Ambitious to succeed - Inspired to achieve
“Our Post 16 teaching and learning is of the highest standard. We provide a stimulating environment for our students and work in close collaboration with both universities and employers.� Ms Jan Parnell Director Post 16
Dear Students Welcome to the Post 16 Centre of Phoenix High School. We hope that your time here will be highly productive in terms of academic success and personal growth. Our Post 16 provision is aimed at providing a high standard of teaching and learning with opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom. We expect all our learners to aspire to achieve their best. We are mindful that the majority of our students will want to progress on to degree courses at top universities, including Oxbridge and the Russell Group, and we are committed to providing the best teaching and guidance to support these aspirations. The Post 16 Centre caters for all learners and whether you choose a pathway to employment or academic excellence, we will support you in achieving a better future for yourself. Please take the time to read carefully through this brochure and download an application form from our website. We welcome pre-arranged visits throughout the working week so you can sample the atmosphere and view our facilities. Mr Alan Streeter Executive Headteacher
Thank you for your interest in studying at Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre. We believe that the Centre offers a truly outstanding Sixth Form experience with access to a range of both academic and vocational studies. You need to make informed choices about your next stage of education and we have qualified staff who will help you make an impartial choice. You will need to have a keen interest in your subjects and to be interested enough to be ‘reading around’ them. We provide academic mentoring and access to subject coaching from a number of graduates from top universities. Sixth Form life is a blend of developing independent skills as well as seeking guidance and support from highly skilled teachers and from your personal tutor. He or she will oversee your general academic progress and will be responsible (in conjunction with appropriate staff ) for your pastoral care. You will complement your formal studies with our enrichment programme that will provide you with volunteering opportunities and basic life skills such as cooking , budgeting , DIY and presentation skills. Your tutor will be monitoring your progress through reports and by discussion with those who teach you and will be closely involved in the writing of your reference and supporting your application for higher education and vocational pathways.
The Sixth Form is very much a community in itself, but it is also part of the wider school community. We expect members of our Sixth Form to be excellent role models for our younger students and there will be opportunities to volunteer. Sixth Formers at Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre enjoy outstanding facilities. Academic departments are well resourced, provision for games and activities is excellent, there is access to an impressive Learning Resource Centre and, throughout their time here,
Sixth Formers have the use of common areas where students can socialise outside the formal hours of the school day. Of course, the academic, social, sporting and pastoral provision of which we are so proud is not an end in itself. Life in any Sixth Form is a time of transition. Once you have left school you are most likely to experience another huge change as you move into an institution of higher education. It is our hope that the lessons learned at Phoenix High School will help you to make this transition successfully.
WHY PHOENIX POST 16 CENTRE? At Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre, the students are at the centre of everything that we do. We are committed to putting your needs first. We offer over 14 A Levels, a small GCSE course and pre-apprenticeships in Childcare , Landbased Studies and Activity leadership - allowing you to access a number of levels of learning from L1-3 ( pre GCSE to A’level). You will be taught by inspirational and outstanding teachers who are committed to excellence and will offer you stimulating and challenging lessons. You will be part of one of the newest Sixth Forms in the borough and will work in a fantastic brand-new building, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. You will be working with fabulous students who belong to a happy, supportive community, which promotes tolerance and mutual respect. We are committed to providing success for all of our students and will support them throughout their time with us and on to the next stage in their career, whether that is university, college or work.
FACILITIES Newly opened in April 2011, Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre is a purpose-built, £8.7m building designed for 21st century learning. Specialist facilities include:
ICT suites with the latest software and hardware Study areas and Learning Resource Centre each with ICT facilities Wireless open networking throughout the site supporting laptops, iphones and other smart-phones Specialist science laboratories and preparation room Coffee shop and dining area Every teaching space equipped with an interactive whiteboard and projector
The dedicated Post 16 building is spacious, modern, light and equipped with excellent ICT facilities and technology to enhance your learning experience. We are committed to providing wholesome meals and snacks cooked from scratch on a daily basis at both reasonable and competitive prices. Our café has been delivering delicious and delectable meals for all the ‘knowledge hungry’ Phoenix Sixth Form students with great success. Our ethos is based upon the principle that young people need a balanced diet of nutritious foods to sustain them throughout their day. By doing so, students are more focused and more likely to gain the most from their education. It is a very simple but effective principle that now is available to all Sixth Form students five days a week throughout their school year. Externally, there are exclusive dining, relaxing and socialising facilities with landscaped areas. The wider school site also includes indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, with a swimming pool and floodlit tennis courts, an outdoor learning space ’farm’.
VALUES & BELIEFS
HONESTY, OPENNESS AND FAIRNESS LEARNING, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
RELATIONSHIPS, COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK POSITIVITY, ENTHUSIASM AND FUN The staff at Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre value achievement, success and excellence and have a clear focus to improve standards of academic achievement to better the lives of students. Honesty, Openness and Fairness life in our community is based on the values of honesty and fairness and we commit to conducting ourselves with openness, trust and respect for individuals. Learning, Creativity and Innovation - we are driven to pursue effective learning for all students through first class teaching and support.
Relationships, Collaboration and Teamwork - students and staff working together to foster a real sense of community and respect. We work in partnership with parents/ carers to ensure that our students are able to become responsible, valued and successful members of society. Positivity, Enthusiasm and Fun shown by and towards all students at Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre.
APPLYING
Application Forms and Prospectus/Course Offer will be available from our website or by request from the Post 16 Centre reception. Applications are accepted from November onwards and we strongly suggest that you come to one of our Open Evenings which are advertised on the website.
A MESSAGE TO PARENTS & CARERS Top class institutions work with parents/ carers to make sure that their son/daughter is on track to succeed. We feel that we are not only accountable to the students for the quality of what we do, but also to the parents and carers.
More importantly, we recognise that you, as parents/carers, have a vital role to play in supporting your son/daughter to succeed in their studies. Regular reports and parents’ evenings will provide direct communication on the progress of your son/daughter, along with their Personal Tutor who will provide a direct link to the Sixth Form.
The Sixth Form pledge:
Students are fully supported from the moment they apply to the Sixth Form and throughout their time with us.
A dedicated team of tutors led by the Director and Deputy Director of Post 16 will guide you through your time with us.
Individual subject support from highly-qualified and successful subject teachers, who will challenge and motivate you.
Advice and support on and after results day. From GCSEs, through to A Level results, leading to university placements.
Guidance on the choice of subjects at Open Evenings and through the interview process is given to all applicants to enable you to make the right choices.
High-quality guidance on careers, entry to Higher-Education and support for UCAS applications.
Specialist support for entry to Medicine, Engineering, Teaching and other specialist routes.
The Sixth Form is fast-moving and challenging and we are keen to make sure that you have all of the individual support that you need. Every student who joins us at Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre will be helped to achieve their potential. We will work hard to ensure that the most able and talented students make a success of their time with us. For all of our students, including those with the highest GCSE grades, we have the expertise and facilities to support applications to the top universities, including Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. We want all students who join us to have genuine aspirations and to be the best they can. Students with specific talents will benefit from support in their specialist areas. When you join Phoenix High School Post 16 Centre, you will have your own Personal Tutor. They will quickly help you to settle in so that you make the most of your time here with us. It is your Personal Tutor who will have the overview of your academic and personal development and ensure that you are on track throughout your time so that you can successfully move on to the next stage of your career.
A MESSAGE TO STUDENTS Whilst a student at the Post 16 Centre, you are part of a learning community. We place great emphasis on keeping our students focused on study and maintaining a calm and purposeful environment for learning. We are also a caring community in which individual students are valued and given support and help as needed. Staff at the Sixth Form have thought hard about how to make the most of the opportunities 16-19 education offers. Our aim is to offer you a really exciting range of courses to choose from and to ensure that each individual student leaves the Sixth Form well equipped to move into the future. That is why we emphasise certain skills and attitudes here: Achievement of very high levels of attendance and punctuality Development of learning skills, including time management and personal organisation Development of personal and life skills through a wide range of enrichment activities Taking responsibility, for example, by being active in the Student Council or mentoring students in the lower school Above all, we want you to feel positive about education and learning, to enjoy your courses here and to gain the qualifications that you need for interesting and challenging careers. Mr Hider Mahdi Deputy Director Post 16
LEARNING PATHWAYS We offer an inclusive provision to cater for students with different abilities. We have three distinct pathways that all lead to success:
The Academic Pathway ...is for those students who would like to study 4 AS Levels from a wide range of subjects, both academic and practical. These students will have achieved 5 A*–C GCSE passes including English. These students will have mostly achieved B and C grades.
The Russell Group Pathway ...is for those students who wish to follow a more traditional A Level route and choose to study facilitating subjects as identified by the Russell Group universities. These students will have achieved 5 GCSE passes at grade A*/A. The facilitating subjects are:
Mathematics and Further Mathematics
English (Literature)
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Geography
History
Languages
The Level 2 Accelerated Pathway (Level 2 Pathway) ...is for those students who would like to study GCSE English, Science (double award), Maths, DT and the Extended Project Qualification. Students will have the opportunity to complete the combination of GCSE’s achieving the desired grades within one year to progress onto AS Levels. The Pre-Apprenticeship Pathway Our Sixth Form uniquely offers pre-apprenticeship courses in either Child Care, Landbased Studies or Activities Leadership that progress to either further study at L2 or 3 or direct entry into work. Students have an extended work placement with employers and combine this ‘on the job training’ with Sixth Form based assessment .
Volleyball Whilst we regard academic success as paramount at the Phoenix Post 16 Centre, we also recognise that it is vital that we help to produce well rounded students. With this in mind, the school offers a number of enrichment activities designed to help develop our students and also prepare them for life in the wider world. It is also undeniable that universities seek out students who have more to offer than ‘just’ academic grades; they want students who actively seek to enrich their own lives.
Within school we offer opportunities to ‘buddy’ and ‘mentor’ younger students through supporting their reading and numeracy skills. On a Friday afternoon the Sixth Formers attend sporting activities, volunteering activities and a life skills programme. Students have access to a wide range of sporting activities, including:-
SIXTH FORM COUNCIL The Sixth Form Council plays a key role in the social and working life of the Sixth Form. The council acts as the mouthpiece for all of the students and the elected council members suggest and put forward ideas that they would like to see come into fruition within the everyday life of the Sixth Form. The Council provides an important and valuable student voice which is a key driving force behind this successful Sixth Form.
5-a-side Football
Gym
Badminton
Level 1 Coaching (Various Sports)
Basketball
Self Defence
Canoeing
Sports Leadership L1 & 2
Climbing
Swimming
Cricket & Indoor Cricket
Table Tennis
Dance
Trampolining
Football
Volleyball
The ‘Sorted’ Inspire programme provides Post 16 students with all the skills necessary to look for jobs, excel at interviews and move into part time and full time work. In addition students will participate in a life skills programme to equip them with the skills for independent living.
“Phoenix High School has continually demonstrated its commitment to the neighbourhood and has proved to be an enthusiastic partner and innovative lead organisation within the community.”
“Inspire are delighted to partner with Phoenix High School for a second year delivering our Sorted courses. The students are fortunate to be able to benefit from the excellent facilities that Phoenix provide. We were impressed with the enthusiastic approach of the Year 12 students who completed our practical life modules including iDIY, iCook, iGrow and iCOM last year and pleased that they gained so much from the Sorted experience.”
“We work with Phoenix High School as part of our local community in White City and have always found them to be an engaging and fun partner!”
Alec McGivan, Former Head of BBC Outreach
Caroline Stewart, Inspire Foundation
Harry Audley, Chair - White City Residents’ Association, White City Neighbourhood Forum & The Urban Partnership Group Phoenix High School provides opportunities for experiencing rural jobs programmes, in collaboration with Duchy College, Cornwall. A pre-apprenticeship course in Land Based Studies is available in the Sixth Form.
“Phoenix has always been a hub of community activity in the White City and Wormholt area, we value their partnership in developing projects locally.” Cathy Maud, Hammersmith Community Gardens Association
“We work with Phoenix High School because of their interest in innovative partnership working to improve outcomes for their young people. Their commitment to working with local community organisations and businesses to enhance their students employability makes them one of our key partners.”
Diana Edgecombe, Hammersmith & Fulham Education Business Partnership Manager
Job fayres and conferences at the Post 16 Centre in collaboration with the Education Business Partnership and Brunel University, allow students to meet employers, decide on future careers and meet higher education centres to facilitate their progression.
“The Trust is delighted to be working in partnership with Phoenix 6th form as part of the enrichment programme. The students are enthusiastic and a credit to the school.” Ulick Tarabanov, Chief Executive, London Sports Trust
“Through working with Phoenix High School we are able to combine resources and expertise to more effectively engage young people and the local community in a range of innovative projects. We share a desire to provide opportunities for individuals to fulfil their potential, inspire change, and ultimately improve life chances.“
Andy Evans CEO, QPR Community Trust
Education programmes with QPR provide students with extra tuition in core subjects.
It is without doubt that the majority of students who join the Sixth Form have their sights firmly set on securing a university place two years later. Often, our students are the first in their family to attend university and we have high aspirations and expectations of all of them. We ensure that students complete their applications well in advance of the deadline. Having met with the Admissions Tutors at some of the country’s top universities, including Cambridge and Imperial College, we know that by submitting the application earlier, our students will have a greater chance of securing a place at the university of their choice. We guide our students clearly through the whole process. At the end of Year 12, we work with Into Uni to prepare students for their application processs, helping them to begin to work towards producing a successful personal statement, actively research options and meet application deadlines. We also invite many professionals from different careers to come in and inspire the students through a programme of ‘Phoenix Talks’. For more information about our programmes please visit the Post 16 website. For those students who have aspirations to apply to Oxford or Cambridge we have an Oxbridge Focus Group intended to aid and assist them with the rigours of applying to two of the world’s best universities. We work with ‘Team Up’ who link Imperial College undergraduates with our gifted and talented students on a tutoring and coaching programme that takes place at both the Sixth Form and Imperial College London. In addition, we have academic mentoring in Sciences and Humanities. From our first cohort of students applying to university, 100% achieved a place, including at Russell Group universities.
STUDENT DESTINATIONS
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Name of student : Adam Omer Year 13 Phoenix Post 16 (2013 ) Destination - Queen Mary, University of London Subject: Mathematics
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Name of student : Nada Soltani Year 13 Phoenix Post 16 (2013 ) Destination - University of Brighton Subject: Architecture
STUDYING SCIENCE AND MATHS AT PHOENIX
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Name of student : Joan Edache Year 13 Phoenix Post 16 (2013 ) Destination - Glyndwr University Subject: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
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Name of student : Vanessa Gondo Year 13 Phoenix Post 16 (2013 ) Destination - Portsmouth University Subject: Sociology & Psychology
The Science Department offers a full range of separate science subjects at A Level including Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Our facilities are excellent with all teaching laboratories equipped with interactive whiteboards. The Learning Resource Centre and private study facilities are second to none. These are wide-ranging and in constant development to support study. Whatever Science courses you choose to study you will be taught by highly experienced and dedicated staff. We make learning our priority and our staff make studying Science and Maths an interesting, stimulating and accessible experience. It’s also challenging, but students are treated as individuals and we’ll give you lots of support to help you succeed.
HUMANITIES AT PHOENIX
All Humanities subjects are taught in our new building with spacious classrooms and ample working facilities. We believe at Phoenix that Humanities are immensely important in today’s culture, both in exploring and understanding the lessons of the past and in building the great cultural advances of the future.
SPORTS AT PHOENIX
There are a wide variety of sports on offer at Phoenix Post 16 Centre. These can be taken up on a recreational or competitive basis and cover both team and individual sports. We are extremely fortunate to have top class facilities that cover a wide range of activities.
Land Based Studies and Animal Care The land based industries are a growing area and in collaboration with Duchy College, Cornwall, we offer a Level 1 Award/Certificate/ Diploma in Land Based Studies. This is a useful course to introduce students to the benefits and reality of horticulture or land based studies as a career. Horticulture modules include plant science, soil science and horticultural production and Animal Care modules include the health and wellbeing of animals, handling, restraining and transporting animals and animal accommodation. Students will access real working environments through weekly work placements. There are excellent progression routes to work or further study.