Sixth Form TRANSITION INFORMATION 2025
WELCOME
A very warm welcome to our Sixth Form.
The next two years have the potential to be hugely rewarding and enjoyable for you. As your Sixth Form team, we are really looking forward to working with and supporting you, so that you are able to make the most of your time in the Sixth Form.
It is a formative period as you look ahead to adulthood, and we hope you will be able to look back with pride on all that you will undoubtedly go on to achieve in Years 12 and 13; the lifelong friendships you will form, the memories made on sports pitches, at concerts, in productions and beyond, and of course the academic achievements that will open up future pathways and opportunities for you.
Along the way, we will also encourage you to develop as young adults - to be kind, proactive and responsible, and to take real ownership of your Sixth Form experience, so that you are best placed to thrive as young adults.
Mr Tom Appleby - Head of Sixth Form
THE SIXTH FORM TEAM
Mrs Pippa Lyons-White 12- 1
Mr Julian O’Sullivan 12- 2
Dr Remy Poland 12- 3
Mrs Holly Adams 12- 4
Mrs Amy Thwaites 12- 5
Mr Mark Bishop 12- 6
Ms Elizabeth Hodges Deputy Head of Sixth Form
Mr Richard Parry Head of Higher Education & Careers
DAILY ROUTINE
The Role of the Tutor
Our tutors play an essential role in their Sixth Form journey; providing pastoral support and guidance, monitoring academic progress and attainment, and providing an important link between School and home. This is reinforced by the Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head of Sixth Form.
Tutors see you every morning and also deliver weekly Health and Wellbeing and Futures and Skills lessons.
You will have the same tutor in Year 12 and Year 13, to provide continuity of care and support throughout these important two years. This can also be helpful for you and your parents, to have a consistent point of contact for any day-to-day concerns or queries.
Registration
You are expected to register each morning at 8.40am with your tutor, arriving at School by 8.35am at the latest, even if you do not have a lesson timetabled for Period 1.
We ask that you remain on-site at all times between 8.40am and 10.55am. If you have study periods, you can use these to undertake academic work or to schedule one-to-one meetings with staff.
There is greater flexibility after 10.55am to recognise the greater level of independence that we wish to afford you as part of our eldest student cohort. You are welcome to sign out and leave the School site from 10.55am, as long as you do not have a lesson timetabled for Period 3. You may also be permitted to sign out at lunchtime, and if you have study periods that occur in Periods 5 or 6, you may prefer to work from home during these lessons.
Tutor Periods and Assemblies: 8.40am – 9.05am
Assemblies and tutor periods are a key part of the School week, and an important aspect of our pastoral provision, giving tutors, the Deputy Head of Sixth Form, and the Head of Sixth Form time to meet and connect with you in a group, or individually. Attendance is expected at both assemblies and tutor periods, and we expect you to arrive on time for both.
Typically, we have a dedicated Sixth Form Assembly every week. These assemblies are used to celebrate students’ achievements, to share information about key events, and to encourage all Sixth Form students to engage with matters of local, national or global importance.
There will then be an additional Senior Assembly at least once a week, but typically, as a Sixth Former, you will spend three mornings each week in your tutor group. Tutors will use these sessions to provide pastoral support and guidance, and to help ensure you start each School day with the right mindset.
Signing In and Out
So that we can ensure your safety, it is important that you follow guidelines for signing in and out when you arrive on or leave the School site.
Please sign in when you arrive at School using the iPads located in the Sixth Form Centre or in the School Office at School Green. It is essential you do this, even when arriving before morning registration, to ensure we know who is on-site in the event of a fire evacuation.
If you arrive late to School, please sign in using the same methods.
When leaving the School site at any time before 4.00pm, you need to sign out using the iPads, signing in again if and when you return.
You do not need to sign out if you depart after 4.00pm.
GAMES
Sixth Form games lessons occur every Thursday afternoon from 2.15 to 4.00pm.
A range of Games options from which you can choose is provided each term. Those of you who are selected to represent the School in sports teams may be required to choose a particular option, in which case the Games Department staff will communicate this with you directly. You must commit to the same option throughout a School term so that registers are accurate and to ensure that each option is appropriately staffed.
Full attendance is required at Games, which is treated as any other timetabled lesson. Only on Thursday should you arrive into School and attend morning registration in full Clifton High School sports kit. This may be worn for the remainder of the day so you are ready to register in the relevant place by 2.15pm.
If you are participating in sport at Coombe Dingle, you will depart Clifton High School at 2.15pm by coach. Coaches return to School by 4.00pm. However, you are permitted to make your own way home from Coombe Dingle if you prefer, or be collected. This should be communicated to the Games Department staff in advance.
If you need to be absent from Games at any time or for medical reasons, your parent should request this absence by contacting Mr Shane Cloete, Director of Sport (scloete@ cliftonhigh.co.uk), and also email absence@cliftonhigh.co.uk. It may be useful to cc Mr Tom Appleby (tappleby@cliftonhigh. co.uk) as the Head of Sixth Form too.
Games Kit
All sports kit must be regulation. School-branded items can be purchased from www.schoolblazer. co.uk.
Students must wear a combination of the following:
• School tracksuit bottoms, skort or shorts
• School fitness top or polo
• School soft shell or mid-layer
For more information, please refer to the Uniform Policy on our website.
As mentioned above, students should only wear sports kit into School on Thursday.
DRESS CODE
As role models and leaders within our School community, it is important that as a Sixth Form student, you are dressed smartly at all times, and appropriately for a professional, working environment; most especially should you represent our School at formal and public-facing events.
Dressing for a professional, working setting also helps to ensure you approach every School day with a focused mindset and a positive attitude towards learning.
All Sixth Form students are expected to wear:
• A suit jacket, to be worn at all times around the School site (no denim or leather).
• Formal full-length trousers, a formal dress or skirt. Very short or tight-fitting styles are not appropriate. Casual styles including jeans, leggings or combats are also not appropriate.
• A shirt, blouse or top, preferably with a collar. Cropped, strappy, sheer or halter- neck styles are not acceptable.
• Jumpers, if worn, should be of a smart, fitted and formal style. Hoodies and sweatshirts of any design are not acceptable.
• Male students are expected to wear a tie at all times. Ties are optional for all other students.
• Most jewellery is considered acceptable; however, students may be required to remove excessive amounts if deemed inappropriate.
• Smart, sensible shoes or boots. Any style of trainer is not acceptable.
• Hair should be well-groomed and natural in colour. Hair styles should be smart and professional. Protective hairstyles such as cornrows and locks, associated with ethnic and cultural identities, should be smart and professional.
If a member of staff deems any Sixth Form student’s clothing to be overly casual, untidy or revealing, they will address this with the individual, and it is important that this feedback is taken on board.
You should not wear sports kit to School, except on Thursday. On days where you have sports clubs and activities you should wear regular smart Sixth Form attire as per the above, and change on onsite before your scheduled activity.
For further information, please refer to our uniform policy linked here or in the QR code on the previous page.
TIME OUT OF SCHOOL
Illness & Absence Notification
If you are unwell and unable to attend School, please ask your parent to telephone the School Office on 0117 973 0201 or email absence@cliftonhigh.co.uk to inform us that you will not be attending School.
Please note that you cannot authorise your own absence and a notification must be made by a parent on each day you are absent from School.
In the event you feel unwell during the School day, you should visit the Medical Centre for assistance. If it is decided you need to return home, our School Nurses will contact parents and the School Office to confirm that you are leaving the School site. For your own safety and wellbeing, if you are unwell please do not leave the site without first visiting the Medical Centre.
For a planned appointment or family event, parents must request an absence for a student in advance. Please note that requests for more than half a day out of School need to be made in writing to Mr Luke Goodman, Deputy Head (Pastoral) lgoodman@cliftonhigh.co.uk.
Driving Lessons
We are keen to accommodate and assist Sixth Formers who would like to have driving lessons. However, whenever possible, we ask that you try to schedule them after 4.00pm so that they do not occur during the School day. Where this is not possible, please ensure driving lessons do not interfere with academic lessons or Games lessons, and that they occur after 10.55am so that you are present during Periods 1 and 2, as outlined previously.
Our Sixth Form Driving policy is linked here.
Parents’ Evenings & Reports
During your time in the Sixth Form it is especially important that you are actively involved in any conversations about your academic progress. There will be two Year 12 Parents’ Evenings; the first in October 2025 and the second in April 2026. There is a further Year 13 Parents’ Evening immediately after you complete your mock examinationss in January 2027. Wherever possible, you, together with a parent, should attend these meetings.
In addition, your parents will receive regular communication about your progress and attainment via written reports. You will always have an opportunity to discuss these reports with your tutor, and, if required, with the Head of Sixth Form. We encourage you to be proactive in response and setting targets for yourselves based on feedback.
School Lunches
In the Sixth Form you will enjoy the greater freedom Clifton High School offers to Years 12 and 13 students by opting to bring your own packed lunch into School, walk into Clifton Village to buy lunch or purchase lunch in the following ways from School:
• The Walters Bistro, based in the Sixth Form Centre, is open from 9.00am until 2.00pm every day, offering a more flexible takeaway service. It serves hot drinks and a variety of items such as paninis, sandwiches, hot snacks, pastries, crisps, cakes and fruit. The offering will vary day-to-day and will reflect seasonal demand. Contactless payment is made with a card or using ApplePay.
• A School lunch in the main Dining Hall alongside the Senior School, can be purchased using a voucher system which costs £5.30 and entitles you to a hot meal, salad bar access, pudding and a piece of fruit.
STUDYING
Use of Study Periods
The Sixth Form is one of increased opportunity and independence, whereby we trust you to structure your non-contact time wisely.
Typically, you will have between ten and twenty study periods per fortnight, depending on the number of subjects you choose to study at A level.
Is it expected that most study periods will be used for the purpose of academic work but you may choose to schedule additional activities, or use them to access support sessions or meetings.
We also encourage you to utilise the quiet study spaces in the Sixth Form Centre, which are equipped with desks, comfortable seating and ample power sockets. There is Wi-Fi throughout the building or, alternatively, you may prefer to work in the Senior Library.
APPROACH TO ACADEMIC STUDIES
At Clifton High School, we do our utmost to try to ensure your time in the Sixth Form is enjoyable, enriching and productive.
This is achieved in many ways and you will be encouraged to pursue opportunities outside of the classroom, including attending clubs and societies, undertaking positions of responsibility, volunteering and representing the School in a wide variety of pursuits. However, we do expect your key priority to, quite rightly, be your academic studies.
A level studies inevitably represent a new challenge for you. To achieve your best you will need to spend a significant amount of time working independently on homework tasks, coursework, wider reading and academic enrichment. As a rough guide, you can expect to be set 5-6 hours of independent work per subject each week.
If you are ever finding a piece of academic work challenging or require additional help, please speak to the relevant class teacher first, as this is usually the most efficient and effective way of addressing your concerns and helping you to get back on track.
Subject-based ‘help’ clubs and clinics are provided regularly throughout the School year, usually during lunchtimes. These offer you the opportunity to get more targeted support with a specific piece of work or key skills.
If you require support structuring your study periods, to ensure you are keeping up with your A level courses, you may be asked to attend supervised private study (SPS). This means that in some study periods we will arrange for you to work in the School Library where a member of staff will be present to help you stay focused.
FACILITIES
Sixth Form Centre
The Walters Sixth Form Centre opened in 2021, with the purpose-built common room and café opening early in 2023. It offers Sixth Formers a dedicated space in which to work, dine and socialise, enabling you all a level of independence befitting to your age. It includes our bistro, a separate student kitchen, four quiet work rooms, a spacious common room and assembly space, toilets and changing rooms and an outdoor courtyard area for the warmer weather. It is our expectation that you play your part in keeping our facilities clean and tidy for all to enjoy.
There are student lockers in the Sixth Form Centre, and we ask you to bring a padlock into School if you would like to regularly use a locker for yourself.
The student kitchen is available for you to use at any time before or during the School day. There is a fridge in which you can keep items of food or drink, facilities for making tea or coffee, and a microwave and toaster for making snacks. You are asked to respect each other’s items and only eat and drink items that you have brought in for yourself.
We also recommend you bring your own reusable mugs and/or cups into School, labelling them clearly with your name.
You will need to wash-up plates, cutlery and cups after using them. The Head of Sixth Form may suspend use of the kitchen if it is not being kept clean and tidy.
All Sixth Form students are responsible for ensuring that rubbish bins and recycling boxes are used correctly, and that food and drink is not splashed or spilled on carpets and furniture.Food and drink should not be taken into classrooms but can be consumed in common room areas.
Chewing gum should not be brought into School.
There are separate student and staff toilets so please only use the student one.
Any matters that need to be brought to the attention of our cleaning or maintenance staff should be reported to a member of the Sixth Form team.
LAPTOPS & DEVICES
At Clifton High School’s Sixth Form, our ‘Bring your Own Device’ policy forms part of the Acceptable Use of ICT Policy, linked here. This is to enable all our students to take greater control and responsibility for digital learning and to help prepare you for a life beyond Sixth Form.
Below are details of devices that are suitable to have and as a Microsoft School, we need to ensure that each device is fully operating with Office 365, as this will be used throughout all subjects taught across the curriculum. You can install the Office 365 suite of applications free of charge by scanning the QR code or following this link, entering your School email address and following the instructions.
Recommended minimum Laptop specifications
Windows 11 operating system
Wi-Fi access
Tracking pad/mouse and keyboard
Desirable specifications
• Touchscreen
• Active stylus/pen (for making notes)
Tablets
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Battery life: 8 hours plus
Most Sixth Form students will be familiar with using iPads or other tablet devices and we encourage you use them for note-taking with the OneNote app. We strongly encourage you to have a device with a touchscreen and active stylus. This can be achieved through a laptop with touchscreen or a separate tablet. However, we would recommend that a tablet is always used alongside a laptop as most subjects require extended writing, for which tablets are not generally adequate. Please consult with subject teachers to help choose the best solution for the subjects being studied.
Mac Laptops
While Clifton High School recommends using a Windows device, we understand that many of you may already own a Mac device, which you may prefer to use. This will generally be suitable for most subjects but it is recommended to check with subject teachers of the courses being studied, to ensure you are able to access all the required software.
Chromebooks
Chromebooks are not suitable for Sixth Form study and learners have experienced issues accessing and completing coursework on Chromebooks in the past.
Software
All devices will require the following Office 365 software installed:
OneDrive Teams
OneNote Word PowerPoint
Additional Software
Each subject may have its own software requirements: for example, Computer Science students will need to access desktop programming software and Art and Design subjects use specific design tools. It is the School’s recommendation that you check with subject teachers of the A levels you are taking for any specialist software you may require.
Online Store
For your convenience Clifton High School has partnered with Easy4U to provide an online store where you may choose to rent or purchase a device from. There is no obligation to obtain a device from Easy4U but for more information see their online store linked in the QR code (right) or linked here. Online Store
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Duties
As the oldest year group of the School, we recognise the huge potential all our Sixth Form students have to act as leaders and role models to inspire the younger pupils.
There are opportunities for you to undertake light duties throughout the year, for example: helping to monitor younger pupils in the lunch queue; to organise our recycling efforts; or by acting as Tour Guides for visitors.
We hope that you will enjoy fulfilling these roles as well as developing important leadership, organisational and communication skills in the process.
There are three events for which we will ask all Sixth Form students to assist:
• Whole School Open Morning on Saturday 20th September 2025
• Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 2nd October 2025
• Whole School Open Evening on Thursday 30th April 2026
Co-curricular Involvement
A wide range of Sixth Form clubs and societies are offered, taking place at lunchtime and occasionally after School.
In the Sixth Form, there are also more opportunities for you to take a lead in the organisation of these clubs and socieites, or to establish new ones focusing on issues or activities that interest you personally.
A full schedule of clubs and societies will be published for you to access at the start of the Autumn Term.
Our expectation is that every Sixth Form student commits to taking part in at least one weekly cocurricular activity per term, and every student in Year 12 is expected to attend a club on a Friday lunchtime. However, we appreciate many will relish being involved more than others.
Positions of Responsibility
There are a number of opportunities for you to take on positions of responsibility within the School, which prove to be both hugely rewarding and also enjoyable.
Each year we appoint a Head’s Team, consisting of Head Prefects and Deputies. You may apply
for these positions by writing a letter of application, whereby a student and staff vote will follow. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by the Head, Mr Will Phelan and the Head of Sixth Form, Mr Tom Appleby, as well as you delivering a speech to the Senior School. The Head’s Team shadow their predecessors before taking up their positions at the start of the Summer Term in Year 12.
In addition, we appoint eight House Captains to lead the four School Houses (Pears, Percival, Winkworth and Wollaston).
There are currently five Senior Prefect positions for which students can apply:
• Charities and Outreach Prefect
• Peer Mentoring
• Infant and Junior School Liaison Prefect
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Prefect
• Environment and Sustainability Prefect
• Events Coordinator
There is scope to add additional Senior Prefect positions in the future.
We also organise volunteering opportunities for Sixth Form students who wish to gain experience working with younger children. You may choose to help by reading with pupils in the Infant and Junior School, helping with Music or Art lessons or assisting with our Adventure Programme. Younger pupils love getting to know our most senior students, and you may find the experience equally rewarding.
Head’s Team: Sophie (Head Girl), Isabelle, Sam, Zig (Head Boy), Matthew
