St Joseph’s College Sixth Form lies at the heart of the school. Our teachers are dedicated to supporting each and every student to achieve their best academically, to become confident, well-rounded and compassionate adults and to harness the tools needed to thrive in a technologically driven modern world.
Sixth Form Life
Academic and Pastoral Support
Small class sizes and inspirational teaching encourage academic excellence within a caring community and enables all students to receive the individual guidance and support needed for them to thrive and grow in the Sixth Form. Each student has a tutor who knows them as an individual, and is responsible for the day to day monitoring of their academic and personal well-being.
There is an emphasis on helping students to achieve the best academic results, whilst supporting their emotional, physical and mental.
Your Space
The Sixth Form Centre has been entirely remodelled and
refurbished and now boasts its own café area serving freshly
prepared pizzas from the on-site pizza oven, a selection
of snacks, barista-style coffee and other refreshments. The
adjoining common room and quiet study zone are dedicated
spaces for Year 12 and Year 13 students to work and socialise.
In addition, the College Library, which was fully refurbished in
summer 2021, offers a wealth of resources to support A Level
study; Sixth Formers have use of their own mezzanine area for
quiet study.
Leadership
Sixth Form students benefit from a wide range of opportunities for leadership including Head Students, House Captains, Prefects, Captains of Sport and Chairs of our Student Voice Committees. These roles develop maturity, leadership qualities and service to others.
St Joseph’s has an award-winning track record of success in the Young Enterprise Scheme, which encourages students to learn about business, developing management, finance and entrepreneurial skills.
Students are also invited to take part in the CAFOD Young Leadership programme and every Sixth Former is trained to be a Peer Mentor for younger pupils.
Curriculum
The Sixth Form offers a broad curriculum of A Level subjects which are respected by universities and employers. Students typically take three A Levels plus the Extended Project Qualification over two years.
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EPQ – Extended Project
The Extended Project develops students’ ability to work independently in preparation for further study at a higher level.
It is a single piece of work that requires a high level of planning, preparation, research and autonomous study. It aims to improve students’ critical thinking and time management skills and inspires them to develop a love of learning for learning’s sake. All students have the option to complete an Extended Project and have free choice in selecting their topic.
The qualification is equivalent to one AS Level and is worth up to 28 UCAS points.
Beyond the classroom
Education at St Joseph’s College is not confined to the classroom at any stage of school life. Our enrichment and extension programme in the Sixth Form aims to educate the whole child through our full co-curricular programme and memorable educational visits, culminating in the Sixth Form Ball at the end of the Summer Term.
The current Sixth Form information booklet can be downloaded here:
Sixth Form Information Booklet
Careers and Futures
At St Joseph’s we pride ourselves in giving our students the best possible preparation for life beyond school, and our leaver’s destinations are testimony to our success in doing so.
We provide ongoing guidance and support on higher education courses, apprenticeships, careers and work experience. We provide weekly career lessons, covering topics such as employability skills and the UCAS application, as well as students attending the annual UCAS Conference in Surrey, spending a day at the University of Reading and taking part in external career-related seminars.
We use the award winning, online platform UNIFROG, which offers a one-stop shop to our students for their research on their next step after school.
Our Biennial Careers and Futures Conference allows students to connect with our alumni and members of our local community to discuss their ambitions and aspirations.
