Reasons to study at SHFGS

Reasons to study at SHFGS Sixth Form, in the words of our students:

The close collaboration between students and teachers allows for a professional yet friendly atmosphere.
The community is diverse and conducive to a welcoming environment.
The variety in study facilities allows you to find a place where you work best and more efficiently.
Year 12 and 13 work and study closely, creating a community where learning can take place outside of the classroom.
The level of expertise and the additional support offered by teaching staff is exceptional.
The large Performing Arts faculty and available facilities provide the necessary enrichment and fun opportunities for those who love dance, drama, or music.
There are many extracurricular options to help diversify students’ interest and provide time to unwind.
The mental health support offered by the Student Support Centre and from teachers is felt by every student.
The independence extended to students is beneficial in preparing you for the future.
The careers support provided through a variety of trips, events, and initiatives means students are thoroughly prepared for their next steps.
There is a clear and structured support system offered by teachers and student ambassadors, allowing students to progress in their subjects and improve their understanding.
You are encouraged to feel passionately about your subjects through clubs and regular keynote talks.
There are many opportunities to develop and display leadership and communication skills such as the Student Senior Leadership Team.
The timetabled study periods give you time to read around your subjects and reflect on your learning.
All staff are able to give tailored advice about higher education and employment, having come from a range of backgrounds.
Learning permeates everything we do, whether inside or outside the classroom, to help inspire and stimulate students.
Having a supportive environment around you helps motivate students to not only improve their own outlook on life, but also that of their peers.

Pastoral Support:

Wellbeing and Mental Health - We have a dedicated team of staff to support our Sixth Form students, made up of a Head of Sixth Form, two Heads of Year, two members of pastoral staff who are safeguarding trained to the level of DSL, a careers advisor, and a study supervisor. The team supports students with their wellbeing in areas often unique to post-16 life and study; namely, academic workload, balancing school and part-time employment, financial responsibility, sex and relationships, exam anxiety, and much more.

1:1 Mentoring - Our team delivers a mentoring program where they meet one on one with students who may be struggling to meet their targets to advise them on effective study techniques, managing expectations and stress, and to signpost to pertinent educational materials.

PSHE Program - Our 1:1 support is bolstered by a PSHE program, delivered by highly qualified members of staff and external speakers. Topics covered include healthy lifestyles, financial education, student finance, current affairs, understanding consent, higher education courses, degree apprenticeships, online safety, and the BAME history of the UK.

Celebration of Success - We generate termly newsletters to celebrate student success and to award ‘proud trophies’ for a range of student achievements. We also deliver regular assemblies to recognise student attainment and attendance, good behaviour, and those who have gone above and beyond to maintain our school’s values.

UCAS Support - The sixth form team helps to coordinate every student’s UCAS application, including compiling academic references, proofreading and advising on personal statements, fact-checking residency and bursary details, providing extenuating contextual information, submitting each application, tracking each student’s progress, and guiding them through processes such as UCAS Extra and Clearing.

Work Experience - Our pastoral staff, in conjunction with the careers advisor, support our students with their work experience. This involves conducting wellbeing checks during placements and sourcing feedback from placement leads to inform UCAS references. We are also able to support our SEND and bursary students with finding appropriate organisations to host placements.

Pertinent Updates - The Sixth Form team stays up to date with reforms to the UCAS process, student finance, bursaries, and degree apprenticeships in order to provide highly tailored, current, and specialist support to all students and parents/carers. We also deliver annual initiatives such as Next Steps Day, UCAS Discovery Day, and the Careers Fair to ensure our students are thoroughly informed about the range of options open to them.

Careers Advice - We provide advice and support to all students, whether they are pursuing higher education, degree apprenticeships, internships, or immediate post 18 employment. We also organise frequent academic and careers keynote talks, delivered by experienced external speakers from a range of disciplines, from philosophy to aeronautical engineering to graphic design to medicine. Various members of our own staff are also experts in fields such as law, social science, performing arts, and medicine, meaning our students are supported whatever their next steps.