We bring a vast range of opportunities to our students in Year 12 and 13 which encourages them to aim high with their plans for the future, and we equip them with the skills and experiences that will enable them to reach their aspirational goals.
Speakers from a wide range of research-intensive universities introduce Year 12 students to the possibilities for university study, and encourage them to explore a wide range of pathways.
Through our relationship with Lancaster University as a Lancaster Link school, we frequently welcome visiting academics from fields as varied as Politics, Mathematics, Creative Writing and Physics to deliver lunchtime lectures to our Sixth Form students. Another particular highlight in early 2024 was a talk from the philosopher AC Grayling where he challenged our students to "Live a good life".
Key features of the Sixth Form journey
- Bar Mock Trial Competition is a great opportunity for aspiring lawyers in Year 12 to work as a team on a challenging legal case, competing at a high level against other Sixth Forms and colleges.
- In the summer term of Year 12 we provide extensive one-to-one support with writing university applications that make our students stand out from the crowd. Every student gets personalised support and rigorous guidance from the highly experienced Sixth Form team.
- For many years we have provided bespoke interview training for those applying to study Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. We also prepare students for demanding academic interviews at Oxford and Cambridge and students also support each other through hands-on activities, to be the best they can be in a collaborative environment.
- We take our prospective Cambridge applicants to the Open Day in July, staying overnight stay at Sidney Sussex College.
- We are fortunate to host an annual visit from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in school in November to support our Year 13 students with the demanding and rigorous interviews they will experience as part of the process of applying to Oxford and Cambridge universities.
- We have a long-established Mock Interview Night which takes place in November of Year 13 for any student who will have an interview as part of their application to university. More than 50 students have interviews on this evening, it is a big event in school. We draw upon our extensive network of professional contacts to bring a high-quality experience to the students which means that they go into their real interviews confident and well-prepared.
From early in Year 12 we highlight a vast range of academic opportunities that will stretch students academically, giving them an impressive profile when applying to universities and competitive degree apprenticeships.
Prizewinners of prestigious essay competitions
in 2023 included:
Anna
Law category of the John Locke Institute 2022 Global Essay Competition,
Amie
2022 Newnham College Essay Prize – Mathematics, Cambridge University
Elizabeth
How do Gut Microbes and the Gut-Brain Axis Communicate? For the 2022 Techfest STEM competition
Eshaal
East Asian Studies Competition, Sheffield University