Life in the Sixth Form

St. Helen’s Sixth Form is a flourishing and vibrant community of about 200 girls with its own accommodation including a bright, comfortable common room with kitchen facility and a modern computer-equipped study area for quiet study. Life in the Sixth Form offers many opportunities for developing individual talents and skills, while pursuing a wide range of intellectual activities. Girls are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, to exercise initiative and provide leadership throughout the school.

Girls can choose from over 20 subjects, with the International Baccalaureate offered as an alternative to A levels. Both programmes prepare students for access to the most competitive Higher Education courses throughout the UK, with students consistently achieving excellent results and going on to universities of their first choice, including Oxford and Cambridge. Recent leavers have also gone on to universities in the USA, Hong Kong and Europe. Girls are taught by dedicated professionals, who work closely with them to choose the most appropriate course of study.

The Sixth Form at St. Helen’s offers an appropriate balance between structure and freedom, allowing students both to fulfil their academic potential and to develop their sense of personal responsibility and independence.  There is a strong commitment to active citizenship both outside and within the school, with a wide variety of extra-curricular activities open to all girls.

Life in the Sixth Form has made me more independent, classes are small and more relaxed which gives everyone a chance to have their ideas heard. It is a relaxed and friendly environment and has a wide range of extra curricular activities for everyone to participate in. Everyone is so friendly and willing to help and has made my time in the Sixth Form enjoyable and memorable.

The amount of independence we get from our study periods combined with the more mature relationship we have with the teachers mean that we have more freedom and independence in school which makes it more enjoyable.  Small tutor groups means greater interaction with one another and with the teachers and the teachers trust you as an adult to do the work.

The best thing about being in the Sixth Form at St. Helen's is the amount of freedom to combine the variety of extra curricular activities with school work. Outside the classroom your creative skills are given the chance to be ignited; in poetry, competitions, trips to the theatre and the opportunity to write for the school magazine.  I enjoyed being on the Young Enterprise team as it was a great experience that taught me skills that I may not have been able to gain elsewhere.