Sixth Form

Welcome

The Oldershaw School Sixth Form is a dynamic educational hub, an exciting place where students are constantly challenged by new ideas and concepts and through expert teaching.

Choosing to study at the Oldershaw School Sixth Form and deciding which path to take is one of the most important decisions students make. To enable an informed choice we provide a recruitment and induction process, bespoke to individual students’ needs.

Housed in our Sixth Form centre students enjoy our excellent facilities including a study room equipped with PCs and a media suite. Alongside this is a refurbished common room, form rooms, specialist teaching spaces and a lecture theatre used for guest speakers, assemblies and group work in PSHE.

Our broad curriculum is highly inclusive, being bespoke to suit the needs of all our learners to ensure progression whether that be to university, apprenticeships or employment. Our A-level subjects are led by specialist teachers who have all had specific training in teaching the 16-19 curriculum. This includes study of how learners learn and the use of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. We believe that learning is defined by the extent to which our students’ long term memory has been altered in our lessons. If nothing has been altered in long-term memory, nothing has been learned.

Our class sizes are small, enabling us to individually support students through their studies so that they can fulfil their academic potential.

Our vocational courses are highly successful. They include courses in Business Administration, Travel and Tourism, Health and Social Care, Open Awards and Sports Coaching. These courses are all taught on-site.

An essential part of our Sixth Form in reflected in our core values of pride, kindness and resilience. Students are expected to show pride in their work and are given detailed feedback identifying areas for improvement. They are expected to study hard, be role models to younger pupils and to take a full and active role in the life of the School.

Supervised self-study is built into students’ personal timetable and progress is reviewed with students and with their parents/carers each half term. All of this is underpinned by a dedicated team of pastoral and career guidance staff who will support individual growth as well as providing daily challenges to students to be all that they can be. Our Sixth Form really is a genuine partnership with students, parents/carers and the wider community.

The Sixth Form is a constantly evolving community where student opinions matter. The senior student body supports the Sixth Form through charity work and the delivery of assemblies regarding all aspects of Sixth Form life. They also meet with Head of Sixth Form regularly to discuss issues and concerns and seek to represent the views of all students.

The Sixth Form is very much at the heart of the Oldershaw community and students are expected to be fully involved in wider school life. There are opportunities such as serving as senior prefects, mentoring younger students, supporting learning in the Library, captaining teams, leading clubs and assisting Year 7 Form Tutors.

Students are challenged to develop a wide range of personal skills through BEST+ (Building Employability Skills for Tomorrow). BEST+ is a comprehensive and multifaceted programme with the core aim of preparing all Oldershaw School Sixth Form students for future success in education, employment or training. Every element of what we do from lessons to work skills event, from the PSHE programme to trips abroad as part of the Turing Programme contribute to preparing students for their next stage whatever pathway they take.

Competition for places at university and for apprenticeships is extremely high and being able to demonstrate broader skills and experiences is very important. The academic qualifications, skills and experiences that the Oldershaw Sixth Form provides can give our students the necessary edge in that all-important interview.