Student support

Everyone has different needs when it comes to support and guidance. At The Bedford Sixth Form our team of Student Services Advisers give you all the support you need, when you need it.

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT We take the wellbeing and safety of every single student very seriously. We strive to ensure a safe and welcoming environment at The Bedford Sixth Form, and have safeguarding and anti-bullying policies in place to ensure that young people and vulnerable adults studying with us do so in a safe and secure environment. If you have any concerns about these issues, our trained staff are here to help.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT If you have an identified learning difficulty and/or disability you may be entitled to additional support. This could include: help in and outside of class; the loan of specialist equipment you may need to complete work; support with making special arrangements for taking exams or support in accessing our facilities. OUR MATRIX-ACCREDITED CAREERS ADVISERS Throughout your time with us, our careers advisers are here to help you find the right path. Providing impartial advice and guidance on everything from your university choices or training and work prospects, to CVs and interview preparation. FINANCIAL SUPPORT Our Student Services team are here to provide you with practical advice on student bursaries, travel costs, higher education funding, grants and much more. We also have a range of financial support packages available to help with essential costs, such as equipment, books, clothing or meals, as well as bursaries for vulnerable students or those in severe financial hardship. PERSONAL COUNSELLOR Our Counsellor is available to help if personal difficulties are getting in the way of your studies. We provide quiet spaces where you can talk through your problems with a counsellor and work towards making them easier to handle.

UCAS JOURNEY We have a dedicated team and comprehensive programme in place to support you through the UCAS application process. We encourage you to start preparing your UCAS applications early, by late October for a standard entry, or by late September for Oxbridge or Medicine. We also run drop-in sessions throughout the UCAS application period, where you can get advice about

the whole process.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT TUTORS

You will be assigned a professionally trained Personal Achievement Tutor when you start your course who will give you one-on-one support throughout your time with us. You will also meet your tutor regularly, together with the other students in your tutor group, to keep you informed of everything going on at The Bedford Sixth Form or to work on group projects, such as career planning.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY...

My Personal Achievement Tutor is really helpful and will always reply within a day if I need to see her.

Shola

We see our Personal Achievement Tutor as a group once a week and have a oneto-one session with them once a term.

Jake

My tutors are really nice and helpful. They always support me and will help pick you up if you’re having a bad day. As well as our subject tutors we have a Personal Achievement Tutor who we can go to with any concerns or questions, study related or other.

Ellen

A WORD FROM AMELIA, ONE OF OUR PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT TUTORS (PAT)…

“I’ve been part of the Student Services team at The Bedford Sixth Form for the past two years. The PAT team is here to help our students achieve - and exceed - their academic potential. We aim to support our students to progress beyond what they thought was possible when they first started at the Sixth Form, and help them to grow into successful, resilient and well-rounded people. We hold group tutorial sessions once a week, where we focus on topics such as study skills, health and wellbeing, and career progression. We aim to tailor these sessions to our students’ needs, and invite in guest speakers to help with all aspects of their studies. Students also have one-to-one tutorials with us at least once a term to talk specifically about their individual progress and future plans. Personal Achievement Tutors are a source of support for our students and we enjoy getting to know them as people and seeing them grow throughout their time here.”