Life in the Sixth Form

Mr J Nichols, Head of Sixth Form

Mrs S Baxter-Williams, Deputy Head of Chilwell School

Mr Moss, Tutor

Ms Hepworth-Smith, Tutor

Mrs Foyster, Tutor

Mr. Lodge, Tutor

Mr I Batley, Tutor

Mrs E Ault, Tutor

Mr. Tetley, Tutor

Mrs K Tipping, Exams Officer

Mrs L Underdown, Careers Advisor

Mr R Wheatley, Network Manager

Mr M Lucas, ICT Manager

Students in year twelve generally study three subjects and follow a two year A level course. In addition pupils may study EPQ (Extended Project Qualification Level 3), Core Maths, re-sit English and/or Maths GCSE, PSHE and have timetabled (supervised) study sessions.

Subject 1	5 Periods
Subject 2	5 Periods
Subject 3	5 Periods
PSHCE	1 Period
Study	2 Periods
EPQ	2 Periods
ReSit	2 Periods

Students in year thirteen continue to study the three subjects started in year twelve as part of the two year A level course. In addition pupils may study resit English and/or Maths GCSE, PSHCE and have timetabled (supervised) study sessions.

Subject 1	6 Periods
Subject 2	6 Periods
Subject 3	6 Periods
PSHCE	1 Period
ReSit	2 Periods

The Chilwell School sixth form day in 2023-24 is organised into three double lessons, each 1hr 40 minutes in length. Break for sixth form is at 10:40am and lunch is at 12:40pm.

Registration	8:40am – 9:00am
Lesson 1 (inc break)	9:00am – 11.00am
Lesson 2 (inc lunch)	11.00am – 1:30pm
Lesson 3	1:30pm – 3:10pm
Enhancement sessions	3:20pm – 4:10pm

Google Classroom

All lessons and homework tasks are uploaded onto Google Classroom. This is an invaluable resource for you to go back over what you have been learning; identify where you need to check for understanding and to use alongside your class notes when revising.

You will be encouraged to use a range of study skills including for example, Cornell Notes, as a way of organising your learning.

Google Drive

As well as Google Classroom you will also be expected to complete and submit work using Google Docs, Slides and possibly Sheets.

Chromebooks

To help you manage your learning all Year 12 students are provided with a Chromebook. You will be required to make a deposit of £30 please see here for agreement.

Your tutor will play a significant role in providing pastoral care and they will be your daily point of contact. There is no denying Post 16 study is challenging and there might be times when you need someone to talk to, or simply support and guide you. This is where your tutor often steps in. Your tutor will also be responsible for delivering elements of PSHE/RSE and will play an active role in university and/or apprenticeship applications. In essence, your tutor is like your surrogate parent who might nag you on an occasion, but with the very best intentions of ensuring you are doing the right thing to maximise your potential. It goes without saying that as the head of sixth form, I will be relying heavily on my tutors to make sure we support and guide you in every way we can.

At Chilwell we have high expectations of all our students and this is part of what makes a successful sixth form. In my opinion, you are role models to those in the lower years; showing them what is the right way of doing things. As a sixth form student you will be expected to behave in a mature and responsible manner. Without going into great detail, I believe high expectations include high attendance, being punctual, having a positive attitude towards peers and staff, meeting deadlines, being in the appropriate dress and using mobile devices in a responsible way. Further, it is just as important that you have high expectations of yourself to reach your personal goals.

All students are expected to arrive at 8.40am for morning registration and tutorial activities. This is not optional.

One of the key ingredients to success is being in the classroom as much as possible. Nothing matches the dynamic of learning from experienced subject teachers and your fellow peers. Therefore, attendance is priority and here at Chilwell where we set a target of 95%. Any figure below this is likely to have a detrimental impact on your ability to follow a sequence of learning and ultimately affect your final grades. Students who fall below this target will be monitored closely and appropriate action taken. The attendance policy will be shared in a separate document.

Initially, all Yr 12 students are expected to be in 6th form until the end of the day. You will engage in subject lessons and enrichment as well as supervised study sessions. At this stage, we want to assess your ability to work independently and effectively, and we feel that having you on site all day will give us the opportunity to monitor this most accurately. At the end of the first half term, we will have gauged how students are working and will introduce an earned autonomy approach.

Being on time is an important aspect of sixth form life, but also life in general. Here at Chilwell we expect students to respect the fact teachers have prepared lessons for your benefit, making it only right you are there on time to learn. This also includes tutor time which forms part of getting yourself ready for the day ahead, as well as it acting as a means to communicate several messages across the school week. Poor punctuality will be monitored closely and appropriate action taken.

The ability to meet deadlines is another important aspect of sixth form life, but also life in general. Here at Chilwell we expect students to submit work on time, unless there is a genuine reason for it not being so. Teachers work tirelessly and plan their working week around numerous commitments. Therefore, it is only right their time is respected and deadlines are met to allow them the appropriate time period to mark and give feedback. If deadlines are not met, teachers will reinforce expectations and report persistent offenders to the sixth form team.

As a full-time student at Chilwell sixth form you are not to partake in paid employment during the hours of the school day. You have chosen to study here and this must be your priority. The only exception to this is if you have taken on a paid role within the school e.g. lunchtime supervisor. In these circumstances, any paid role within the school must not impact on your timetabled lessons.

On GCSE results day, all applicants of the sixth form will have an identification photograph taken. This will assist in the issuing of identification badges on the first day of the academic year.

All students are issued with an identification badge and lanyard. These must be worn at all times. The badge will give you access to Lakeview and will allow you to sign in and sign out at times other than registration if you leave the school site. There will be regular spot checks to ensure that identification badges are being used appropriately as this is a safeguarding protection.

If the identification badge is misplaced or lost, this must be reported immediately. There will be a £5 charge to have a replacement issued.

It is imperative that you keep the school informed of any changes to the details you complete on the confidential form such as address, changes in telephone numbers, especially emergency telephone numbers. It is a requirement for the school to have the up to date contact information for at least two adults for each child.

Lakeview is a sixth form facility designed to enhance learning for all post-16 students at Chilwell School. There are specific classrooms for all faculty areas including three science laboratories and a media suite.

Additionally there are areas throughout Lakeview where students can work quietly or collaboratively in small groups. There is a common room and attached kitchen

Within the sixth form common area you will have access to a bank of lockers. These can be rented from school for a refundable charge of £5. You will be responsible for the key and if lost there will be a £5 charge to have a replacement issued.

All sixth form students have access to the Bistro throughout the day. The Bistro is open between 8.30am and 14:30pm.

Students can pay for a range of meals, drinks and snacks through the school payment system, bank cards or through their phone.

A space is available with access to subject text books, wider reading materials and board games, designed to help students relax and work in relative peace.

Invest in a diary and use it to keep track of current assignments and homework deadlines. Make sure you have all the relevant equipment to actively participate in your classes. Simply packing your bag in the evening can really help for the following morning.

Poor attendance is detrimental to your learning and achievement. Gaps in your knowledge will start to appear and links between topics become difficult to grasp.

Remember to practice active listening by focusing on what your teacher is sharing and take notes as needed. Good notes help store information in your long-term memory at the time you write them. They will also be important for reviewing when completing homework, assessments, assignments and exams. It can often help to condense your notes after class to make them clear and easy to follow. Underline or highlight key points when doing so. If you miss a lesson, ask a peer for their notes and/or speak to the teacher.

Remember your teacher is a resource, so make effective use of them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify understanding and/or challenge concepts.

Break up your study load over several days. Research shows it helps to retain information far more readily than attempting to cram your workload in one long session. This also supports the ability to deeply ingrain information and retain it for the long term.

This is really helpful for time management and will support you in reaching your learning goals. Having a plan also helps with the motivation to study, keeping you organised around other hobbies and commitments and breaking your study into manageable blocks so nothing is rushed or last minute.

Simply re-reading isn’t engaging with your notes. Try using active learning techniques like creating concept maps and diagrams, explain concepts to yourself step by step, formulating questions and problems you can come back to and solve, create a quiz and become a teacher by teaching your peers.

It is important to have a designated study area that is free from distraction and will allow you to study effectively. The Lakeview building has places for this purpose and there will be other places to go and find quiet time. Having such places creates the mind set of being ready to get your head down to learn. Mobile phones can be a huge distraction to learning, therefore switch it off (or at least turn off the notifications).

Get someone to test you or test yourself; this is great for knowledge retrieval and helps long term retention. Practice, practice, practice is key. Using past papers, mark schemes and examiners reports will make a substantial difference to your ability to apply what you have learnt, as well preparing you for mock and real exams.

One of the best ways to study is to share the experience with your peers. It benefits to find a study buddy and/or form a study group with like minded people. This helps keep you motivated, to stay accountable, to test what you know, to challenge and offer advice and to share resources such as textbooks.