Year 11's Sixth Form Experience

Just before half term, we gave the Year 11s the opportunity to step into the sixth formers’ shoes and experience just a taste of what life in the sixth form on the hill is like.

The taster experience spanned a two-week period, with subject teachers setting aside a period for the girls to participate in an A level-style lesson. From making giant bubbles to demonstrate the properties of cell membranes in Science to creating Alexander McQueen-inspired dresses in Art, the pupils saw for themselves the advanced topics and increased expectations of an A level course. They also attended lessons in subjects not offered at GCSE: Psychology, Politics, Business and Economics. We hope their dip into each subject has helped them to decide which they might like to pursue for A level study.

The taster experience culminated on Monday before half term, when they had a day off timetable to attend workshops and seminars based on everything else the sixth form on the hill has to offer. The day started with a session hosted by the Junior Leadership Team, who gave a ‘warts and all’ overview of life as a sixth former. Unfortunately, as the Year 11s learned, it is not endless coffee and socialising… it is a heady mix of coffee, hard work, independent learning, time management, co-curricular activities and commitments and, of course, socialising. As the day progressed, the pupils rotated around workshops on UCAS and the Extended Project Qualification, and spent some time in the Sixth Form flats, before coming together at the end for an Enrichment session. For Enrichment, they could choose from Technical Theatre, Yoga, Karate, Cooking, TEFL and Mindfulness.

We hope the taster experience provided a good insight for the Year 11 pupils. For the next step, Mrs Ceri Symonds-Keates (Head of Year 11), Dr Ian Taylor (Assistant Head of Sixth Form) and I will be meeting individually with each pupil to see what she wants to get out of her two final years at Farnborough Hill and to ensure our offering is as bespoke as possible.

Craig McCready, Head of Sixth Form

Learn more about the sixth form on the hill