Our mission in our outstanding Sixth Form is to provide a rigorous and transformational education that prepares our pupils for success at university and beyond. Over the two years you spend studying in Sixth Form, you will be prepared academically by your teachers for success in your academic qualifications.
Futures Curriculum
Alongside your academic lessons, you will have a lesson a week focussed on preparing for applications to universities, apprenticeships and jobs in the future. These lessons range from taught lessons delivered by sixth form staff to external speakers, academic writing workshops to mock interviews. We are fortunate to partner with Goldman Sachs, who deliver a number of workshops, including on money management and technology in the workplace.
As part of this curriculum, you will learn about the university application process, learning how to write an excellent personal statement for your chosen course and having time with subject experts to write this by the end of Year 12.
Guidance meetings
We have a dedicated Head of Careers and Universities Service, who provides you with the information, guidance and mentoring pupils need to gain a place at a top university. In Sixth Form, you will have multiple one-to-one meetings with them where you will receive personalised guidance for your chosen pathway. They are also on hand to offer adhoc advice and guidance as needed.
Morning Meeting
As part of our morning meeting curriculum, we focus on the super curricula and students taking part in opportunities which relate to their chosen subject at university, their A level subjects or wider interests.
This includes participating in MOOCs (free online courses provided by universities in a variety of topics), wider reading around our subjects and applying for opportunities provided by external providers, including universities, companies and other educational organisations. Opportunities are collated and shared weekly with students having time to apply for these within the school day.
Oxbridge Programme
Students who have exceptional prior attainment at GCSE will be invited to be part of the Oxbridge Programme in our Sixth Form. The group takes part in a range of additional activities across the year to prepare for the additional demands of an application to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Our Oxbridge programme prepares students to apply to the top universities by covering three key areas:
-
Understanding elite academic institutions and how to apply
-
Excelling academically at A level and achieving an A* grade
-
Wider academic reading and research
Students on the Oxbridge programme will take part in trips and academic sessions across the year provided by the school, as well as gaining support through Ark’s Project Oxbridge and other external programmes like Target Oxbridge and OxNet. They will receive mock interview support, assistance with revising for their admissions tests and suggested reading lists to support them with their application.
Healthcare Society
Students who wish to apply for Medicine, Dentistry and other healthcare courses at university participate in a weekly Healthcare Society to prepare for the demands of these applications.
University applications for these courses not only require excellent grades and a brilliant personal statement, but also require preparation for the UCAT exam, work experience in a healthcare setting and interviews.
Our society prepares students for these additional parts of the application process. We are supported in this through workshops with MedicMentor and Ark.
Wider Opportunities
As a Westminster Sixth Form, we are well placed to enjoy the many opportunities on offer in central London. We avail ourselves of as many opportunities each academic year as possible, with our regular opportunities outlined below.
Realising Opportunities
The Realising Opportunities (RO) Programme has been designed to give students support through their post 16 studies and to provide them with information and guidance to help them make informed decisions about their future. The RO Programme allows students to demonstrate that they have the potential to study at a research-intensive university and by successfully completing the RO Programme they will be eligible for any alternative offers they may receive from the RO universities. Universities involved in the programme include: Warwick, Nottingham, Kings and Manchester to name a few.
London Business School Guru Lectures and Power of You programme
We are one of a small number of schools involved in the London Business School Enrichment programme. The Guru Lecture enrichment programme involves students attending lectures from London Business School faculty, hearing from world leading experts and developing their understanding of the wider world. The Power of You is a mentoring programme for female students.
Career Ready
We are fortunate to be part of the Career Ready programme, a mentoring programme where students are paired with a mentor from the world of work. Students on the programme can also apply for paid internships taking place over the summer. This programme is particularly beneficial for students considering apprenticeships.
K+
K+ is run by King's College London. It is a two-year programme of events, activities and academic workshops created to help support your university application and provide the skills you need to reach your potential as an undergraduate student. Students who successfully complete the programme are eligible for the K+ variable offer to study at King's worth up to two A-level grades lower than the standard offer (excluding medicine and dentistry). One of the highlights of K+ is the Spotlight Summer School. It’s a free, non-residential programme packed full of exciting activities. There are specific criteria you need to meet for your application to be considered, so check these before you apply.
Reading Scholars
The Reading Scholars programme aims to give Year 12 students a real taste of life as a university undergraduate, and to provide practical support as participants begin their Higher Education application process. Featuring input from leading academics and current undergraduate mentors, the programme will challenge participants academically and enhance current studies. Students who successfully take part in the Scholars programme who go on to apply for an undergraduate course at the University of Reading are guaranteed to receive either an invite to interview or a conditional offer. Applicants who go on to select the University of Reading as their firm choice institution are also eligible to apply for a £1000 Scholars bursary in their first year.