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Life in the Sixth Form

At Sion, students will have the opportunity to thrive academically and be well prepared for the next stage of life. The Sixth Form is an influential, important and integral part of our Sion community and our Sixth Formers are invited to take on responsibilities within the school community, including leadership roles and organising and leading events.

Sion is a caring environment and students will have the freedom to develop as an individual. The final responsibility for their progress lies with them, and realising this is an essential part of preparing for life beyond school. We aim to help our students become independent, caring adults who are capable of thinking and working for themselves.

For all our Sixth Form students, the day is from 8.40am until 3.40pm. They are expected to be on the school premises throughout the day, attending timetabled lessons and activities, and join in assemblies. Students may leave the school premises for short periods and during lunch break, and those students in Year 13 who do not have lessons starting at 9am, may come in a little later but must register by 10.20am.

Apart from timetabled sessions, students should expect to spend time on their set work, reading and background studies. They should spend four to five hours per subject each week in self- directed study, increasing in the run up to exams. Students may use the study room in the VISion Centre or the Resource Centre for private study; helping them get into the discipline of self-managed study. We ask students to respect the need for quiet in study periods and to use this time effectively for themselves and others. This means avoiding activities which may be a distraction.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is started in the Spring Term of Year 12, for completion by the Easter break in Year 13. There are regular support and taught sessions to assist students with completing the EPQ but we do expect much of the work to be managed and completed independently.

Academic progress will be closely monitored through regular progress reporting, in addition to the usual testing and reporting procedure. If students fail to reach the required standard in the end of Year 12 examinations they may not be able to continue to study that subject in Year 13.

The volunteering programme has become an increasingly important part of the Sixth Form curriculum. Students are involved in a number of activities, including working in the local hospital, our Junior School, in charity shops and with children with disabilities and the elderly.

Students in our Sixth Form often participate in musical events at the School including the senior choir and instrumental works. They are also active participants in school drama productions and help with a variety of tasks such as stage management.

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