YOU'LL LIKE THE WAY
WAKEFIELD GIRLS NO LIMITS HAVE
IN OUR WORLD CLASS SIXTH FORM
YOU'LL LIKE THE WAY
WAKEFIELD GIRLS EXTRAORDINARY BECOME
Welcome
to a world class sixth form
Contents A World Class Choice Academic Strength A Level Choices Wellbeing Pathways To Success Exceptional Extra-curriculars Leadership Opportunities Destinations Scholarships Admissions
5 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
A World Class Choice Wakefield Girls’ Sixth Form is recognised as one of the best schools in the world, accredited as part of the High Performance Learning global network, and ranks as one of the top independent schools in the North by The Times, Parent Power Schools Guide 2022 and 2023. Intentionally small and exceptionally strong academically, we combine the best elements of a small traditional sixth form with a forward thinking pedagogy and an enhanced learning experience to transform how our students think and succeed.
A strength of our Sixth Form is the high quality personalised support that every student receives. We know our students individually. We are on hand during A Level years for students and parents with expert academic learning and pastoral support and mentoring as well as offering careers advice, interview preparation and support with university admissions, including bespoke support for highly competitive courses and universities.
The outcomes of our approach are visible in many ways - initially seen through exceptional A Level results and the resilience, awareness and agility of our students; then through their subsequent career pathways and lifelong success which is clear to see in our strong, connected alumnae network. Take a look at what our alumnae go on to do in their interviews here.
Throughout their time with us, students enjoy our wide extra-curricular program. This makes our sixth form a socially engaging and challenging stepping stone between school and university. Please join us at our Open Evening or arrange a visit to talk to staff and current students about your aspirations and personal needs.
Academic Strength Success is often measured by results achieved at A Level and our track record is consistently excellent. The most recent 2023 data shows how well our students perform with more than one half of all grades at A*/A and 76% awarded A/B grades.
While results matter, they are one part of an education and learning to make the right choices in life is another essential part. Many large schools and colleges have impersonal systems, stifling students' strengths, initiative and creativity, pushing them down well-trodden pathways. At Wakefield Girls’, students discover a highly supportive and very personal intellectual and social environment where they are encouraged to challenge everything and discover how to exemplify their very best. Carefully guided by caring, experienced and passionate A Level subject specialist teachers students have the flexibility to pursue their passions while discovering themselves.
Through our highly experienced Form Tutors and dedicated Sixth Form Support Team, we provide our students with a programme of academic coaching in order to develop the behaviours and attitudes required in the Sixth Form and beyond. We recognise that success looks different for each individual and our personalised coaching programme supports students completely to become the person they want to be whilst being resilient, building confidence and overcoming obstacles. Students leave Wakefield Girls’ intellectually and socially confident, ready for life beyond school with a shared global outlook and concern for others. Whether a potential designer, banker, business woman, doctor, scientist, engineer, artist or musician, we prepare students brilliantly in 26 different A Level subjects which underpin diverse career aspirations. Whatever their passion and aspiration, each student is equally valued and exceptionally catered for in our intentionally small classes, and personal tutor groups which allow us to tailor our teaching to each individual student. This is one of the key reasons why our students do so well.
A Level Choices Art & Design Biology Business Chemistry Classical Civilisation Computer Science Design & Technology Drama & Theatre Economics
English Language English Literature French Further Maths Geography German Government & Politics History
Latin Maths Music PE Physics Religious Studies Psychology Spanish Textiles
A Reputation Built On Excellence, Integrity and Authenticity As much as we celebrate academic results, we believe our most important offering is the personal development of all our students. Far from being an ‘exam factory’, our school is built on academic excellence, integrity and authenticity enabling girls to flourish now and, crucially, in their future years. Most importantly, our students leave with awareness, understanding and a strong sense of social responsibility, extremely well equipped and ready for their future choices. Students achieve their full potential at Wakefield Girls’, often far in excess of their own expectations.
Wellbeing Based in Sotterley and Ross, a refurbished Georgian House with attached modern and recently refurbished facilities within our school campus, sixth formers have their own dedicated study and social spaces comprising common rooms, kitchens, individual study pods and modern, flexible, cafe style working spaces. Sixth Form life is different for each girl as she studies personal combinations of subjects, belongs to different clubs, plays different sports and pursues her individual passions - but our students are always united and supported in our bright, like-minded nurturing community. Unlike some other sixth forms and colleges, we are aware that not all A Level students are ready to manage their academic career on their own and this is why we provide a strong tailored support system.
Reassuringly Prepared Under continual and careful guidance from the Head of Sixth Form and her team, student academic progress is monitored and managed effectively. A current view of progress is always available to students, parents, teachers and school leaders. Whilst we use a monitoring system, our teachers act as mentors giving counsel and perspective to best help each student individually. Learning support is always available.
Students learn to become mature in their dealings with others, enjoying a warm relationship of trust with staff under our well defined code of conduct which, while well enforced, is not restrictive. When you visit us, you will be struck by the result: mature, self-confident and well rounded sixth formers happily progressing in life at their own pace.
Pathways To Success At the heart of everything we do is happily empower and support students as they make life shaping decisions for their life beyond school. We believe there is no substitute for readily available current advice and sound structured personal guidance and offer this via our Pathways to Success Program. A special feature is our powHER Panel comprising our highest achieving alumnae, successful in their fields, who are ready to share their diverse professional experiences to support and help students.
OUR PROGRAM
Personal tutor to support post-18 choices. Personal access to our powHER Panel for insight, conversation and advice. Fortnightly Instagram interviews with our powHER Panel Careers INsight Week Wakefield Girls’ Matters Webinars Careers networking and seminars featuring apprentices and professionals locally, nationally and internationally from a diverse range of industries. University Support Program providing individual, relevant guidance and specialist support through the UCAS process, including application and preparation for interview and admissions tests. Membership to WGHS InTouch and alumnae Linked-In group.
Sixth formers have open access to the Director of Sixth Form and Head of Careers for personal guidance about post-18 choices. Destinations vary for our students, a reflection of their diverse career aspirations. They are successful in gaining sought after and competitive degree apprenticeships and places at many universities nationally, including the most prestigious degree programmes and universities.
Wakefield Girls' Sixth Form is not a one size fits all school. We work with every student to enable their aspirations, helping each to research choices, secure work placements and prepare thoroughly for their UCAS process including application, personal statement preparation, interview and preparation for admissions tests including the BMAT and LNAT.
Exceptional Extra-curriculars Opportunities are key for personal development and some more valuable than others. Our Sixth Form is jam packed with a diverse range of over 100 extracurricular activities and sports teams (netball, hockey, volleyball and tennis) empowering students and facilitating their personal growth and lifelong friendships.
Our EDGE program takes place every Thursday afternoon and is an opportunity for every Sixth Form student to customise their timetable from a wide range of activities, including an approved, completely bespoke activity of their own choice.
We offer Sixth Form specific EDGE options, highlighted in blue. Four are chosen in Year 12 and three in Year 13. Most EDGE activities are included in school fees. Some specialist activities noted attract additional costs.
1. ABRSM Medals 2. African Drumming 3. Archery £100 4. Badminton 5. Basketball 6. Biology For Life 7. Board Games 8. Bollywood Movies 9. Books & Biscuits 10. Chess 11. Circus Skills £70 12. Cooking on a Budget 13. CREST Award 14. Cricket 15. Cross Stitch 16. Cross-Fit Training £80 17. Dance 18. Debating & Public Speaking 19. Defining Gravity 20. Dog Handling & Training £60 21. Duke of Edinburgh Awards (Year 9) 22. Fakeaways 23. Falconry £80 24. Fantastic Beasts & How To Protect Them 25. Field Target Air Rifle £140 26. Fitness Trails 27. Folk Music 28. Football 29. Foreign Language Film Club 30. French Desserts 31. Fun With Dyes 32. Geocaching 33. Glow Up 34. Golf Pitch & Putt £20 35. Green Team 36. Ice Skating £70 37. Interior Design
38.Japanese Culture A to Zen 39. Japanese Food Culture 40. Junior Bake Off 41. Karate £70 42. Knitting and Discussion Group 43. Lacrosse 44. Lego Robot League 45. Magician Impossible £70 46. Make a Show (Part 1 47. Make a Show (Part 2) 48. Matlida Awards 49. Mock Courtroom Trial 50. Mountain Biking 51. Multisports 52. Music Ensemble 53. Music Technology 54. Ninja Warrior £70 55. Novel Writing 56. Orienteering 57. Origami 58. Personal care unit (Year 10) 59. Poetry Workshop 60. Positive Power of Art 61. Pre-Prep Assistant 62. Puzzle Club 63. Quiz of the Week 64.Rock Climbing / Bouldering £80 65. Rocket Building 66. Rounders 67. RSPB Volunteering 68. Science Reading Challenge 69. Self Defence £70 70. Senior Anatomy & Physiology Club (Year 11) 71. Sewing Bee Technical Challenge 72. Skateboarding £50
73. Ski Lessons £150 (Inc Equip Hire) 74. Snooker £35 75. Snowboarding Lessons £150 76. Sports Leadership Award 77. Stop Motion Animation 78. Table Tennis 79. Tag Rugby 80. TED Talks 81. Technical Garment Making 82. Tennis 83. Touch Typing 84. Trail Running 85. Treasure Trails 86. Urban Sketching 87. Volleyball 88. Y10 & 11 Supervised Study 89. Yoga £60 90. Young Engineers 91. Bespoke EDGE 92. Sports Leader Level 2 93. The Apprentice 94. Teaching 95. MOOCs 96. Mock Court Trials 97.Sixth Form STEM 98. Global Perspectives 99. Medical Museum 100. Sixth Form Rocketry 101. Uni Life Skills 102. EDGE Leader 103. UCAT Preparation 104. Oxbridge 105. Multigym 106. Aerial Yoga
Leadership Opportunities We provide plenty of leadership opportunities. In our Sixth Form, students take on varied vital roles - from running our school clubs, managing voluntary work, completing the Duke of Edinburgh awards, becoming trained peer mentors for younger students, helping lead our school as part of our prestigious Head Girl Prefect Team to having a national, as well as school, voice in our nationally recognised Student Union. Read more about our Leadership Opportunities here on our website.
Becoming Who and What She Wants To Be
Gateway To Top Universities The majority of our students go on to their first choice university. We also support an increasing number of students onto coveted degree apprenticeships. Here are some of the places that Wakefield Girls’ are currently studying. Students access a wide range of university destinations including the most prestigious degree programmes and universities, a reflection of their diverse personal career aspirations.
74% OF STUDENTS GO ON TO THEIR FIRST CHOICE UNIVERSITY
University of Warwick
University of Cambridge
University of Oxford
University of Hull
University of Newcastle
University of Nottingham
University of Manchester
University of York
University of Durham
University of Exeter
University of Lancaster
University of Bath
Imperial College London
University of Keele
University of Sheffield
Ready For Big Futures Wakefield Girls leave ready to enjoy big futures of their choice. A quick glance at our current alumnae will show the diverse range of careers our alumnae go on to succeed in. They have become our Medics, Chemists, Analysts and Engineers; our Artists, Performers, Producers and Authors; our Lawyers, Investment Managers, Business leaders and Entrepreneurs; they include Parliamentary Officers, a British Ambassador, Olympian and British Empire Medal winner. Join us for a walk around our sixth form; as you see girls taking on their leadership roles you will see how they become ready for such big futures. They work comfortably as collaborators and leaders. Students here develop a strong sense of academic and personal accomplishment matched by a strong sense of who they are and fully prepared for the challenges of life in the 21st century. Few sixth forms match the closeness of our community, an excellent stepping stone to university and grounding for professional life.
Scholarships Wakefield Girls' offers a number academic scholarships to students from Wakefield Girls' senior section and new students joining our Sixth Form from a different school. The Scholarship Exams for September 2024 entry will be held on 6 December 2023. Music and Instrumental scholarships are awarded by competitive audition. Art scholarships are awarded by letter of application and informal discussion of a portfolio of work. Our Sports scholars will already have significantly represented Wakefield Girls' or their own school at sport and should apply by letter. For further information about our Scholarships, please visit our website or contact our Admissions Secretary: snewton@wgsf.net.
Admissions How To Apply Students already at Wakefield Girls’ have automatic entry into our Sixth Form. We invite external students to complete the online application form on our website for a place in our sixth form. To be considered for a scholarship please apply before 30 November. Wakefield Girls’ students seeking scholarships should confirm this during their Sixth Form Planning Meetings. To secure your choice of subjects please apply before the end of February.
What happens next Following receipt of your application, we will invite you to meet with Mrs Varley, Head of Sixth Form, to discuss your A Level choices and aspirations for Sixth Form and beyond. Please bring your predicted GCSE grades. We will contact your current school for a reference. We will email conditional offers shortly thereafter.
Offers Final offers will be made following confirmation of candidates’ final GCSE grades, which will be released on 22nd August 2024.
Contact Admissions Advice & Enquiries snewton@wgsf.net
Phone number 01924 372490
Head of Sixth Form kvarley@wgsf.net
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