WEB BANNERS   SIXTH FORM 202418

The Sixth Form Day

Your day will be quite different from the school day you are used to.

The majority of your timetable will be scheduled classes for your chosen subjects, but you’ll also have set periods for Games, Open Forum and Foundation Studies. The rest of your time is for private or supervised study. The management of these study periods is down to you and will help you to succeed in your subjects. Remember, the timetable doesn’t account for the work you should be doing outside of the classroom. Please see page 16 of the Sixth Form Prospectus for a typical day in the life of a Sixth Former.

 

Day in the lifeMeet Isla

Isla is one of our Upper Sixth students and has kindly documented her typical week here in our Sixth Form. To follow her through a week of studying, lessons, co-curricular activities and socialising, navigate through the page gallery below. To read her full case study see page 37 in the Sixth Form Prospectus 2025/26.

Classroom Lessons

Typically, A Level subjects will have 12 class periods per fortnight. These classes are usually small, allowing students to benefit from high teacher support. Depending on the subject and curriculum, students can expect to engage in presentations, debates, group work and challenges.

Games

An active lifestyle is key to our well-being and yet we know that there is a societal trend showing a reduction in physical activity, particularly amongst teenage girls, as they get older.  At King Edward’s, we make time for sport, knowing the huge value it has for our pupils in terms of physical health, mental well-being, stress relief and team building.  Therefore, every Sixth Former takes part in our Wednesday afternoon games programme, which includes a wide range of activities, including: Hockey, Rugby, Canoeing, Climbing, Football, Cricket, Netball, Weights, Basketball, Golf, Squash, and Sailing. Many of the Sixth Formers, who wish to play at a more competitive level, are members of the senior sporting squads, playing fixtures during the Wednesday afternoon games sessions, and also on Saturdays. We have a full fixture list in all the major sports, and Sixth Formers are encouraged to challenge themselves to contribute to these squads.

Private Study

The aim of Private Study is to provide time for you in school to build on what you do in class in a relatively independent manner by reading around your subjects, researching topics in depth or preparing written or other assignments. Of course, it’s not expected that you will spend every minute of every such period working: you need to take time to have a break and have a coffee, read the paper or talk with friends. But you will be expected to manage your time sensibly and organise your independent work effectively.

You will find the Sixth Form study area and the Library & Resources Centre are good places for this kind of study. It may be possible to use other areas, e.g. Art, DT, Music or IT facilities by arrangement with the appropriate staff. They may set you particular pieces of work to be completed in those periods or expect you to have done some reading or research in them. The key element is that they - and you - will expect there to be an outcome, which might be a completed piece of work or evidence that you have increased your knowledge or skills.

Attendance Requirements

Lower Sixth Students: All Lower Sixth students must arrive on school premises by 08:40, regardless of their morning schedule. Attending Group Base sessions and assembly is mandatory.

Upper Sixth Students: After the first half-term in the Autumn Term, Upper Sixth students with free periods in the morning may, with their tutor's permission, adjust their schedules accordingly for a later start.

Leaving the School premises

We encourage students to take full advantage of directed study and free periods. Students are free to leave the school site when they do not have a timetabled lesson. To facilitate safety, students are requested to use their ID cards when exiting the gate.

Lesson Attendance

All scheduled lessons, including subjects like Games, Foundation Studies, and Open Forum, are considered essential, and attendance is expected.

Uniform

Sixth Form students are not expected to wear School uniform but their dress and appearance should be in a style that would be appropriate for a formal business environment, as well as in keeping with a School environment. The Sixth Form business dress code has been devised with extensive consultation and agreement with the Sixth Formers themselves.