Making the difference for all our students: How our inclusive Sixth Form plays its part.

Southborough High School takes great pride in being a highly successful inclusive secondary school. Indeed, our mission statement ‘Making the difference for all our students’ really encapsulates our true ethos. ‘To make the difference’ means ‘to do something that is important and helps people or improves the world’.

‘Inclusivity’ in a secondary school, on the other hand, means creating an environment where all students feel valued, respected, and included. In turn, this involves: 

• Removing barriers: Ensuring that the school is accessible to all students, and that they don't have to adapt to the system
• Providing high-quality teaching: Making sure that all students have access to high-quality teaching
• Supporting students' needs: Understanding each student's unique needs and providing additional support where needed
• Creating a sense of belonging: Ensuring that all students feel like they belong in the school community
• Celebrating diversity: Recognizing and celebrating differences, such as race, gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation

We understand more than most that ‘it takes all sorts to make a world’   a rather beautiful and highly moral point of view which says that diversity is essential; the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike. And this includes an individuals’ academic ability, too. We whole-heartedly believe that we all have our own, unique essential qualities, knowledge, talents, experience and drive. Some students take to academic studies like a duck to water. Others struggle. Or some just take a little longer to find their way.

Unlike many secondary schools, our inclusivity doesn’t stop at the end of Year 11, when a student has completed their GCSEs. Indeed, we pride ourselves in an inclusive Sixth Form that offers a range of pathways to specifically suit the needs of everyone.

The traditional academic pathway we offer caters for those students ready to take on the rigorous academic challenge of studying three A levels (or more). A team of highly knowledgeable and supportive teachers –coupled with relatively small class sizes - ensure that students perform to the very best of their abilities. Every year, students move on to top universities or high level apprenticeships or jobs.

But what about those few students who have struggled with their GCSEs, not got the grades they had hoped – and don’t know where to turn for their ‘next steps’? Luckily, our Sixth Form caters for them, too.

At Southborough Sixth Form, students can access a special one-year pathway where they can re-take their GCSEs in Maths and/or English, and chose a small number of additional Level 2 subjects to improve their set of GCSE qualifications. Classes are small and highly-targeted to give our students the confidence, knowledge and skills necessary to pass. And once they pass, they have many more options open to them in the future, be it college, apprenticeship or full time employment.

Students have a whole academic year to prepare but teachers encourage a proportion of students  -who they deem ‘exam ready’ - to take their GCSE Maths and/or English retakes early in November.

It was fantastic news, therefore, to hear that over 70% of students re-taking GCSE Maths before Christmas passed with a grade of 4 or 5 and almost 40% of students passed their GCSE English. These students were absolutely thrilled, along with their teachers!

This means that they can focus on their other GCSE subjects, which they will take in the summer.

We are incredibly proud of all our students and their achievements, whichever pathway they choose to follow! #makingthedifferenceforallourstudents