Over the last 5 years we have seen our sixth form numbers increase as more of our students decide to continue their education with us. We also attract some students from other schools in the area as well as welcoming back students who may have tried college as an option but realise that they would prefer a school based setting for Further Education.
In collaboration with George Stephenson High School, we can offer a varied range of Level 3 courses. As well as traditional Advanced Level subjects such as Maths, English Literature and Sciences that follow on directly from GCSE, we also offer subjects such as Psychology, Sociology and Media Studies which also prove to be highly popular with our sixth form students. We also offer Child Learning,Play and Development, Medical Science and Computer Science which were introduced to our curriculum due to popular demand from our students. We also offer a number of applied courses for example in ICT and although structured in the same way as advanced level courses they have a more vocational focus.
Students also have dedicated enrichment time on Tuesdays. In addition to PSHE students have the opportunity to opt for A level Further Mathematics, resit GCSE English and Mathematics (if necessary) and complete the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Students are also encouraged to involve themselves in other enrichment opportunities such as in-class support with younger students, volunteering within the local community, work shadowing and completing MOOC's(Massive Open On-line Courses) through the educational on-line provider Unifrog.
We have a dedicated Sixth Form area providing study and social facilities for our students and our guest students.
We have very strong links with our local universities and apprenticeship providers and together with them we provide advice and guidance on applications to all universities and advanced apprenticeship opportunities. All students in Year 12 have the opportunity to visit Northumbria University each year to gain an insight into student life, receive advice on choosing courses and making their application.