Sixth Form
Curriculum
“Perhaps it is because we are all girls but honesty and openness is really encouraged here. We don’t compete with each other academically but we work together to raise all our levels; it is just a really supportive community.”
—Current Upper Sixth student
Our Sixth Form teaching team are experts in their field who are committed to nurturing academic excellence in each girl. They deliver an innovative and rigorous curriculum, which instils both a love of their subjects and of independent scholarship more broadly.
The close and supportive relationships which result from this approach ensure that every girl is recognised for her academic potential and we are adept at supporting the individual learning needs of all girls. Research has demonstrated that different behaviours and approaches to learning arise not because ‘girls are girls’, but because they tend to adapt their behaviour to co-educational contexts. It really is a privilege to be able to witness students excel academically in this girls-only environment every day.
We believe in offering a flexible and individualised programme of study; our curriculum comprises 25 different A level options which showcase the diversity of interest and ambition in our Sixth Form community. Helping each girl to understand her potential academic profile is the key to making the right choices for Sixth Form study. Most girls study three A levels plus an Extended Project Qualification (or EPQ for short). Exceptionally, students with a strong GCSE profile, or those wanting to pursue Further Maths, can chose four subjects. The reason we ask the majority of students to take three subjects is simple. Even the most competitive universities only offer places to students based on three A levels. Studying three subjects also gives students the time to make the most of our busy and diverse co-curricular programme.
Whilst we are known for our commitment to academic excellence, absolute grades and league tables are only ever part of the story. The journey of each girl is also important and should be celebrated. Sometimes the girl achieving a B can signify an even greater achievement than the girl who garners an A*. Personalisation and potential are terms which often bandied about in some schools, but in our Sixth Form they really do characterise the academic journey of ‘every girl, every day.’