Support and guidance in the sixth form

 Effective personal supervision is important if students are to make the most of their time in the Sixth Form.  We aim to provide our students with supervision which is not closeting or over-powering but sensitive and responsive to the needs of young adults.  We are proud of our support and guidance framework and were very pleased indeed to note that OFSTED reported that the personal development and well-being of our Sixth Form students was ‘outstanding’ (OFSTED Report, October 2006)

What do sixth form tutors do?

 At the heart of our support and guidance provision is the Sixth Form tutor.  Each student is initially placed in a tutor group of 15-20 students and most students remain with their tutors throughout their time in the Sixth Form.  There are currently nine Sixth Form tutor groups.

Each Sixth Form tutor provides students with the personal support necessary to enable them to achieve as well as possible in whatever courses they are following, and encourages students to make the most of all the opportunities presented to them. 

We encourage students to set targets, work responsibly, with self-motivation and self-discipline, and develop essential management and leadership skills and a mature view of the world.  Above all, Sixth Form tutors are there to help students manage their Sixth Form careers and prepare them for life beyond school.

Tutors meet formally with their groups in the weekly tutorial.  Students also have regular one-to-one Progress Interviews with you tutor in a rolling programme throughout the year.

Tutors naturally support students through the intricacies of submitting applications to university and college and, for those students who choose to move into employment at the end of their Sixth Form careers, provide guidance on how to research careers and submit applications for jobs.

 Tutors naturally keep a close watch on their students’ progress and meet with students from time to time to discuss how they are doing in formal Progress Interviews, usually one each half-term.  More frequent meetings can easily be arranged, if necessary.

We provide students and their parents with two interim reports in the Autumn Term (one at half-term and one at the end of term) and a full report in the Spring Term.  There is a Sixth Form Consultation meeting in the early part of the Spring Term, to which parents and students are invited.  Students can make personal appointments to meet with staff at the Consultation meeting, if they so wish.

The Head of Sixth Form is also available to speak to parents and students, without appointments, at our regular Informal Consultations Evenings.