6th Form Prospectus - The Queen Katherine School

Welcome to The QKS Sixth Form
After more than 25 successful years,
The Queen Katherine School Sixth Form
is established in a dedicated, state of
the art building.
The Sixth Form is an exciting, thriving
community which welcomes any
student who can benefit from our range
of courses, wherever they have
previously studied.
The Sixth Form offers the opportunity to
have fun as well as developing initiative,
a sense of responsibility, independence
of mind, tolerance, self discipline and
the ability to work without supervision.
We are proud of what we offer and the
way that students respond.
Our reputation is built on high quality
teaching, careful monitoring of each
student’s needs and a strong pastoral
support programme. Students benefit
from both our academic and social
programmes and the excellent
relationships with staff. We offer a
wide range of opportunities in sports,
music, drama, culture, community,
residential experiences and other extracurricular
activities, as well as a full
spectrum of Advanced Level courses.

Excellent teaching and facilities
“The Sixth Form
provision is
outstanding.
Students achieve
standards that are
exceptionally high
and achievement
is excellent.”
OFSTED
The Queen Katherine School Sixth
Form is a friendly, inclusive group where
hard-working staff and students
together create a vibrant community.
Given appropriate support, students
mature rapidly between the ages of 16
and 18 and the school tries to create an
atmosphere in which young people
can enjoy learning about themselves,
their chosen subjects and the world
around them. Emerging adulthood is an
exciting but challenging period and our
successes demonstrate that we have
the resources and the sensitivity to
motivate and support the vast majority
of our students.
They want to create varied and interesting
lessons where students are guided and
supported in a much more friendly and
interactive atmosphere than they have
previously experienced. Students thrive
in the Sixth Form finding the courses hard
work but more personalised than their
11 - 16 school experience.
Anyone who looks at league tables or lists
of top schools in the press knows that
The Queen Katherine School achieves
excellent results. What might not be
apparent from the league tables is that
students with modest achievement at
GCSE often make outstanding progress.
Staff are well qualified and experienced
and they enjoy teaching at Advanced
Level. Because most have taught
throughout the school, they understand
the students’ prior learning and have
realistic expectations about the point at
which students begin A level courses.

“Students are
exceptionally well
supported and those
facing considerable
difficulties are
given exceptional
support to ensure
they complete
their studies.”OFSTED
While the press are apt to focus on the
students with 5 ‘A’ grades at Advanced
Level who are going to Oxford or
Cambridge, here at QKS we take equal
delight in the students going to top
universities who joined us with mainly
B and C grades at GCSE. About 90%
of students leaving our Sixth Form
progress to Higher Education, often after
a gap year. For those students who
do not wish to continue in full time
education, employment opportunities
in this area are limited.Thus the high
proportion of students from this group
who leave The Queen Katherine School
and gain jobs with good prospects is
a particular achievement.
Much of our success rests on the quality
of monitoring and guidance in the Sixth
Form. All students are allocated to a small
tutor group with whom they will spend
both registration time and the weekly
tutorial lesson. Initially the tutorial
programme focuses on the development
of good study skills and the transition
to Advanced Level learning, moving
through a range of topics including:
healthy living, guidance for higher
education or achieving employment,
the debating of political issues,
preparation for interviews and guidance
on finance. Alongside the weekly
sessions, one to one interviews with
tutors are a regular feature. Here both
students and tutors can discuss
successes and problems and careful
monitoring systems mean that tutors
get monthly feedback on the progress
of all students.
High quality support and guidance
The Head and Deputy Head of the Sixth
Form are closely involved in the guidance
process.Their offices open onto the
atrium area that students use for private
study and therefore there is ready access
and an easy relationship with Sixth
Form staff. We see Sixth Form education
as a partnership between our students,
their families and the school staff.
We encourage students to attend
consultation evenings with their parents
and students have an input to subject
reports. Most students have good
relationships with families who are eager
to support their children whilst they are
in the Sixth Form. We enjoy positive
relationships with parents and we believe
it is important to keep in touch when
difficulties arise.

“The Sixth Form that QKS has
created, has allowed our
daughter to find her strengths
and make fantastic progress.”
A PARENT
A wide range of other opportunities
Many of our students are very active
people.They balance study, paid work
and socialising with making the best use
of the range of opportunities the Sixth
Form has to offer. Many enjoy the
excellent music facilities, playing in
groups or singing in school choirs.
Charity fund-raising and activities like
the anti-bullying group appeal to some
while others enjoy representing the
school in sporting fixtures.
Each year the school musical and drama
activities involve large numbers of Sixth
Formers. On one afternoon each week,
Sixth Form teaching is suspended to
allow a wide range of ‘enhancement’
activities: volunteering in the community,
working in primary schools, Young
Enterprise, cookery for students, editing
the school magazine, completing a
Sports Leadership Award are examples
of the opportunities offered.
Most students in year 12 will be
timetabled for 23 periods but those
who study fewer subjects will be
expected to broaden their experience.
Working with staff in supporting
younger students, working in the LRC,
undertaking alternative courses at other
institutions are possible options.
Sixth Form education is a partnership.
Students and staff work together to
create a collaborative environment and
Sixth Form students can expect
supportive and open relationships with
staff built on mutual respect. In return
staff expect students to be in school at
8.50 am for morning registration and to
remain at school until 3.20 pm unless
alternative arrangements have been
agreed by their tutors and parents.
The excellent Sixth Form study areas
are not permanently supervised;
students are trusted to be sufficiently
responsible to engage in quiet private
study if they are not timetabled for a
lesson. Students are allowed to leave
the premises for short periods during
the day, often for short refreshment trips.
We believe that students should
complete 10 - 15 hours private study
per week outside the school day, thus we
recommend that paid employment
should be limited to 12 hours each week.
Many of our students are probably not
aware that we have guidelines on dress
because we rarely need to discuss them.
Our experience suggests that almost
without exception, Sixth Form students
can build up a wardrobe that reflects
personal choice and is appropriate for
a school environment.

Choosing
to join
QKS Sixth
Form...
Students’ Questions Answered
Is it worth staying on into the Sixth
Form? Wouldn’t I be better off
leaving school and getting a job,
looking for an apprenticeship or
going to college?
It depends what is best for you as an
individual, taking into account your
career intentions, your level of maturity,
and your ability and aptitude. Clearly, if
you plan to study A levels with a view to
going on to higher education, the QKS
Sixth Form is the place for you; you will
be with like-minded friends and teachers
with a proven record of success.
As a new student joining the school,
how easily will I fit in?
Approximately 20% of our Sixth Form
comprises students who have joined the
school at 16. Many students come from
Settlebeck, other local secondary
schools and the private sector as well
as further afield.
It rarely takes longer than a few days
to settle and existing students are very
welcoming. We encourage visits from
prospective students and offer them
the opportunity to meet staff as well as
students who themselves joined the
school as Sixth Formers.
How do I go about choosing my
A level subjects?
You will find specific advice about this in
the relevant subject sections. You should
choose subjects which interest you,
which you are good at and which will
meet the requirements of your higher
education and career plans. Don’t forget
that you can start some subjects in the
Sixth Form even if you haven't studied
them in Years 10 and 11, and that the
preliminary choices you make now can
be changed later on.
Do I have to commit myself now
to joining the Sixth Form and to
certain subjects?
No. We ask you and your parents to
complete an application form to join the
Sixth Form, which will give us an
indication of your requirements and
intentions so that we can begin to plan
our courses and timetable. You will have
an interview with Mrs Earle, Head of Sixth
Form or Mrs Samuel, Deputy Head of
Sixth Form when your proposed course
will be discussed. As soon as the
examination results come out at the end
of August, there will be opportunities for
you to discuss your plans again.
Your final commitment to any course
will not be until you enrol in September.
Can I change my subjects once I’ve
started and can I leave at any time?
The answer to both parts of the question
is “Yes”, but we would expect you to
discuss your intentions with your tutor
just as you would any other academic
or related matter, as soon as you sense
that you want to make a change.
My question hasn’t been asked,
or answered.
There is a simple answer to that one:
ASK! Mrs Earle or any teacher would be
happy to answer any other questions.