Blackheath High Sixth Form Prospectus

INSPIRATION CURIOSITY DISTINCTION

“MY TUTORS GAVE UP HOURS OF THEIR TIME TO HELP ME. THEIR DEVOTION TO THE SCHOOL AND TO OUR PERSONAL SUCCESS IS AWE-INSPIRING. TUTORS KNOW YOU AS INDIVIDUALS; YOU ARE HELPED AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND RESPECTED AS AN INDIVIDUAL.”

Sixth Form is the most exciting stage of your education so far. In choosing your A-level pathway, you begin to specialise in the subjects that will shape your future. So, what can you expect?

At Blackheath High Sixth Form, our curriculum is future-focused, academically challenging and intellectually engaging, giving you the opportunity to express your intellectual creativity and individuality. Our tutorial and seminar style teaching prepares you for higher education and the world of work beyond school, where independent thought is valued and encouraged.

We believe in strong co-curricular activities to broaden your experience from rowing on the River Thames to performing at the Edinburgh Festival. We encourage all students to engage with the numerous societies we have, take part in charitable endeavours and manage whole-school events such as the renowned Annual Winter Fashion Show.

Our Wollstonecraft Speaker Series hosts pioneering role models each week, with the series designed to inspire critical thinking, innovation and confidence by sharing how they implement change. Listen and ask questions to UCL Prof. Micheletti about vaccine development, campaigner and author Caroline Criado-Perez on exposing gender data bias, and BBC Broadcaster, Angela Saini on science and women.

In taking on these opportunities, you will be well nurtured and empowered by teachers who know you well. We want to help you make your own unique journey. To do this, we provide you with a tailored careers programme from our Head of Futures to help you discover your bespoke pathway and ensure you are well-equipped for the future.

Time and time again, our alumnae tell us that they regard Blackheath High as their extended family and the strength of these relationships is something we are incredibly proud of. Once you leave Sixth Form you will remain part of the GDST family for life.

We warmly invite you to visit us in our brand new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre, to experience life at Blackheath High Sixth Form.

Mr Sodhi Head of Year 12

Mrs Beecham Head of Year 13 and UCAS

“I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY OTHER SCHOOL WOULD HAVE MADE ME INTO THE QUIRKY, YET CONFIDENT WOMAN I AM TODAY!”

PUTTING GIRLS FIRST

Blackheath High School is pioneering and the GDST’s purpose to help every girl fulfil her potential and her dreams permeates everything we do, providing the very best opportunities for each of the girls who join our Sixth Form.

The dynamic in a girls-only setting is different: there is evidence that girls are more likely to take intellectual risks, adopt leading and active roles and are better able to develop their own distinct qualities away from the pressures inherent in a co-educational environment. We believe all subjects are girls’ subjects. We strive to ensure our girls leave Sixth Form with the ambition, confidence, courage and intellectual rigour to flourish, no matter where their life takes them.

Our membership of GDST provides unrivalled benefits to the school and our students through:

• Unique networking opportunities, conferences and inter-school collaborations and competitions for students (e.g. Young Leaders’ Conference; Oxbridge Preparation Conference)

• Membership of the GDST Alumnae community, with over 70,000 former students

• Access to the GDST Limitless Learning Programme for Year 13s, including university bridging seminars and life skills courses

• The enormous depth of expertise and knowledge in girls-only education

• Tailored professional development and training for teachers

• Shared best practice

To find out more visit: www.gdst.net

INSPIRATION

Life in the Sixth Form is different. Girls gain a great deal of ‘supported freedom’. They are given the study skills and opportunities to be increasingly independent and self-reliant in their learning while receiving the highest standards of teaching from expert staff who are passionate about their subject (and a whole lot more besides).

We have high expectations of every member of our community, students and staff alike. The quality of teaching is second to none. We inspire ambition and achievement inside and outside of the classroom, through a wide variety of academic, creative, and adventurous trips and challenges. The A-level courses are complemented by an Academic Enrichment programme and co-curricular opportunities that challenge, stretch and ultimately prepare girls for life beyond school. All Sixth Formers attend fortnightly lectures from visiting speakers, including alumnae, as part of our Wollstonecraft Speaker Series.

“IT WAS EASY TO GET INVOLVED IN ALL THE ACTIVITIES BEING PROVIDED BY BHS, FROM THE CELEBRATED DEBATING SOCIETY TO THE EXCELLENT THEATRE PRODUCTIONS AND RENOWNED FASHION SHOWS.”

“MY TIME IN THE SIXTH FORM WAS SPECIAL. FINDING A BALANCE BETWEEN THE ACADEMIC AND THE CO-CURRICULAR WAS CENTRAL TO MY ENJOYMENT OF SIXTH FORM LIFE.”

CURIOSITY

To try and risk failure is immeasurably more valuable than never trying at all. Every girl in our Sixth Form is encouraged and supported to try something new – without exception, girls discover hitherto unknown talents and passions and develop existing ones, making Sixth Form life enjoyable, fulfilling and unforgettable.

Beyond the core A-level courses, girls are offered a distinctive range of courses and activities that complement their studies and develop aptitudes and wider learning. Global Perspectives enhances cultural understanding, evaluative skills and critical awareness. The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an AS-Level project designed to encourage independent learning. Sixth Formers take the leading role in academic societies, gaining valuable experience of planning, presentation and communication skills. Regular lectures provide a broader understanding of topics and current academic thought.

BALANCE

At Blackheath High Sixth Form, great emphasis is placed upon a balanced approach to study and healthy working habits. In the Sixth Form we place great value on our ability to offer academic excellence within a holistic education for every girl at every stage.

In preparing for life beyond school, we see it as vital that our girls continue to engage fully in our vibrant co-curricular programme and we have developed an enviable choice of activities that, while encouraging teamwork and leadership, are also designed to support girls’ personal development and be enjoyable. Our Sixth Formers participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, support charities through fundraising and help communities across the globe as part of our overseas expedition programme. They take LAMDA classes and create, organise and perform in concerts, drama productions and fashion shows held in iconic venues, such as the Old Royal Naval College or Greenwich Village. Sixth Form girls also lead a huge range of societies, such as Debating, Politics Society, Middle Eastern Society, the Somerville Mathematical Society, Feminism Society, Wings of Hope Charity Society, and rowing at the Royal Albert Dock.

“I AM COMPLETELY ELATED WITH MY A-LEVEL RESULTS! WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF MY TUTORS, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE EXCELLENT PROGRESS IN THE SIXTH FORM AND HAVE SURPASSED MY OWN EXPECTATIONS.”

“CONSTANT SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MY WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND A WARM, FRIENDLY AND INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF BLACKHEATH HIGH.”

INDIVIDUALITY

Blackheath High Sixth Form flourishes on the strength of relationships between staff and students. Staff are generous with their time and teachers pride themselves on their knowledge and support of every individual girl. Tutors mentor each Sixth Former throughout her A-level studies, guiding her in the challenges and opportunities of deeper academic learning and university and career choices.

Girls can choose from over 25 A-level subjects. We work hard to allow, as far as possible, each girl’s option choices to fit into the timetable so that her preferred combination can be taken. Guidance on study skills and time management is given right from the start, so the transition from GCSE to A-level is as smooth as possible. Small classes and our aspirational approach to teaching mean that each girl is provided with the opportunity to reach above and beyond expectations, opening the door to Higher Education and paving the way for a successful career.

COMMUNITY

Whether moving up from our own Senior School or joining the Sixth Form from another school, your daughter will be welcomed and known well before her first day. The Sixth Form is a close community, where lifelong friendships are made and challenges and successes shared.

The Sixth Form Centre is the hub of Sixth Form life; an extensive dedicated space for our students. This area has recently undergone an impressive redevelopment to create state-ofthe-art facilities in which our young women study and socialise. Seminar-style classrooms, quiet study rooms, a common room and kitchen facilities allow girls to organise themselves and study independently.

Sixth Formers also play a key role in the wider school community, with roles of responsibility as members of the Head Girl Team, Peer Mentors, House Captains, leaders of academic societies and on the School Council. Sixth Formers are held as role models for younger students and are actively involved in whole-school events, activities and as helpers for our youngest children on school transport.

Our diverse student body reflects both the area and the fact that London is home to families from around the globe. The school aims to develop an international mindset in all our students, creating global citizens with an awareness of the cultural, ethical, political and economic issues facing the world today.

“THE

LIFE BEYOND SIXTH FORM

All of our Sixth Form girls go on to further study. The vast majority gain their first choice university place at prestigious institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and other Russell Group universities, as well as top art schools. Our team of Sixth Form tutors are highly experienced in facilitating successful applications to a wide range of courses, with individual preparation provided for Medicine, Law and Oxbridge. Through a rigorous and staggered programme from the beginning of Year 12, students are prepared and supported in their next step, from work experience and undergraduate shadowing days to professional interview practice.

Careers advice and practical support are given to every girl to ensure their subject choices, results and wider life skills enable them to pursue their dreams in higher education and employment.

Blackheath High alumnae span the globe and enter every professional sphere imaginable, from engineering to couture fashion, broadcasting to academia. We cherish our alumnae and are delighted to welcome them back regularly as valued members of our community. All our girls are also automatically members of the GDST Alumnae Network with over 70,000 ‘old girls’ worldwide, an invaluable resource that is hard to surpass.

LOCATION

Our founders chose the perfect setting for Blackheath High School. Just five miles from Canary Wharf and eight miles from central London, our Sixth Form benefits from all that our capital city has to offer while enjoying the village atmosphere and extensive heathland of Blackheath itself. The proximity to the cultural riches of our capital city is an invaluable resource for our Sixth Formers looking to develop and enrich their education outside the classroom.

We are adjacent to Greenwich Royal Park, 13 acres of open space with extraordinary views across the River Thames to St Paul’s. The Park is home to the Royal Observatory and the Greenwich Maritime Royal Heritage Site, close to the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Naval College and the magnificent Cutty Sark.

Transport links are superb by road, rail and bus and our own School transport service offers a range of routes which are updated each year to reflect demand.

VISIT US

Of course, the only way to see what Blackheath High Sixth Form does so well is to visit us. Contact our Admissions Team (admissions@bla.gdst.net) to arrange a personal visit or to attend one of our forthcoming Open Events.

We look forward to meeting you.