The Sixth Form can be the most exciting period in a person’s education. At King’s, pupils study subjects of their choice in greater depth, often for the first time, and follow their own lines of thought whilst working closely with teachers and peers.
There is also no other time when there is so much potential for being influenced by new ideas. Often pupils arrive with one career in mind and leave with a completely different plan, having been inspired by an experience or a person at school.
Pupils in the Sixth Form become intellectually curious and academically minded, and spend most of their day in the Sixth Form Centre. The building provides opportunities for collaborative working as well as formal and semi-formal academic experiences and discussions. Flooded with natural light, the learning and social spaces echo the environments of higher education institutions, preparing the King’s Sixth Formers for a seamless transition between school and university study.
Subject Choice
A-level pupils choose to study three or four subjects from the 23 on offer, or can opt to gain a BTEC in Sport qualification plus a complementary A-level. Classes are no more than 16 and each pupil has a personal tutor who acts as academic advisor and helps them with UCAS applications, career guidance, and is a main point of contact for all pastoral and academic concerns.
Medical Programme
Those interested in medicine join the Medical Programme which helps pupils gain work experience and introduces them to various professionals. They prepare for the University Clinical Aptitude and BioMedical Admissions tests, practice multiple mini-interviews, and participate in experiments and dissections.
Careers Advice
The Futures Department supports all Sixth Formers as they explore their options and application routes. If required, pupils prepare for entry tests and the Oxbridge experience, and receive subject specific reading lists. A series of external speakers visit the school to lecture through the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, and Sixth Formers become members of various societies and take part in a service activity such as Combined Cadet Force, KCAP (King’s Community Action Programme) or PSF which coaches sport to primary school children. Various trips are arranged that focus on subjects such as sport, biology and music, with previous destinations including Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Europe.
The Sixth Form Experience
The Sixth Form at King’s is designed to prepare young people to enter the adult world. They wear modern business attire rather than school uniform, develop leadership skills by taking on various House duties or becoming Captains or Prefects, and take part in the Skills Programme which includes public speaking, ethics, study skills and the Leiths School of Food and Wine course. They also access the Beyond King’s online network of alumni and members of the King’s community who offer mentoring and work experience.
The Sixth Form ends with an extravagant Leavers’ Ball following Speech Day and a Eucharist service in the Chapel. The Ball is often an emotional affair as pupils say farewell, but also one of celebration as the young men and women leave to commence the next exciting chapter in their lives.