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Sixth Form life
Independent learning with outstanding pastoral care
Our academic programme will prepare you for top universities and careers, focusing on providing depth as well as breadth. We believe in a balanced education. You will take full advantage of the many opportunities here to enhance both your intellectual and social development. We have an impressive range of activities and societies, as well as sport, music and drama, which will enable you to be fully involved in our community. In our Sixth Form, there is an exciting and stimulating learning environment which allows for individual choice and expression, as well as the possibility to develop your leadership qualities and initiative by becoming more involved in the activities and events in the school.
You will meet daily with your tutor, who will monitor your progress and give advice and guidance, alongside a strong pastoral support network made up of your Head of Year, the Deputy Head of Sixth Form and the Head of Sixth Form. Further support is provided by nurses with mental health training, the school counsellor, the academic mentor and our collaboration with a clinical psychologist who regularly visits the school, with oversight provided by our Pastoral Deputy Head.
A culture of kindness and community
We have a dedicated Sixth Form Centre offering a light and spacious common room area where you can relax and socialise and benefits from its own café, serving drinks and snacks. This is in addition to our Mitre Café, which serves hot meals to the Sixth Form, making it a friendly, buzzing environment. Our three study suites are filled with natural light and are well-equipped with Wi-Fi access, IT facilities and both quiet and collaborative working areas. We want our students to grow to be the best version of themselves that they can be. We provide a safe and stable community, which values respect, as well as compassion and understanding. Many of our Sixth Formers hold mentoring roles for younger students in the school and take leading roles in our community as School Prefects or members of our Sixth Form Council and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.
Sixth Form student
A stimulating Sixth Form curriculum
Our students select four A Level subjects to study in the Lower Sixth leading to three or four A Levels in the Upper Sixth. Starting with four A Levels enables you to maintain breadth and ensures that you make the right choices for you. The majority of our Sixth Formers elect to drop one of their A Levels during or by the end of their first year, although some students will continue with four subjects throughout. Students are able to drop down to three A Levels as early as December in the first term but most continue for longer to enable greater enrichment and stretch. There is always plenty of support and guidance available to help you make an informed choice about your future. Alongside A Levels, you will follow our Trinity Diploma programme, which includes undertaking either an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or a Sixth Form Project as well as an extensive personal development programme. You can read more about the EPQ in the A Level Subjects section of this guide. There is a rich culture of extension and enrichment outside of the syllabus, delivered through our departmental societies and clubs, visiting speakers, and through the Diploma electives. Many of our Sixth Form students take a lead in giving talks for societies and for our academic symposia. We aim to build resilience and alleviate stress, as well as to prepare our young people for life beyond school. Our Diploma includes personal development sessions on sex and relationships, online reputation management, maintaining good mental health as well as on employability and preparing for university, for example. We recognise the importance of helping you develop your study skills and revision techniques, so we deliver focused sessions to support this and run Sixth Form academic mentoring support.
Sixth Form student
