SIXTH FORM WELCOME

Welcome to the sixth form area of the site.

We believe that one of the greatest strengths of Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls is its sixth form, which provides an outstanding range of opportunities for all students, whatever their interests, aptitudes and abilities. We also believe that the environment of our sixth form is one where girls are both supported and challenged to stretch their intellects and their talents, to find their own voices, to take responsibility for their own learning, and, above all, to be positive about themselves and their futures.

The sixth form represents the senior part of the 11-18 age range within the school, which is a state-maintained single-sex girls’ grammar school. This context, unique within South Warwickshire, provides excellent leadership and personal development opportunities for girls, as well as unrivalled opportunities for academic excellence.

A very wide range of AS/A2 courses is on offer, and most girls choose to take up four A level courses in Year 12. In addition to these main academic courses, opportunities exist for girls to take extra courses such as Open University undergraduate modules or Critical Thinking through the enrichment programme – or to take part in such schemes as Young Enterprise. Through our collaborative links with the other sixth form providers in Stratford – Stratford High School, Stratford College and King Edward’s School – the range of courses on offer is further broadened to include such courses as Sports Science, Accountancy and Photography, and we welcome a number of students from these institutions onto the courses that we offer within the collaborative block. Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) are also offered in a number of subjects in Year 13.

Most of the girls in Year 11 choose to stay on into the sixth form, and we also welcome a large number of girls into the sixth form from other schools – usually about forty. These join us from a wide range of other schools, including local Warwickshire high schools, schools in neighbouring counties and schools in the independent sector. We believe that this new intake adds freshness and variety to the sixth form, and we welcome the breadth of experience and interests that the new girls bring.

The school became a Specialist Language College in 2002, and the Stratford Language Centre (SLC) is superbly equipped with audio-visual and computer facilities. Japanese, Chinese and Italian have been added to the modern foreign languages studied, and video-conferencing within the SLC has allowed us to add other minority subjects including Law. In 2004 a new Design Technology workshop was built and fully equipped, enabling the subject to be studied at A level. The latest addition to the facilities of the school has been the Music Academy, completed in 2006, which includes a recording studio as well as practice rooms and a large ensemble room. Music Technology is one of the most recent A level courses to be added to the range on offer. We were recognised by the DCSF earlier in 2006 as a High Performing Specialist School, and invited to take on a second specialism; and, as a result, future building plans therefore include a new science laboratory, as well as indoor PE facilities and a new learning resource centre to include new sixth form facilities.

Each sixth form creates its own particular characteristics and atmosphere, but students can be assured of a sound academic education, with well-qualified, caring staff. The sixth form at Shottery welcomes those who want to study and who have a conscientious and positive attitude to work, since these are important foundations for academic success; and the school provides stability, continuity, challenge and expertise. We are committed to raising standards still higher together.

Kate Barnett
Headteacher

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A warm welcome from the Head of Sixth Form

During the sixth form students are encouraged to become independent, responsible, self-disciplined and highly motivated young adults who are happy, well-balanced and stable and who know how to make value judgements.

The expectations of a grammar school sixth form are primarily centred on academic excellence. The school has a highly-qualified, caring staff who facilitate the framework for the disciplined academic structure of lessons and private study tasks which enables the students to discover for themselves the essential self-discipline and efficient working attitude which leads to academic success.

The school aims to provide access to a high-quality education which is appropriate to the needs of the individual, as far as possible, and which provides breadth of educational opportunities and experiences through academic, general and extra-curricular activities. The sixth form is an integral part of the school and, as senior members of the community, sixth-formers are given every positive and constructive opportunity to develop qualities of authority and leadership, responsibility, initiative, a caring attitude for younger pupils and to organise and run clubs and societies, creative and recreational activities.

Care is taken to recognise the “young adult” status of sixth form students. By providing a pastoral, tutorial, vocational and careers guidance structure, priority is placed on preparing students for the responsibilities and freedoms of adult life. Part of the sixth form policy is to encourage the development of self-discipline, punctuality, courteousness to others, reliability, self-assurance and other social skills, so that students can take a full and active part in society, in a variety of life roles. As part of their responsibilities, students are expected to set high standards of dress, manners and behaviour to the rest of the school, and to perform their duties reliably and efficiently, to use their private study time sensibly, help with the organisation of games activities, clubs and societies and to keep all common room and kitchen areas tidy in the Manor.

One of the major assets of being educated at Shottery will be appreciation of the school’s historical background, the many fine traditional academic and extra-curricular features built up over time and the magnificence of the sixth form campus based in Shottery Manor, which dates from the fourteenth century. The sixth form common rooms are based in this lovely old building, and the Manor gardens, facing Shottery Road, are for the use of the sixth form. The students also devise their own social activities throughout the calendar year, and the Manor house and gardens have provided a superb setting for outdoor drama productions in the past, while summer balls are often organised in conjunction with King Edward’s School and Stratford High School.

Diana Brownhill
Head of Sixth Form

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