SIXTH FORM
It’s important to find a sixth form environment that you know will prepare your child for their next stage in life, whatever that may be
REAL-LIFE READY:
the right sixth form ANTONIA GELDEARD, Deputy Head and Head of Sixth Form, at Trinity School, Croydon discusses the benefits of an enriching co-ed environment to complete your child’s school career
T
rinity’s sixth form became coeducational in September 2011. Each year, we have more than 300 students in the sixth form, and close to a third of these are girls. We’ve seen an increase in applications in the last couple of years. Last year, we had close to 200 applicants. Many are attracted by the co-educational offering. Certainly advocates of mixed schooling have long said that this model offers a real-world experience: the classroom is more diverse, and this is great preparation for university and real life. What’s more, our
36
independentschoolparent.com
community celebrates diversity and comprises a great variety of faiths and cultures. This is something we actively celebrate. Our students talk about feeling a new lease of life when joining a sixth form. There’s a sense of a new world opening up; of new opportunities and fresh perspectives.
Making a fresh start
To ensure smooth transition, we’ve put in place a large number of induction events – from quizzes, to meals out, to team-building days and a system of inter-form connections in
addition to a girls’ welfare scheme, whereby upper sixth girls chat with lower sixth ‘buddies’. Initially, there’s a period of settling and getting to know each other and this is as much about new students as biological sex. But as soon as the work starts – and our students are encouraged to join so much of the co-curricular offering that life is undoubtedly busy – an atmosphere of academic and cocurricular focus and achievement takes over. Many come to Trinity having been attracted by the facilities, specialist support for university and co-curricular academic
