Well before enrolling in September, Sixth Form joiners will meet their new peer group at events in School: an assembly presentation in January about how to build their Sixth Form academic programme, and a Lower Sixth induction morning in June or July.
Getting involved from day one
New recruits are also included in communications promoting forthcoming overseas tours (for example, netball to South Africa or Classics to Sicily) or courses offered in preparation for applying to universities in the USA.
On induction morning at the end of the Year 11 Summer Term, new students meet their allocated ‘buddy’ and other members of their Sixth Form tutor group, along with their Tutor and Heads of Year and Division. These pastoral staff go to great lengths to help new joiners to settle in, encouraging bonding activities and wide involvement across all areas of school life.
Co-curricular activities
There are so many opportunities in the Sixth Form for students to get involved in a wide range of exciting extra-curricular activities covering every area of interest. In Drama there are auditions for both the Sixth Form play, the whole school annual production and the biennial Edinburgh Festival trip. There is also the option to participate in the Year 7 plays and the School’s ‘Play in Day’ written and devised in 24 hours for charity. In addition, students can extend themselves on the National Theatre play-writing course and see their own work on stage. In Music they can join one of the many choirs and orchestras and enjoy performing in venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and St. John’s Smith Square, as well as on tour to countries such as Italy and Spain. There are activities that will challenge students such as Young Enterprise, Formula 1 in schools, Duke of Edinburgh Gold and Dissection club and schemes offering both training and rewarding results such as our Peer and Academic Mentoring schemes.
‘RAIS£’, our own bursary appeal society, inspiring social action trips to Uganda, as well as far-flung projects with World Challenge, will also allow students to make a difference and experience the wider world as a global citizen.
Closer to home a strong debating tradition (in several languages) and a wealth of lively societies such as JS Mill, Femsoc, Art History and Curiosity challenge our students with new ideas and remarkable speakers from all walks of public life. They could try their hand at a new sport such as fencing, climbing, rowing or water polo and enjoy the opportunity of maintaining their fitness for their team sport in our state-of-the-art gym. This is just a small sample of all that we can offer in our ever evolving co-curricular programme.
Leadership opportunities
We place high value on nurturing and leadership skills in our Sixth Formers. Opportunities for students to demonstrate and develop these skills include:
- Running a Young Enterprise company
- Directing a play
- Coaching the younger debaters
- Organising and running Sixth Form events such as ‘Band Night’
- Helping staff as a student leader on Activities Week
- Becoming a sports team captain
- Becoming a senior peer mentor
- Committee member for Eco Society
- Committee member for Round Square
- Student charity coordinator
- BOUNCE committee, helping to develop the mental health strand of our curriculum
- Sixth Form committee member, representing the Sixth Form body in Sixth Form matters, including management of the Common Room and the financing of its facilities
- Running for election to the local Youth Parliament or as Youth Mayor
Half way through the Lower Sixth, all students are invited to apply to become a School Prefect, with 40 subsequently appointed. Much of the running and organisation of the School is in the hands of the prefects, who are responsible for supervision of the younger pupils during break times, and represent the School on open days and at other key events. As ambassadors for the School, School Prefects are held in high regard. All prefects are eligible to run for election as School Captain and Vice Captain. This ultimate leadership position carries significant responsibility: the School Captains run every student committee, deliver speeches at major school events, and serve as a focus for the student voice in the School.
On top of this, every year Sixth Formers are keen to set up and run new clubs and societies. Recent examples of these include King Street Economics, Film Club and Year 7 Coding Club.