Southborough Sixth Form goes from Strength to Strength!

As we approach the end of this term, we have been encouraged by just how successful our Sixth Form recruitment has been this year.

Last summer, the Sixth Form area underwent a significant face-lift. Rooms were stripped back to empty shells and re-decorated from top to bottom. Layout was re-defined to make better use of functional space and new furniture was purchased for the study area and common rooms.

Further investment was made in the acquisition of state-of-the art chrome book stations to provide easy to use access throughout the day for all Sixth Formers. The whole area now looks fresher, cleaner and a more attractive environment in which to learn.

Show-casing both our newly refreshed Sixth Form area  -and our wide range of courses - took place in not one but two formal Sixth Form Open Evenings; one in July 2024 and another held just a couple of weeks ago. Students and parents alike were given the chance to speak directly with Sixth Form teachers and discuss in detail the benefits and suitability of various A level and BTEC courses.

Our recruitment numbers for this year certainly speak for themselves; Year 12 has seen consistent growth over the past few years and Year 13 numbers have remained strong, maintaining a high retention rate which demonstrates that these students value their experience and are committed to completing their studies with us. Overall, our Sixth Form is the biggest it’s been for almost fourteen years.

So why choose Southborough Sixth Form over a College?

There is no straight answer about which option is better for students; when it comes to sixth form vs. college, it's up to the individual what environment they think they will learn best in.

However, the stability and comfort of staying with the teachers and surroundings they know is, more often than not, the best setting for them. Teachers who know you also know your particular strengths - and weaknesses! – and will support and guide you accordingly. Here at Southborough, we also pride ourselves on the importance of relationships. Evidence strongly suggests that the nurture of positive relationships between students and staff not only have a positive impact on academic performance but also personal wellbeing. And it also helps develop the strong inter-personal skills that young people desperately need when they move into the wider world of university, work -and life in general.

As a fully comprehensive school, Southborough is one of the only ‘fully inclusive’ Sixth Forms in the Borough. This means that, unlike others that cater only for their ‘top end’ of academic students, there is something for almost everyone at Southborough Sixth Form, be it a two year course studying A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry as a pre-cursor to joining a top Russell Group university – or a one year Level 2/G.C.S.E retake programme to broaden a student’s ‘next steps’ options going forward.

Whatever the level of options taken, Sixth Form students are expected to share another of the school’s core values - namely respect. In practise, this means that our Sixth Form students become role models, students who work to the best of their ability, show utmost respect to their teachers and to students younger than themselves. In turn, this means that Sixth Form students can be assured that they will share their learning with like-minded peers who also want to do their best.

Recruitment numbers look to continue rising in the future and we are getting a growing number of external students who choose to leave their own schools and join ours –praise, indeed. Plans are now afoot to build a new Sixth Form block in the near future, so that we can continue to provide the very best provision to our students.

If you are still un-decided on what and where you/your son wants to do after completing their G.C.S.Es, we recommend that you take a closer look at Southborough Sixth Form when considering options. Our Sixth Form application deadline is fast approaching!.

To view our Sixth Form promotional video, please click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/64cG9c_ftzo