If you are particularly good at something or have enjoyed it at GCSE, the chances are that you will enjoy it and do well at A Level. For university entrance, the grade you gain at advanced level is usually more important than the name of the subject. However, do be aware that for Russell Group universities some subjects are more facilitating than others.
•
Find out what the course involves and consider whether these skills and activities appeal to you. How much reading, essay-writing, calculation, laboratory work, practical or field work is involved? Will you have to participate in residential or out-of-school activities?
•
Consider using your fourth subject to balance your course of study and develop your key skills. A scientist, for example, might add a creative arts subject, a linguist a scientific subject.
•
Above all, talk to your teachers! They know your strengths and their advice therefore, is crucial.
You may be aware that further changes are planned in the 14-19 curriculum over the coming years with the first of these changes occurring in September 2015. We will keep pace with these changes, and always seek to offer you the very best educational pathways.
Academic Excellence The New Sixth strives for academic excellence, to this end there is rigorous monitoring and tracking of your progress. Teacher assessment and feedback is shared with students and parents via interim progress reports, formal written reports and parent consultation evenings. In regular formal interviews with your tutor, you will receive both detailed reports on your attainment and advice and guidance for sustained improvement and progress. However, we believe it is important that you take ownership of your learning, therefore we expect you to monitor your own development as a learner and we encourage self-assessment and independent tracking of your progress. We offer support in building up a learning and skills profile which will inform your decisions about your future and assist us in our discussions with you.
“The family atmosphere at The New Sixth is incredible and this can only help to further support us as we continue our education and move towards employment or university.” Ben, Year 13, St Mark’s
Support and Challenge Your personal development is very important to us. We have a dedicated team of sixth form tutors, led by a Head of Sixth from both schools, who work with all sixth form staff to ensure that every student is supported and challenged to achieve their full potential. Our aim is to offer you personal freedom in a more adult environment and to ensure that we do this within a friendly, supportive framework. Tutors are in close daily contact with you and monitor both your academic and personal progress. There is a dynamic and relevant core programme in place which covers topics ranging from study skills to health and well-being and social awareness. Chaplaincy is a key element of support within The New Sixth, centred at the heart of our community in ‘The Well’. It provides a witness to the Christian ethos of the sixth form. Sixth form spiritual life includes the opportunity for worship, prayer and retreat. Christian values permeate many of the activities students do such as leading assemblies, mission conferences and charity fundraising. Spiritual life in The New Sixth is enhanced through a general course that allows students to explore further aspects of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Enrichment Opportunities We offer all students the chance to deepen and enrich their studies, to go above and beyond just gaining qualifications. In particular, we offer you the chance to personalise your education and we challenge you to go on a journey to extend your thinking, your skills, your intellect so that you can engage in debate or discussion at interview and show the real potential that universities and employers seek. The planned enrichment programme has dedicated time allocated to it each week on your timetable which gives you the opportunity to develop those skills that have been identified as vital to achieving success in adult life. The skills of working with others, problem solving and independent learning will be developed via a range of options including:
• • • • • •
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme The Extended Project Qualification Work experience/work shadowing The V Scheme (accredited volunteering) International cultural exchange programmes Mandarin Chinese
You will be encouraged to participate in sport, performing arts or community action projects either within the school or the neighbouring community. We provide as diverse a selection as possible of extra-curricular activities and events such as travel abroad, theatre and educational visits, university information fairs and residential retreats - all of which will enrich all aspects of your sixth form experience and fully develop your leadership skills.
International Links Building on existing international links, The New Sixth will further strengthen these by providing sixth form students with a host of opportunities to become involved in global education projects. There are already well-established ongoing partnerships across Europe and Asia with students visiting France, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Turkey through British Council sponsored projects, and to the Saint Gregory’s partner school in Suzhou, China. Our most recent new international link is with a school in West Bengal, India. Taking part in these projects helps our students to prepare themselves as global citizens, become more aware of social, economic and political issues that affect people across the world and wanting to make a difference by sharing what they know with their peers, and making their views known within the sixth form and wider community. We believe that students who have a bigger picture of world affairs are better able to make a contribution and to have their voices heard. Enriching experiences such as these are highly valued by universities who constantly demand more of their students in an increasingly competitive market place.
Preparing you for the next steps... We are very much aware that sixth form is a stepping stone to the next important phase in a young person’s life. For some it will be the last stage in formal education, for others it will be the means of securing a place in Further or Higher Education. Therefore, from the very start of your time in The New Sixth, we aim to treat you as adults within a friendly and supportive environment that prepares you for progression. An excellent careers guidance programme is on offer that will enable you to make the right choices. We provide an ongoing and highly structured programme of preparation for Higher Education so that you are well-informed and confident when it comes to choosing and applying to college and university. Students are fully supported in this process and advice and guidance is given with all university applications and especially for the highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Veterinary Science and Law. In addition, there is specialist guidance and preparation for those students considering Oxbridge entrance. Mock interviews, appropriate for the post-18 route you choose, are available to all students.
Expectations We have a high expectation that the exemplary personal conduct of our sixth formers sets the tone of the whole school community. Although there is not a uniform, we do insist on appropriate dress and appearance. Good attendance is important in ensuring the best opportunity for outstanding academic achievement. You are free to leave the building at lunch time, but you are expected to return punctually. Use of private study time is closely monitored and you are expected to develop the habit of spending your study time working in the new learning resource centre. Our aim is to provide a disciplined framework while permitting sufficient freedom for you to learn to cope with greater personal freedom.
How to Apply All students in their final year at Saint Gregory’s and St Mark’s have an automatic place in the sixth form, provided they meet the entry requirements for a full-time programme of study. We also have places for external students who may wish to experience a new type of sixth form provision and who meet the requirements for a full-time course of study.
Key dates for entry into September 2016 Open Evening Thursday 22 October 2015 6.30pm - 9.00pm Deadline for applications Friday 18 December 2015 Application forms (and supplementary information) can be found at www.newsixthbath.org.uk
Headteacher - Saint Gregory’s Mr Raymond Friel MA (Hons), NPQH Headteacher - St Mark’s Mr Barnaby Ash BSc (Hons), NPQH Director of Sixth - Saint Gregory’s Mrs C Boardman BEd Head of Sixth - St Mark’s Mrs S Wiltshire BA Chair of Governors - Saint Gregory’s Mr G Davies Chair of Governors - St Mark’s Mr R Coombe The New Sixth Combe Hay Lane, Odd Down, Bath, BA2 8PA T 01225 838232 F 01225 835848 E info@newsixthbath.org.uk www.newsixthbath.org.uk