Mrs N Holcombe
Mrs N Holcombe
Welcome to Sixth Form
The Sixth Form years are special – they are the time when students take on increased responsibility and develop a rounded maturity, resilience and strength of character which equip them for the challenges of the world beyond.
Your time in the Sixth Form provides the foundation for the rest of your life.
These are years when you step into adulthood, gain a better understanding of who you are as a person, and gain qualifications that will unlock doors to university and beyond.
We want you to leave QEH armed with the excellent qualifications that will help you start on your chosen career. But we also want so much more for you.
We want you to develop a strong inner confidence and self-respect – and tolerance for others too. We want you to gain the leadership skills that will enable you to thrive in the wider world – the ability to take the initiative, learn from your mistakes and work well with others.
Whether you want to do some reading, focus on that all-important essay, or relax and catch up with your friends, the purpose-built Sixth Form centre ticks all the boxes.
You’ll have your own dedicated IT suite and library area, a silent work room for maximum concentration, and communal study areas for when you want to brainstorm ideas with fellow students.
When you’re hungry or just want to put your feet up, there are comfy sofas and chairs in the Upper Common room and a café in the Lower Common Room serving a range of hot and cold food including jackets, pizza and toasties.
Currently Sixth Form students are expected to study four A-level subjects in Year 12 and then complete full A-levels by continuing with at least three of these.
You may choose to supplement your studies by taking on an Extended Project Qualification, a self-directed research task which is highly valued by universities.
Your success in the wider world after school depends in part on your ability to take responsibility, be proactive, learn from your mistakes, and work alongside others to make things happen.
We’ll help you develop these leadership skills through roles such as School Prefect, House Captain, and Peer Supporter where you’ll help younger students settle in and make the most of life at QEH. You can also be a Theatre Mentor, Music Prefect or Librarian, and we’ll encourage you to lead one of our weekly assemblies to build your confidence in public speaking.
We’ll give you lots of freedom and independence but we also recognise there may be times when you need support. If you do, we’ll be there to help.
You’ll be assigned to a tutor and will meet with your tutor group every morning. Typically, these groups consist of about 13 or 14 students from your year group. Your tutor will help you adapt to the challenge of A-levels, monitor your progress and work with you to resolve any issues. They will also write a reference for university or job applications.
Sometimes students learn as much out of the classroom as in it.
TClimbing in the Himalayas, singing in the USA, skiing in the Alps and just enjoying Bristol Zoo – we believe in offering rich and diverse experiences beyond the classroom which complement what we do in school.
Younger boys throw themselves into the annual Activities Week, older ones tackle the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the annual Ten Tors Competition.
Sport
Often, people who stopped playing team games earlier in their school career opt to revive their interest in sport in the Sixth Form.
Currently we offer a variety of sports including: rugby; football; hockey; netball; cricket; swimming; badminton; squash; basketball; sailing; hiking and climbing, to name a few. Our Sixth Form sport options also include Nuffield Gym Packages.
In Sixth Form, there are many opportunities to be involved in Music and Drama.
As well as offering A-levels in Music and Music Tech, we have twenty one regularly rehearsed choirs and ensembles available. Among these are the Chapel Choir, performing regularly throughout the year at Council Prayers and Mayor Making Services in the Lord Mayor’s Chapel; House Choirs which are led by Sixth Form students; the Tour Choir which is formed every two years; Barbershop Quartets and Acapella Choirs that perform at various concerts including ‘Unplugged’ concerts and the Jazz Evening.
The ensembles include the Orchestra which performs an exciting and varied repertoire at various concerts throughout the year, the highlight of which is our annual Spring Concert at St George’s Concert Hall; and there are ensembles for Strings, Wind, Brass, Saxophone, Guitar, Ukulele and Samba too as well as the Jazz Band, QEH Rock Project and Open Mic concerts.
The Futures programme is central to QEH’s mission of equipping young people with the skills and character they need to make a positive influence on the world. We want our pupils to understand and be excited by the world of work – to have a vision for their future that motivates them, and which they can meaningfully break down into a series of concrete steps.
Our Futures programme complements and extends many areas of QEH’s outstanding co-curricular provision. It leverages the best of what the school currently does, encouraging pupils to reflect periodically on how they are developing as individuals and to consider what this could mean for their next steps. Our vision is that every child will be prepared for their future.
Rupert Heathcote, Head at QEH, has today paid tribute to the students and staff at QEH for their hard work over the last two years.
“It has been a hugely challenging time for both young people and their teachers. But while the last eighteen months have seen more disruption to schooling than at any point since World War II, it has also been an incredibly inspiring time to be working with young people. They have been required to adapt, to learn in a variety of ways and using different tools, and to demonstrate a huge amount resilience – which they have all done admirably. I am delighted that we are able to recognise their hard work.”
One of the most important features of the Sixth Form at QEH is how it prepares its students for Higher Education and beyond.
As competition for places at good universities becomes more intense, the importance of this aspect of the Sixth Form has increased significantly.
Our well-qualified and experienced staff offer specialised guidance and support in this demanding process. Your tutor will help you to recognise your own skills and potential and to write a Personal Statement that presents you at your absolute best. The expertise of our Head of Sixth Form and of committed tutors, who know you really well, will be available to you on a regular one-to-one basis.
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