YEAR 12 & 13
All times of the year are busy for the Sixth Form, and Terms 3 and 4 are no exception. The day-to-day work of studying for A-levels and BTEC qualifications goes on, but is gradually intensifying for Year 13s as they start to approach the crucial examination period. Both year groups have had internal exams since Christmas to support their learning, helping both staff and students to identify areas which need improvement. On the back of this, many students are being supported via mentoring sessions with volunteers from the school’s Board of Governors, extra classes after school, small intervention groups and having access to Year 12 lessons.
We have been lucky enough to be visited by a number of guest speakers recently. This has included Sir Roy Anderson, Professor of Infectious Disease at Imperial College, as part of our on-going Distinguished Speakers Programme. He gave a fascinating insight into the life-saving work his team undertake, helping in the fight against infectious diseases across the globe. Year 12s have had a presentation by the National Citizen Service providers who are recruiting for their summer programme, and all students benefitted from a ‘Stress-busting’ presentation by our mental health worker, Stacey Sapsford. The Sixth Form also attended a mind-blowing presentation by Gulwali Passarlay, an Afghan refugee whose story of his flight from the war in his home country led him, as a young boy, through the Middle East, encountering hostility from police and armed groups, prison cells, people smugglers, terrible conditions on a small boat in the Mediterranean and eventually the relative safety in Europe. His account was moving and inspirational and he did much to put all our problems into perspective.
In addition to this, the Sixth Form have had a number of talks from a range of people representing the worlds of higher education and employment. This has included Hanson (part of the Heidelberg Group) who talked about their very attractive apprenticeship scheme, as well as engineers, performers and a company director. Most of the Year 13 students now have a clear pathway ahead, with many securing offers of places at universities, including Cambridge, Bristol, Bath, Nottingham, Exeter, Southampton, Keele, Reading, Surrey and Cardiff. Once again, the range of courses the students have applied for is vast, from Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, to Photography, Criminology, Geography and History. Special mention must be made
of Ellie Sturgess whose fantastic talent for dance has earned her a place at the highly prestigious Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
Many sixth formers have taken advantage of wider opportunities offered to them. Several volunteer on a weekly basis as either a Reading Buddy or as a Student Mentor, roles in which they are supporting younger students in the school. A number of Sixth Formers spent half term either visiting Berlin or Iceland on school trips, representing the school in a hugely impressive manner and presenting themselves as fantastic role models for younger students. Callum Langley (Year 13) spent time last summer working with post-graduate students at the University of Bath building a submarine. His talents have been recognised and rewarded with a place in the finals of the ‘Big Bang Competition’, the winner of which becomes Britain’s ‘Young Engineer of the Year.’
With an eye to the future, Year 12 have been introduced to the online HE/Careers tool Unifrog to help them with researching and planning their post- Sixth Form decisions. The students will also have the opportunity to attend one of two Higher Education/ careers exhibitions in April being staged at the Wiltshire College and the University of Winchester. Most Year 12 students have also managed to secure a work experience placement for a week in July. If you are in a position to offer a work experience placement, or you know someone else who might, I would be delighted to hear from you.
We are currently completing the application and interview process for places in next year’s Year 12. As you may be aware, we are working closely with Lavington School with the aim of extending our provision to their campus from September. If we are successful in this, there will be additional opportunities for all our students as the two schools will collaborate to provide a rich and varied student experience. We have had many applications already for places in the Sixth Form from September and are likely to be over-subscribed. However, I would encourage late applications to be handed in as they will be judged on their merits.
Mr Browning Director - Post 16
www.matravers.wilts.sch.uk
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