sixth form life
The Sixth Form has strong and personalised pastoral support for all students. Supporting when they are studying and also helping them to plan their next destinations.
We firmly believe that high academic achievement goes hand in hand with encouraging young people to develop their skills, attitudes and interests. Thanks to the considerable energy and commitment of our staff, we are able to offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Pastoral Support
The students are supported by Ms Sage, Deputy Director of Sixth Form, who is responsible for the pastoral care of all the Sixth Formers. She is supported by a team of highly experience and dedicated Sixth Form tutors. There is a comprehensive PSHE programme which runs in tutor time and covers a wide variety of subjects from study skills and time management to sex, drugs & relationship education.
Students benefit from regular academic mentoring sessions with their tutors and are supported to develop their independent learning skills.
mental wellbeing
We consider students mental wellbeing to be paramount. We help students to develop the skills to be able to effectively manage their day to day stresses through strategies taught in tutor time and raising awareness of mindful activities.
We are lucky to also be able to offer students the opportunity to work with our counsellor who focusses on a positive solution approach.
Planning for your future
The Sixth Form has a comprehensive programme of support for students who are applying to HE education and degree level apprenticeships. This begins at the start of year 12 when students are guided to help develop a careers profile on Unifrog.
Links with universities
The Sixth Form has extensive links with universities, including being the South West link for Harvard UK. Students are encouraged to apply for various university experience opportunities and students regularly achieve places on the Access to Bristol, Reading Scholars and the Sutton Trust Summer Schools. The Sixth Form is also a Heading Higher partner with UWE, Bristol.
Work Experience
All students are offered the opportunity to undertake work experience at the end of Year 12. This experience is often a crucial part of requirements for progressing into some careers and so we prioritise supporting students to do this.
Super curricular activities
Students have the opportunity to get involved in a vast array of super curricular activities. These are activities who enhance their learning experience and allow them to delve deeper into areas of study or areas which interest them. Please use this link to access the Super -curricular classroom. Some examples are shown below:
Speakers for Schools
Speakers for schools send well known individuals into schools to talk about their lives and experiences. We've been lucky enough to have a number of speakers come onto site to speak to students, including Angus Forbes. Since the Covid restrictions, these have been online.
Virtual Criminal Investigation Day - University of Law
Students attended this session and examined the facts and timeline of events surrounding the Stephen Lawrence case.
They considered; how they would piece the evidence together; how they would put together the trial and Why is the media so influential.
MOOCs
MOOC stands for ‘massive open online course’. Students complete these course in a wide range of topic areas such as Beginners language courses, Computer Coding, Global Marketing and Ethical issues relating to Medicine. These are mainly devised by universities and there is a wide range for student to chose from.
Access to Healthcare - University of Bristol
Students attend sessions at the university designed to give them an insight into their health science programmes.
They take part in academic taster sessions, delivered by leading academics, NHS Clinicians, and current students. They also have the opportunity to practice clinical skills and talk to professionals.
outdoor education
At Writhlington Sixth Form, we offer a whole range of outdoor education opportunities including Gold DofE, Ten Tors 45 and 55 miles and Three Peaks. We run trips to The Mendips, Dartmoor, The Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, The Lake District and Scotland, as well as a by yearly Ski trip to the Alps. In terms of activities we can offer walking, climbing, mountaineering, paddle boarding, canoeing and running.
Mr Bridges and a former student discuss outdoor education opportunities in the Sixth Form at Writhlington.
FOREIGN TRIPS
Trips abroad are obviously difficult at the moment, but in normal times there are a full range of opportunities for students to explore the world while at Writhlington.
In the Sixth Form, there are a lot of opportunities available to them, for example a Business trip to New York, the annual Ski Trip, the Geography to Icelandic or Naples and then also the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Expedition. Outdoor Education opportunities also include taking part in the Ten Tors. The photos below show a taste of some of the foreign trips from the last few years.