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Thank you for considering the Sixth Form here at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls for the next stage of your education. It is a pleasure to share with you in this prospectus some of the wide-ranging aspects of Sutton Girls that make it such as special place. This is a school where academic success is combined with developing well-rounded, happy, resilient learners who are ready for the challenges and opportunities in their future. Students consistently demonstrate a passion for learning, achieving exceptional examination results, and a desire to build on their experiences to enrich their wider lives. Students supplement their academic journey by taking part in drama productions, musical and dance performances, leadership opportunities, charity work and volunteering in the wider community, with many more unique activities. Many of these are designed and led by Sixth Form students demonstrating their collaboration, leadership and desire to succeed for themselves and others. Students are also fully supported with exceptional pastoral care from staff who work collaboratively to ensure that students are provided with the guidance and skills to make the best decision about their future, and ultimately to progress from Sutton Girls in their chosen path, whatever that may be. Our aim is to enrich their experiences to prepare them for making changes on a local, national or global stage. It is fantastic to share in the journey of young people, and I particularly love hearing about the success that students achieve both at school and beyond, and it always a pleasure to have alumni back into school to guide students who are following in their footsteps. Please enjoy reading this prospectus and I hope it gives a flavour of life at Sutton Girls. Our five Senior Student Ambassadors would like to introduce you to the strand of school life that they lead upon and are so passionate about. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Sixth Form team, who will be more than willing to help and guide in any way they can. Mr Charles, Head of Sixth Form 3
Students have a choice of three or four A-levels from the 19 subjects on offer here: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Drama & Theatre Studies, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Media Studies, Music, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology and Spanish. We offer students the flexibility to start Year 12 studying four subjects. Some continue with all four to the end of Year 13, most students choose to specialise in three subjects for their A-Level studies. Students are supported with their academic progress through specialist teaching delivered in small groups, regular feedback in both written and verbal form, structured assessment opportunities and well-planned homework and independent study tasks. The Sixth Form timetable is arranged to accommodate a wide variety of subject combinations, including a mix of arts and science subjects. Students can also opt to do an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) which is a level three standard standalone qualification designed to develop students’ abilities beyond the A-level syllabus and prepare for university or their future career. Students choose a topic of interest to research independently and take responsibility for the choice, design and decision making of their individual project. There are numerous super-curricular opportunities available to Sixth Form students. These activities enable students to take the subjects they study further, beyond what is learnt in lessons. These include the Science Olympiad competition, Senior Maths Challenge, Royal Geographic Society Essay competition to a wide variety of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) provided by universities across the world! Love of Learning 4
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Sutton Girls treasures learning and as the student ambassador for the love of learning team, I see it every day. This involves being hands on within the school environment and helping teachers with different activities. Part of my role involves helping at open evenings, organising the school newspaper and aiding with the literacy festival. Sutton Girls hopes to give every student a well-rounded, competitive portfolio by the time we enter the world of work. We are encouraged to do this by working hard in our subjects, being given guidance in personal development and through super-curriculars. These can involve doing a course on your favourite topic or watching a documentary on something that interests you. By delving into these topics, we increase our subject knowledge and can increase enjoyment of them as well. Furthermore, we are given many opportunities to pursue academic excellence. Teachers are passionate about their job and are always there to give a helping hand. The school aims to support students through the two years we are in Sixth Form so that when we set out into the wider world, whether it is university, an apprenticeship or a job, we are set up for a future of success. Penny, Senior Student Ambassador for Love of Learning 7
Life in Sixth Form is about far more than just academic success. We encourage all our students to get involved in the many clubs and societies in school, including Medicine/ Dentistry/Veterinary Society, Peer Mentoring, Feminism, LGBTQ+ Society, Inter-Faith Group, Philosophical Physics club and many more. Many of the weekly clubs and societies are led by Sixth Form students, providing them with leadership opportunities whilst supporting younger students to develop their interests and skills. Sixth Form students are key members of the cast and crew of our annual school show (Legally Blonde in 2023, Annie in 2024), they perform in our gospel choir, swing band and orchestra and we have a successful competitive netball team. There is a debating society with an annual competition between local secondary schools followed by a trip to parliament for the participants. During their first year, students can undertake the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by engaging in self-directed Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections, as well as an expedition over 4 days and 3 nights. In the past, these expeditions have been to Shropshire, the Lake District and Eryri National Park (Snowdonia). Integrity 8
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Sutton Girls offers an experience where everyone can excel academically but also in character due to the outstanding number of extracurricular activities on offer to the students here. The wide range of opportunities ensures all can get involved, whether that be the Sixth Form netball team or MedSoc, there truly is something for everyone. Students at Sutton Girls are given the chance to engage in once in a lifetime experience involving World Challenge and Gold Duke of Edinburgh. This year, many Year 12 students headed off to Tanzania to participate in a three-week trek through the rainforests and engage in community and voluntary work. Both Duke of Edinburgh and World Challenge, enable students to test their resilience and build their perseverance by participating in difficult expeditions and these kinds of skills are loved by universities and future employers. The annual induction trip in the Autumn term of Year 12 to London gives students the opportunity to have fun and develop friendships. It helps new students joining the Sixth Form to feel a part of the school community. The trip involves visits to London’s landmarks, a theatre trip and a day in Oxford for students to explore the city and its university. Students will also be able to get involved in the peer mentoring programme. Year 12 students have the opportunity to help mentor Year 11 students who are preparing for their GCSE exams, and this enables students to show their passion for a subject and develop character by helping someone who may be struggling. As the Student Ambassador for Integrity, my role involves the coordination of house events. All Year 12 students are part of one of the six houses and are encouraged to participate in the large variety of house events including sports day and charity days. Overall, Sutton Girls gives students an opportunity to grow and develop into the best individual possible through the variety of extracurricular activities and wide variety of choices available. Tilly, Senior Student Ambassador for Integrity 11
Our Sixth Form is comprised of a mixture of Sutton Girls Year 11 and students who are new to the school. There are dedicated Sixth Form spaces and staff available to support students throughout Year 12 and 13. Over the course of two years students make strong friendships, develop positive working relationships with staff and network through links with our alumni. Sixth Form students are an integral part of the school community; they are role models for younger students in the school. Year 12 students mentor students in Year 7 and as leaders of our six Houses (Ursa, Delphinus, Pegasus, Cygnus, Phoenix and Aquila), they encourage participation in all House activities; from the annual Literacy Festival to Sports Day and House-based charity fundraising events. In recent years, Sixth Form students have led the way in fundraising for a wide range of local, national and international charities. Their commitment is exemplified by raising £20,000 in one academic year, including £8,000 for Comic Relief. Students in Year 12 and 13 contribute to our wider community through regular volunteering at local primary schools, care homes and charities. There are also opportunities to step up into Senior Student Leadership roles, who assist with the running of whole-school events and committees responsible for aspects of school life linked to our school Character Strengths – Respect, Positivity and Resilience, Making Good Decisions, Integrity and Love of Learning. Each team of Prefects is led by a Student Ambassador who is assisted by a Senior Prefect. The Student Leadership Team inspire, encourage and motivate all members of the school community. Respect 12
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Here, at Sutton Girls, the feeling of togetherness and the sense of belonging prevails. As the Respect team, our role is to ensure that each individual in our school feels as though they are part of something bigger, a wider community - our Sutton Girls project. Some of our responsibilities include promoting representation, diversity, inclusion and equality, in addition to making sure everyone feels proud to showcase their true identity and comfortable in their own skin. We work on projects including Black History Month, Pride Month, Interfaith and Intercultural Groups, and the general promotion of raising awareness, tolerance, and acceptance. It is vital that these core values are transmitted, we all aim to bring out the best in everyone around us - inspiring change, supporting new ideas, and understanding others from different points of view. When the moment comes for members of our school community to step into their next chapters and embark on their journeys, we hope that the core values we uphold, alongside the Sutton Girls legacy, are engrained and are at the forefront of everything they do, ensuring they leave the Sixth Form as wellrounded, open-minded, and respectful members of our wider community. Harkiran, Senior Student Ambassador for Respect 15
We concentrate on creating an environment where all students can thrive and learn from one another. Physical and emotional wellbeing are paramount, we provide an incredible array of Personal Development activities alongside our academic support, extra-curricular activities and pastoral provision. Each Sixth Form student is part of a small tutor group to provide them with support, advice and motivation. Tutor groups are year group specific and meet every morning to discuss current issues, share experiences and enable students socialise with others outside of their subject areas. Students have the choice of a range of weekly enrichment activities including crochet, crafting, sports and fitness. We hold a Whole School Wellbeing Week in January and the five strands (get active, be mindful, try something new, give to others and have fun) are embedded throughout our regular routines. There is an enrichment week in the summer term of Year 12 including cooking and healthy eating. Our personal development programme includes organising independent work, building positive study habits and time management skills as students are introduced to the VESPA Mindset. It also provides students with vital information on basic first aid, financial management, online safety and digital footprints. Positive and Resilient 16
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A big part of life at Sutton Girls is our positive school environment and the huge support network of students, prefects and staff to develop students into resilient young adults with growth mindsets. Our responsibilities as the Positive and Resilient team include working with all year groups in creating a calendar of wellbeing activities that promote making healthy choices for our body and mind. Throughout the year, we are always looking at new ways to support our students’ physical, social and emotion wellbeing. As a team, we aim to support students in dealing with stress and help students learn how to effectively cope with day-to-day challenges. Maintaining a healthy work life balance is essential to student life, and we aim to motivate students during this pivotal stage of emotional and social development to result in the success and personal fulfilment of each student after they leave Sutton Girls. We help pupils understand it is okay to have a bad day, and ensure everyone feels comfortable in discussing mental health, by encouraging listening to each other and being supportive. As a Sixth Form team, we guide younger years by encouraging perseverance and introducing the tools needed for life after Sutton Girls. A big event in school that our team is involved in is wellbeing week, where we organise different activities for the school community that are scientifically proven to boost mental health. These activities are all linked to 5 different categories: trying new things, getting active, giving to others, having fun and being mindful. The interaction between the different years and the enjoyment of experiencing a timetable full of engaging activities as well as the involvement of external speakers and organisations make wellbeing week a huge highlight for our team, within the school community. Neha, Senior Prefect for for Positivity and Resilience 19
Our Sixth Form students are highly motivated, inspired and ambitious. During their time at Sutton Girls they will be thinking of the future and exciting possibilities. With so many opportunities available; university courses, apprenticeships, gap year experiences or the world of work, it is important students have the support they need in making decisions that will shape the rest of their lives. There is a range of different people in our school community to help with those all-important decisions about the future. These include form tutors, teachers, support staff, the Sixth Form team and our ever-growing Alumni network. Careers advice and guidance is available throughout Years 12 and 13. There is unlimited access to the Unifrog platform, a careers fair attended by over 40 providers, a higher education evening, practice interviews and assessment centre tasks, individual sessions with an independent careers advisor and support with writing personal statements and CVs. There are a variety of speakers who come into Sutton Girls to talk to our Sixth Form about their current career and the journey that led them there. These personal stories are inspiring and a reminder that many career paths are not linear, with lots of un-expected opportunities available to those willing to embrace change and adapt their plans. Making Good Decisions 20
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As part of the Making Good decisions team, we encompass the roles of: Student Council, Environmental Committee, Careers and Year 12 transition into the Sixth Form. We are involved in helping students look towards and prepare for the future and set out to make this as simple and as inspiring as possible. Students leave Sixth Form and embark on several different pathways so providing them with a solid foundation in order to be able to approach those vital, so building sound decision making skills is at the centre of our team’s responsibilities. Through our team we have held careers fairs, facilitated transition days, information events and have exciting plans for the future of the student council and of the environmental committee. These groups are a great way to give students more autonomy and by allowing them to have a forum to discuss innovative ideas, their creativity and ambition are nurtured and encouraged. When students do finally set out on their own independent journeys they are equipped with the relevant skillset and the positive growth mindset to be able to succeed and thrive in whatever field they may choose as they know exactly how to make good, informed decisions. Maiya, Senior Student Ambassador for Making Good Decisions 23
I am so proud to be the Headteacher of Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls. This is a happy, supportive and successful school where students, teachers and support staff enjoy working together. The Sixth Form is key to Sutton Girls, we provide students with a high quality, well-rounded education with personalised support as they make decisions about their next steps. Our Sixth Form students are motivated, engaged and contribute significantly to our school community. This prospectus was jointly created by staff and students, demonstrating the impact that our Sixth Formers have on school life. It gives an insight into the wide range of experiences on offer to students in Years 12 and 13 here. Students are encouraged to develop their love of learning, a positive and resilient approach with a strong sense of community. Each individual is encouraged to be aspirational, prepared for their future and inspired to make a difference. Whether students are new to Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls or have been with us since Year 7, all can achieve their academic potential, develop their existing skills and discover new interests throughout their time in our Sixth Form. Students are supported in making the transition from GCSE to A-level study and are provided with advice and guidance as they make the exciting decisions about the next stage in their future. Our students achieve fantastic examination results and go on to study at a variety of universities both in the UK and abroad; secure places on competitive apprenticeships and management programmes and explore the world whilst travelling during their gap years. They leave their impact on Sutton Girls through their contributions to house activities, charity events, leading clubs, performing in music, drama and dance shows, mentoring younger students and remain part of our wider community as Alumni. Thank you for your interest in the Sixth Form at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls. I hope to meet you at one of our open events soon. Dr Minards, Headteacher 24
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Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls Jockey Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5PT t: 0121 354 1479 e: enquiry@suttcold.bham.sch.uk w: www.suttcold.bham.sch.uk
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