Sixth Form Prospectus

ST GEORGE’S ASCOT

# SG ASI XTH

SIXTH FORM PROSPECTUS 1

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CO N F I D E N T | CA PA B L E | CO N N E CT E D

CONTENTS: 3

Welcome

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Post 18 Options

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SGA Confident

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SGA Connected

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Leadership

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Effective Altruism

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Co-curricular

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Enrichment and Philanthropy

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SGA Capable

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House Life

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Academic Life

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Boarding

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Pastoral Support

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Facilities

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M R S D K R AT T Head of Sixth Form

The Sixth Form at St George’s, Ascot offers young women a remarkable education, full of individual opportunity but carefully shaped to prepare each of our pupils for the future of their choice. Our Sixth Form pupils reflect the core principles of our School. Our girls are confident in themselves, eager to step up and take the lead and strong in their sense of purpose. They are capable in a wide range of interests, encouraged from their first day to their last to take every opportunity and stretch themselves to reach their potential. Our dedicated Sixth Form Enrichment programme helps our girls to be inclusive and responsible citizens, connected to the world in which they will ultimately take their place.

Undoubtedly the best way to gauge whether a Sixth Form will suit you is to come and see for yourselves. I warmly invite you to arrange a visit or join us for one of our select Open Mornings here at the School to discover more about our superb provision and meet our world-ready Sixth Form pupils for yourselves.

@StGeorgesAscot @sga_thesixthform /StGeorgesSchoolAscot

CO N F I D E N T | CA PA B L E | CO N N E CT E D 3

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CONFIDENT

The well balanced school day, the size of the school and the impact of boarding, contribute to pupil’s developing confidence.

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LEADERSHIP Many girls apply for positions of leadership at the end of their Lower Sixth year, whether they have been pupils for some time or are new to Sixth Form. Pupils apply in writing to be Head or Deputy Head Girl, to be a prefect such as the Diversity and Inclusion, the Philanthropy and Partnerships or the Eco Prefect or to be one of our four House Captains. These roles give our girls a superb opportunity to take on responsibility outside of their studies, and help them to develop an understanding of leadership which is invaluable for future life.

We are also excited to announce our new Leadership Programme for Lower Sixth which launched in September 2023. Our LaurieWalker Programme will support girls, through a series of outside speakers, workshops and training sessions, to develop their assertiveness in everyday scenarios, such as when presenting ideas, public speaking or taking the lead on a team. The annual programme will also prepare the girls for competitive situations, such as when applying for a course or work, in interviews and appraisals, as well as on promotion boards, and thus provide invaluable preparation for our girls’ future progress.

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SGA CONFIDENT

Whilst strongly defending the identity and character of the School, St George’s is constantly driving forward and striving for excellence in providing a superbly well-rounded education.

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SGA CONFIDENT

CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME Our Sixth Form pupils are encouraged to find balance in life and pursue new or existing interests outside of the classroom as keenly as they do their studies. Over seventy clubs are on offer during and after the school day as part of our co-curricular programme and our Sixth Form are actively supported to establish new clubs if they have a particular interest they believe others would enjoy. For example, the pupil-run School Newspaper Club, the Economics and Business society and the Knitting and Chess Clubs are all recent additions to the programme..

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWA R D The DofE Gold Award is a world-renowned mark of achievement that is widely recognised by university admissions tutors and employers, and therefore is a valuable part of any UCAS application. In the Sixth Form you can start the Gold Award without having completed Silver or Bronze and are supported by the School to complete the residential, expedition, voluntary, physical

and skill elements of the award. The scheme allows participants to try a range of new activities, to develop teamwork skills and to make a difference in the community through volunteering.

TYCOON ENTERPRISE COMPETITION During the Lower Sixth, our pupils are encouraged to take part in the Tycoon Enterprise Competition, a national enterprise scheme which aims to encourage the nation’s budding entrepreneurs to get involved in industry. The programme is delivered through the innovative Tycoon digital platform that allows participating teams to submit business plans and trading updates as well as access exclusive content and learning opportunities. Our girls work in teams to come up with a business idea and write a plan for how to launch and run their activity. Tycoon then lend teams the money to run their business and help them to trade over a termly competition window. This authentic experience of the workings of a business not only prepares girls for the workplace but also develops valuable teamwork and organisational skills.

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PERFORMING The culture of performance is strong at St George’s and opportunities to take to the stage or the sports field are plentiful.

The annual school production – most recently Godspell – involves over a third of the school. Informal, termly Open Mic Nights are consistently popular with our vocalists. House competitions involve every member of the community and many eagerly audition for our prestigious Chapel Choir. Similarly, pupils develop teamwork skills and learn about collective engagement by joining one of our many sports teams. PE remains a part of our curriculum offering into the Sixth Form and we encourage all our senior pupils, whatever their level of fitness, skill or experience, to get involved in the sporting life of the School, and offer a wide range of onsite activities to facilitate them doing so.

PRESENTING Debating has long been valued at St George’s as a method for developing the presenting skills of our Sixth Form pupils. Active discussion and the confident expression of personal views is not only commonplace within the classroom setting, but the

Sixth Form also take the lead in broader school conversations such as at the much-contested annual House Debating competition. Our Sixth Form can take part in the ESU Schools’ MACE debating competition, delegates attend the Model United Nations, our historians regularly choose to enter the Historical Association’s Great Debate and girls have really profited from taking part in a Bar Mock Trial to experience the to-and-fro of the law court.

These are all superb opportunities to develop valuable presentational confidence.

PIONEERING We encourage our pupils, from early on in their journey at St George’s, to see themselves as the pioneers of positive change at the school and there are a wealth of different councils and committees which girls can join that give voice to their diverse interests and passions. Our Sixth Form pupils are supported to take the lead in all of these as is reflected in the range of Prefect positions on offer. From Diversity and Inclusion, to Charities, to Philanthropy and Partnerships, to our Eco Committee, the range of senior pupil engagement and their involvement in the steering of the school’s future is an exciting part of the SGA Sixth Form experience.

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SGA CONFIDENT

The girls are the biggest advocates for SGA – funny, bright, ambitious and honest.

M U D DY S T I L E T T O S 11

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[In the Sixth Form] the teachers trust you a lot more and they give you a lot more opportunity and space to excel in what you want to excel in and they really support you in doing that.

G R A C E , S I XT H F O R M E R 12

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CAPABLE

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S G A CA PA B L E

ACADEMIC LIFE Academically, our Sixth Form pupils achieve a high level of success, benefitting from exceptional teaching, small class sizes and a wide and varied curriculum on offer at A Level.

Whatever future plans our girls choose, there is comprehensive guidance and support to help them work towards their chosen goals. One of our recent Alumna described the supportive environment of our Sixth Form perfectly, “My teachers just said to me, You tell us what you want and we will help to get you there.”

St George’s produces exceptional academic results and university outcomes, particularly based on the value we add judged by baseline testing, which outperforms most other schools in the region and regularly places St George’s in the top 5% nationally. On average 83% of our pupils achieve their first or insurance choice of university, with four years of offers in both the humanities and STEM subjects from Oxford University and many other Russell Group institutions including Durham, Bristol, Warwick and Edinburgh. Targeted support is also given if a pupil wishes to apply for medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, for Oxford and Cambridge or university overseas and advice is available for those wishing to take a GAP year before commencing further education.

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STUDYING

EXTENDING

Here at St George’s, we strongly believe in allowing our girls to specialise and excel, whilst also enjoying the balance and breadth that A Level studies offer.

Universities and employers currently offer on the basis of results from three A Levels alongside a breadth of co-curricular activities and other attributes which help to develop the character of an individual’s application. We believe, therefore, that three A Levels is the appropriate choice for the majority of our pupils. A minority may wish to take four A Levels, for example Further Mathematics alongside Mathematics, and we are willing to discuss this in person to assess how appropriate such a demanding curriculum will be for a specific pupil. We also recommend and support native speakers to take an A Level in their own language.

At St George’s all Sixth Form pupils complete an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside their A Level studies. The EPQ is a fantastic opportunity to experience university-style study and expand knowledge in an area of interest. It also

Pupils are highly confident, combining healthy self knowledge, first-class social

teaches valuable skills that will be applicable in further education and beyond such as independent learning, presentational skills and a capacity for research and indicates motivation, organisation and self-discipline to a university or employer.

EXCELLING Academic, Art, Drama, Music, Sport, Swimming, Performing Arts and All-rounder scholarships are available at 16+ entry.

Scholars and Exhibition holders are invited to join a number of lunchtime events to discuss matters specific to their area of interest and subject departments encourage scholars to attend a range of sessions intended to ‘stretch’ their working knowledge and understanding of their area of interest.

More details can be found in the Further Information booklet and in the Scholarships booklet on our website.

skills and an awareness of the world around them.

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S G A CA PA B L E

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S G A CA PA B L E

PA S T O R A L S U P P O R T At St George’s you can work towards achieving your goals, confident in the knowledge that there is excellent pastoral support to help you flourish.

For current pupil’s, having input into choosing your Sixth Form tutor is the first step in ensuring that you have the right network of support to guide you through your two A Level years. In addition to seeing you twice-daily for registration, your tutor will also conduct a one-to-one tutorial at least every fortnight, allowing you to celebrate your successes or talk openly about any areas of concern.

As well as your tutor, the Head of Sixth Form, Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head (Pastoral) have oversight of every pupils’ progress. St George’s also has a full-time Health Professional on site in School hours, and a visiting doctor, as well as counsellors, our School Chaplain and an independent listener who are available for additional support. As a close-knit community whose members look out for each other, support and encouragement are always available.

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POST-18 OPTIONS UK UNIVERSITY University remains the most popular option for St George’s leavers and pupils are helped every step of the way in making a successful application. Open days, careers conventions and online platforms such as Unifrog help with research, and pupils work alongside their tutor to produce their ultimate UCAS application.

OVERSEAS UNIVERSITY St George’s is an international community with ambitious, globally-minded pupils who frequently investigate overseas options for further education. Most girls who are interested in studying abroad look to the United States, but there are attractive options in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and beyond. The staff at St George’s will encourage and support all those who choose this route or who want to have added options alongside their UK UCAS application. In recent years pupils have studied at New York University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa University, Queen’s University, Canada and the University of Hong Kong.

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS Increasingly, pupils are aware of the opportunities for furthering their careers through the completion of degree apprenticeships, and St George’s is strongly supportive of this exciting development.

The school has a dedicated member of staff assigned to supporting pupils to make applications if this is the route chosen.

WORLD OF WORK At St George’s we believe that there is no single path for girls leaving the school and a number of former pupils have opted to go straight into employment. Sixth Form pupils who decide to enter the world of work are fully supported, and help is provided in all aspects of an application process, from writing a strong covering letter to interview practice. Strong connections with our Alumnae community allow current Sixth Form girls to link with a truly global network.

We regularly hold career seminars in which Alumnae working in a range of industries, share their journey with our Sixth Form, thus widening their understanding of the workplace and inspiring them towards exciting post-18 employment options.

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S G A CA PA B L E

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CONNECTED

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SGA CONNECTED

E F F E C T I V E A LT R U I S M The St George’s Sixth Form also takes its pupils beyond the physical and metaphorical boundaries of school life. Our Sixth Form pupils connect with our Alumnae community, with future employers and universities, with local primary schools, food banks and care homes and by fundraising for a range of regional, national and international charities.

A programme of visiting speakers educate our school leavers to be thinking individuals, not only mindful, aware and critical about the world around them, but also intelligent about the opportunities that the world offers and the challenges it currently presents.

Older pupils act as strong role models to juniors, and all pupils look for ways to make contributions to their own school and wider society.

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ENRICHMENT

PHILANTHROPY

Our superb Sixth Form Enrichment Programme, with in-house and external speakers scheduled weekly into our Lower and Upper Sixth timetables, stimulates helpful conversations around our four key themes: British values, Healthy Lives, Positive Relationships and Future Careers.

The programme is diverse with highlights including; Addiction Counsellor, Simon Leigh, on Drugs Awareness; founder of the positivity platform Matriarch, Ria Kalsi, speaking about unconscious privilege; Lavinya Stennett, CEO of The Black Curriculum, talking about Black History; Mark Simmonds on ‘It’s Never Too Early to talk about Stress’ and Emma Cole from Positive Voice who spoke on being positive telling her own inspirational story of living with HIV.

SGA’s philanthropic mission is to inspire and encourage pupils to be aware of their surroundings, to connect through altruism and actively promote the welfare of others.

Regular, challenging and inspirational speakers help our pupils to forge an independent view and to determine the impact they want to have on the society they will imminently join. Speakers are carefully picked to helpfully feed into a bigger picture of societal responsibility as our Sixth Form prepares for their futures.

alongside people I hadn’t

By giving their time, resource and experience the girls have the opportunity to positively contribute to their local and global community, and to drive long term social change, both in school and in the future.

Going outside of school and into the community gave me the opportunity to work met before, with those who were older than me and the children who were younger. It took me out of my school bubble.

GRACE, ALUMNA

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SGA CONNECTED

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SGA CONNECTED

HOUSE LIFE Every pupil at St George’s is a member of one of our four Houses, Alexander, Becket, Churchill and Darwin, each of which is structured vertically and includes day girls and boarders from Year 7 right up to the Upper Sixth.

House activities and competitions take place throughout the year from Debating, Performing Arts, Music, Swimming, Tennis and Netball to the annual Georgian Gallop, part of our St George’s Day celebrations. Our annual House Parties are highlights of the year for both parents and pupils. Led by the Upper Sixth House Captains, these events have a great sense of camaraderie and fun, they build valuable links and connections between girls across the year groups and feed the collective competitive spirit as points won count towards the House Championship Cup, which is awarded at Prize Giving each year.

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BOARDING LIFE St George’s has a wide and flexible boarding offering, from those who weekly or full board through to those who choose to flexi board for a couple of nights a week. The boarding houses at St George’s are a home-from-home and for many they are the place where strong friendships are built as girls live and learn together.

The Sixth Form boarding philosophy is centred around preparing pupils for independent living, with senior pupils enjoying a range of extra privileges, such as cooking at weekends, unsupervised prep and opportunities to travel in groups to surrounding towns and, for the Upper Sixth, into London at weekends. Our Year 11 and Lower Sixth boarders remain in the heart of the school in Knatchbull House whilst our Upper Sixth enjoy a university-style experience in Loveday House on the edge of the site.

Whilst Sixth Form boarders are offered a lot more freedom, they are all actively encouraged to get involved with the weekly scheduled activities both for boarders in their own house and also across the School. The Sixth Form boarders are fantastic role models of vital balance for the younger girls and the incredibly strong bond between the age groups is a feature that distinguishes boarding at St George’s from competitor schools.

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SGA CONNECTED

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FACILITIES

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• 25m, 6 lane indoor swimming pool • Large sports hall • Newly refurbished fitness suite with state of the art Technogym equipment

• Sports pitches for lacrosse, football, cricket and athletics

• Six floodlit netball courts • Eight tennis courts • Sixth Form café, ‘The View’ • State-of-the-art 300 seat theatre with orchestra pit

• Separate drama studio • Newly refurbished mirrored dance studio • Dedicated music school and music practice rooms

• Music technology room and recording studio • Cookery and food technology room • Science centre • Language lab • Library • Photography studio with dark room • Two textiles studios • Two fine art galleries • Computer science rooms • Two Sixth Form boarding houses, Knatchbull (Lower Sixth) and Loveday (Upper Sixth)

St George’s combines small-school cosiness with big-school facilities.

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CONFIDENT CA PA B L E CONNECTED

@StGeorgesAscot / @SGA_SixthForm @StGeorgesAscot / @sga_thesixthform /StGeorgesSchoolAscot

As part of our commitment to sustainability, this prospectus is printed on recycled paper.

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