Life in the 6th Form
Senior Prefects are asked to apply in writing for the post and are interviewed by a senior member of staff before appointment. We value our senior prefects hugely and the role they have in the school.
Expectations and Work Ethic
Expectations
Students are to be punctual and attend all registrations and lessons. Students who are to be out of school for valid reasons must, prior to the absence, ensure that they collect and complete a ‘Leave of Absence’ form. Failure to meet the minimum 90% attendance to individual subjects will result in your progression to Year 13 being put at risk.
Students must arrive fully prepared for lessons. Students may not be allowed to join the lesson if homework / preparation work is not completed to the required standard, or just not completed. Students may be sent away to complete the work and must return as soon as they have completed the work, at which point they can be readmitted to the lesson.
Students are to take responsibility for their own learning and be proactive in seeking help. This includes seeing teachers outside of lessons if they are struggling with any work, organising 1:1s as necessary and managing the demands of Sixth Form study.
Students are to adhere to the Sixth Form dress code, including wearing the Sixth Form identity badge. Failure to dress appropriately will result in students being sent home to change
Students are required to check emails daily.
Sixth Form Work Ethic
We would like to reiterate the required study hours to remind parents and students of the expectations for successful Post 16 study. The predominant component for academic success is for a student to put in the recommended amount of study.
This sounds very simple but you would be surprised at how many students fail to meet this expectation. On average a student should complete five hours per week per subject. For most students, this is 15-20 hours per week. Students SHOULD be making revision resources on a weekly basis in order to be successful in the summer.
The extra study may include: coursework, homework, extended reading, revision or past examination papers.
We actively encourage our students to become independent learners and to manage their time effectively. Not all students find time management easy and we work in small groups, with those students, to help them create a study timetable for both in and out of school. If you would like your son or daughter to access this, please let us know.
Here is our top 10 list of tips which all students should be embedding into their weekly academic work:
Ensure they have a planner or reliable electronic device to record all homework and coursework. Logging work should obviously include hand in dates.
Students should have a study timetable, this should outline when they plan to work and what subject they will be studying. 15 -20 hours study a week does not just happen, it should be planned for!
Ensure that they have a file for each subject, with dividers to separate work for different teachers or topics.
At the front of each file should be the subject specification, this can be downloaded from the exam board website. Students should check with staff that they have the correct one.
Students should highlight topics on the specification as they complete them. Ideally three different coloured highlighters should be used, green for topics they understand, amber for topics they are a little unsure on and red for the areas they really struggle with.
Complete all set homework, in a quiet, uninterrupted study area and turn off your mobile phone.
Read around topic areas covered in the text book, as you go along. This should be part of your homework.
Make revision resources from lesson notes and wider reading (mind maps/post it notes) – these should include trigger words, again this should be done on a weekly basis.
Completion of past papers (use mark schemes to self-assess strengths and weaknesses). Again this should be a weekly activity, not completing a whole paper but picking particular sections /topics to answer and mark. Ideally keep a box of all past papers and mark schemes that you download from the exam board website.
Attendance
It is a student’s right to be delivered a full programme of study in their subjects and to be given proper support and assistance by their tutor and other staff.
For this to be realised, you need to attend all lessons and tutorials on time. One of the first comments made in any reference concerns attendance and punctuality. Attendance is based on prompt arrival to registration as well as attendance to all lessons. They are very important aspects of your ability to organise yourself as well as good manners.
If you know that you will be absent from school for any reason, including university and college open days, you must collect a Leave of Absence Request form from the Sixth Form Office. This should be signed by the Post 16 Leader. If the absence is unplanned, due to illness for example, the school must be notified as soon as possible and students must e-mail their subject teachers in order to ascertain what work is required to catch up as soon as they return to school. Unauthorised absences are highly undesirable on your record and again reflect negatively on any reference. Truancy to lessons will be sanctioned under the terms of our behaviour policy.
Be in lessons on time
Arrange doctors, dentists and orthodontists appointments etc. out of lesson times
This is obviously the time when many students start having driving lessons. You can arrange these outside of school hours only.
Holidays are not authorised during term time.
Bursary Fund
We strongly believe at Stanborough that financial considerations should not detrimentally affect a student’s ability to pursue Post 16 study. We are aware of the additional expense necessitated through the purchase of text books and study materials; thus we have a bursary system in place and the process of application is through a letter to the Headteacher. For your application to be considered you will need to meet certain pre-existing criteria. The bursary policy can be found on the main school website.
Post 16 Pastoral Care
Post 16 represents a new beginning. Students, however, continue to benefit from the excellent pastoral care offered at Stanborough School.
The Post 16 team are well-versed in the specific needs of Post 16 students, and offer support and guidance on the next phase of their lives, whether that is an application to university, apprenticeship programmes, seeking employment or taking a gap year.
The pastoral programme is geared towards the needs of a young adult, and covers issues such as good study techniques, preparation for university, citizenship, time management, safe driving, fire safety, living away from home and drugs and alcohol awareness talks.
We operate an open door policy giving students access to guidance and support when needed.
Post 16 Dress Code
Post 16 students are expected to set an example to the rest of the school through their high standard of business-like dress and the way they present themselves.
The intention of the Post 16 dress code is to maintain the smart appearance of the lower school years. A sixth former should be able to leave the school site and immediately attend a formal interview without having to change their appearance.
The Post 16 dress code is smart office wear and the requirements are as follows:
- Tailored jacket and tailored trousers or tailored skirt or dress (skirt or dress should be no more than 5cm above the knee)
- Boys should wear a shirt with a tie (with top button done up)
- Girls should wear a fitted shirt or smart top without logos. Shirts and blouses must cover the midriff. Vest tops, low cut tops or tops that reveal midriffs are not suitable.
- Smart shoes (not trainers or other casual shoes)
Any headwear relating to religious observance is allowed e.g. Hijab for Muslim girls.
Exclusions
- Hooded tops are not to be worn at any time
- No extremes of hairstyles or colour
- No excessive facial piercings allowed
- A jacket must be worn when walking around school, as well as for assemblies and other formal occasions. Teachers may give students permission to remove their jackets in lessons
- Outdoor coats must be removed in class and assemblies
- For practical lessons, students may need to bring in appropriate clothing to change into for that lesson.
Stanborough School reserves the right to arbitrate on whether an outfit/item of clothing is appropriate and in keeping with the premise of smart business wear. Any student who breaches the school dress code can expect to be sent home to change. Students will be issued with a Saturday Detention for repeated offences.
Students from Consortium Schools should respect the Stanborough Dress Code.
