Sixth Form
Year 12 - 13
“ ISI Report, 2023 “
MISS KATHERINE RICH, HEAD OF SIXTH FORM
Welcome to Clifton High School’s Sixth Form
In my experience, success looks different for every young person. It is our mission at Clifton High School Sixth Form to ensure all students recognise their own sense of individual achievement, knowing that their talents and strengths are nurtured and their ambitions realised, within a community in which they truly feel they belong.
range of optional ancillary courses alongside diverse opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. Collectively, these encourage students to hold high aspirations for their academic achievement, as well as to be intellectually curious in all that they do, developing a thirst for knowledge and a considered sense of direction.
Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are excellent, reflecting the school’s aim to develop their passion for learning.
Pupils understand the importance of taking control of their own futures and they have a thoughtful and mature approach towards decision-making.
The two-year duration a student spends in our Sixth Form holds the power to be the most memorable and formative phase of their School career. As educators, we maximise on this period to support their potential success, recognising their growth into adulthood, in the broadest sense.
Set in the heart of Bristol’s Clifton Village suburb, our Sixth Form Centre is distinctive in its approach to co-education for 16–18-year-olds. Purpose-built facilities combined with outstanding teaching and a wealth of co-curricular opportunities help our students to develop their skills and passions beyond the traditional. Our bespoke provision invests in them, as individuals, providing a genuinely holistic education that builds firm foundations for their future.
Clifton High School’s fundamental values of Curiosity, Empathy, Love and Direction underpin all elements of our student’s journey throughout the Sixth Form. We pride ourselves in preparing our them for their next steps into higher education and beyond, offering an array of dynamic and engaging A level lessons, a
Our Sixth Form’s supportive and understanding community successfully encourages members to grow and transition from A level students to confident, resilient and self-aware adults, ready for what life may look like after Clifton High School; whether that be at university, in the workplace, on an apprenticeship or during a gap year. During their education with us, each student is assured of building a strong sense of self, high academic outcomes and the skills to build happy, successful futures.
Clifton High School students will always remain valued members of our community, being warmly welcomed back to visit us, at any time, as they automatically become enrolled as Rosarians, our alumni body.
We would very much like to welcome all families to discover how Clifton High School’s Sixth Form can and will afford their child an education that awards them with an incomparable added advantage for their future. To experience this first-hand, we encourage you to arrange a personal visit with our dedicated Admissions Team.
OUR HOLISTIC EDUCATION
Our Aim
Clifton High School aims to realise the ‘Individual Brilliance’ of each and every student. We believe that the most authentic way to achieve this is by offering a well rounded, bespoke education, delivered by staff who grow to recognise each student’s gifts to offer them unique opportunities to shine.
Our Values
CURIOSITY
The bedrock of any school is when curiosity is embedded into the learning structure. At Clifton High School, our students are educated to be informed individuals. They develop the ability and knowledge to apply the art of questioning and debating that builds confidence in themselves to explore the development of new and independent ideas.
EMPATHY
Consideration of alternative perspectives directly relates to the formation of relationships with one another. As a School, we aim to foster empathy in our students, allowing them to appreciate a world based upon human interaction and nature. Our embedded pastoral system equips them with the ability and desire to change the world in positive ways, maintaining a foundation of kindness throughout their life.
LOVE
Relationships are enhanced when the value of love, for oneself and others, is achieved. We encourage students to believe that love for others directly equates to an inclination of prioritising personal wellbeing. Effectiveness is heightened when individuals develop the confidence and resilience of self-love. Loving the natural world, feeling passionate about the outdoors and nurturing a desire to preserve our planet for future generations are lessons constantly celebrated within the School.
DIRECTION
Collectively, Clifton High School’s values direct students to aspire and achieve in the education that they receive, beyond the parameters of a standard curriculum. We actively encourage students to strive for ambition through a commitment and dedication to accomplishing their personal goals, all of which provide direction, purpose and drive motivation.
A LEVELS
Clifton High School’s broad A level curriculum is exemplary in its offering of twenty-seven subjects, alongside a range of additional ancillary courses and the bespoke ‘Above and Beyond’ programme, all of which cater to our students’ individual interests and talents. To support students in their wider academic progress, we have included Sociology, Psychology, Economics and Politics in our comprehensive A level provision, together with complementary subjects that include Core Maths. Many of our students choose to study three A levels and up to two additional ancillaries, ensuring their academic experience is tailored to their future pathway whilst affording breadth and variety. Experienced and knowledgeable subject teachers, small tutor sets and class sizes commit a high level of personal student support, facilitating excellent individual progress. Our education standards combined with the range of options offered, from more traditional degrees such as Medicine, Architecture and Engineering, to competitive Degree-level apprenticeships and Art Foundation courses enable students to embark upon future study at their first-choice university or higher education college,
A comprehensive list of A level courses available at Clifton High School are:
• Art & Design
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Classics
• Computer Science
• Drama
• Economics
• English Literature
• EPQ
• French
• Further Mathematics
• Geography
• German
• History
• Latin
• Mathematics
• Music
• Music Technology
• Philosophy
• Photography
• Physical Education
• Physics
• Politics
• Product Design
• Psychology
• Sociology
BEYOND THE SIXTH FORM
Futures & Careers
Guiding our Sixth Form students’ decision making about their futures is offered through Clifton High School’s inspiring Careers Guidance Programme, overseen by our in-house Head of Higher Education and Careers, Mr Richard Parry. He will personally provide 1:1 support for every student in our Sixth Form guiding them on their UCAS application or alternative vocation. Working together with industry experts and employers, the strength of our alumni network, The Rosarians, dedicated Futures and Skills tuition, alumni breakfasts and higher education fairs all contribute to students being connected to an extensive range of professionals and professions. This community driven ethos cultivates individuals who have a strong sense of themselves and the world around them, affording our students the ability to learn beyond the classroom setting as they embark upon their own future career pathways.
Our outstanding team of empathetic tutors who work alongside Miss Katherine Rich, Head of Sixth Form and Ms Lucy Horton, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, are experienced in understanding that these final years in a student’s education can be both emotionally and academically challenging. Wellbeing focused support mechanisms ensure that tutors truly acquaint themselves with their dedicated students and families. Moments to celebrate our students are cherished,
enhancing the community driven values that Clifton High School is renowned for.
On entry into the Sixth Form, independent learning is encouraged and reflected in students taking ownership over their own study options, time management and preferred study locations. Throughout this transition, they continually benefit from outstanding pastoral support, provided by our experienced and dedicated Personal Tutors and the Sixth Form Leadership Team. The goal of exceeding academic standards is exemplary yet the School understands that success is not measurable by results alone and a student’s sense of achievement is complimentary to intellectual identity.
As a selective School, we are extremely proud of the excellent academic results our students receive, and the value we add to their academic outcomes consistently set us above other parallel schools. In 2023, 48% of A level grades were A* - A. One third of our Year 13 students achieved at least three A* - A grades and overall, more than a quarter of students exceeded their expected grades in all subjects by an average of at least one grade. We very much value our students for who they become as well as what they achieve, firmly believing that from happiness and self-confidence, success will follow.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
The Clifton High School Sixth Form is an environment in which students are encouraged to prepare for their future roles as global citizens, leaders and change-makers, equipped with the skills and attributes required to succeed and make a positive impact in our ever-changing world. We encourage our students to engage with the wider School community as Head Prefects, House Captains, Sports Captains, or as ambassadors for charitable initiatives close to their heart. Currently we appoint Prefects to lead on Diversity and Inclusion, Environmental Change and Sustainability, Peer Support and Charity and Outreach. Many of our students relinquish their own time to support our Junior School Adventure Programme or to lead activities with younger pupils. Whatever a student’s passion beyond the curriculum, we aim to help them flourish. These experiences and responsibilities encourage Clifton High School’s Sixth Form students to grow into ever more proactive, confident and socially-aware individuals, with strong values and transferable skills aplenty.
Opportunities and initiatives in which our students immerse themselves in the Sixth Form include;
• Young Enterprise
• Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
• Model United Nations
• Debating Society
• Representation in the Bristol Education Partnership
• The Bristol Education Partnership Oracy Project
School Life
• The Gabblers Club After-Dinner Speaking Competition
• Bristol Water Youth Board
• Bristol Sport Partnership including programmes for elite and developing swimmers
• Avon Schools Eco-Network
• The Three Peaks Challenge
As an all-through School, it is important that all our pupils, from our youngest to our eldest, and their families are engaged in our wider community and School life. Annual events including Christmas celebrations, performances, assemblies, prizegivings and concerts provide a vibrant social scene that our parents and students alike, look forward to being involved in.
A PLACE TO BELONG
The Walters Sixth Form Centre
The Walters Sixth Form Centre is a space in which students genuinely feel at home, supported by staff and peers in an environment that befits their developing maturity as they strive for independence. Opened in 2023, our Sixth Form Centre accommodates not only multiple tutor rooms and quiet workspaces but also offers an in-house café, a student kitchen and a light and open common room in which to socialise. Designed to provide a welcoming and spacious hub for our students, lifelong friendships and special memories are built here and we continually enjoy the close links that many of our former students retain with us after they graduate.
Admissions
During the Autumn Term of Year 11, prospective pupils are invited to attend a Sixth Form Experience Day before submitting an application to express their interest in joining the School. This application consists of a registration form, predicted and/or mock grades and a written statement by the pupil.
In the subsequent January, prospective pupils will then be invited to attend an interview with the Head of Sixth Form, with offers of a place being made at the end of January.
Sixth Form students will join Clifton High School in the September of Year 12.
Scholarships
On submission of a Sixth Form application, scholarships can be applied for, in any one of a pupil’s chosen A level subjects, Music or Sport. Once shortlisted, pupils will be invited to attend the Scholarship Interview Evening in January, where they will have their Sixth Form Interview and also a separate meeting with the relevant Head of Department. For subjects such as Art, Product Design or Music, pupils may be required to bring a portfolio or perform.
For further information, please contact our Admissions Team. admissions@cliftonhigh.co.uk +44 (0) 117 933 9087 www.cliftonhigh.co.uk
