6th form lifestyle 2016

Aspiration: this word sums up

Development of Soft Skills:

the Croydon High Sixth Form experience. It’s all about realising, that with the right support and the right attitude, you really can achieve your dreams.

We believe our Sixth Form is absolutely the best place to do this; we will give you the tools, the support and the opportunities – and the rest is up to you!

Birthdays and celebrations: sixth Form Life

is all about achieving balance. Our girls know how important it is to celebrate the important things in life. 18th birthdays, Uni offers, driving test passes, finishing A Levels…all occasions that only happen once – so of course they need celebrating. But it’s about finding a balance too, between your academic and your social life. Our Sixth Form is simply the best place for you to learn how to do that.

Careers Guidance: our aim is to equip you with the

knowledge, understanding, skills and personal qualities that will enable you to enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding working life. Our careers room, careers events and our Head of Careers, Mrs Gower are the perfect combination to inform and inspire you.

Events such as the Careers Convention, where up to 100 representatives of companies and organisations converge on Croydon High, offer an insight into a vast range of career options. Or there is the more personal Career Seminar evening which provides girls with the chance to listen to presentations from individuals who really understand the world of work and what it takes to succeed. As a Croydon High student, you will receive automatic membership of ISCO (The Independent Schools’ Careers Organisation who offer a range of Taster Courses and are available to give advice at any time. All this, combined with a full programme of outside speakers, careers fairs, work placements and an ‘old girls network’ that is second to none, means that when it comes to career options, you will be in the best possible place to make sure you are really going places!

the educational experience you will receive in the Sixth Form at Croydon High is much more than just achieving impressive academic results. It will take much more than outstanding academic results to secure the future we hope you aspire to. Increasingly, employers and universities are looking for applicants who can think independently, take the lead, reason, argue a point effectively and work collaboratively. It is these ‘soft skills’ which set outstanding applicants apart from good applicants – regardless of their academic achievements. Throughout Year 12 and 13, we will work with you and provide opportunities for you to develop these strengths.

Not only will they put you in the best possible position when it comes to application time, these abilities will enhance your academic learning and your life skills too.

EPQ:

the Extended Project Qualification…the equivalent of half an A Level, but even more valuable as it really adds value to university applications and sometimes even secures lower offers. Choose a subject you are particularly interested in, carry out independent research and deliver your finished project in writing and at a formal presentation.

CHS girls’ self-motivation and the amazing support they receive, means they do particularly well.

Last year, 72.4% of Croydon High girls were awarded an A* in their EPQ – a fantastic achievement.

Fun…draising and Fashion:

one of the biggest events in the CHS Sixth Form calendar is always the legendary Fashion Show.

Y12 and 13 organise every detail; choosing the charity to support, designing and making the outfits, choreographing, lighting, front of house…the list goes on. But by far the most challenging aspect (every year) is organising the Whitgift boys who join us for this event!

It is always a fantastic night to remember and most importantly, an event that raises thousands of pounds for worthwhile causes.

Go-On:

Joining our school:

our inspiring programme of learning about subjects not covered in the curriculum is a fantastic way to expand your horizons and build confidence.

Topics such as: Film Noir, Myth of the Cave and Mysterious Inca Civilisation inform and inspire.

in recent years, the number of girls joining our school at sixth from has increased.

We’re not surprised!

The girls join a really friendly community where everyone is encouraged to be themselves and where teachers go out of their way to get to know each individual student.

Go On certainly helps gives CHS girls the edge when it comes to interviews.

Haidar (as in Mr) Our Director of Sixth Form: always on hand to listen to concerns and help resolve issues, big or small. He is easy to talk to and copes brilliantly with the noise (and regular screams of excitement) resonating around the Common Room. He has also shown himself to be a highly competitive (and pretty effective) netball player!

Before long, we struggle to remember who the ‘new girls’ are!

5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT MR H 1. He loves Karaoke!

2. He was a bass player in a rock band called The Outakes (one T!) 3. He studied English and Politics at University in Paris 4. He only came to England for 9 months, was planning to go back to be a journalist, but he met an English girl…

5. He is a coffee snob.

Individualised Learning:

this is an integral part of our sixth form. Every girl has a personal target, based on her individual strengths and learning style and is fully supported as she works towards meeting – and often exceeding – this.

Kaleidoscope of opportunity: there really is something for everyone in Sixth Form.

So grab every chance you get to be involved; academically, socially, pastorally… it really is the case that what you get out equates exactly to what you put in to sixth form life.

Leadership:

there are so many opportunities to take on leadership roles. You may apply to be Head Girl or House Captain, or for a specific prefect role depending on your talents and interests. You may join a committee that helps shape school policies.

Duties and responsibilities bring great satisfaction – and excellent material for personal statements and applications.

Mentoring and Peer Listening Scheme:

Personalisation:

apply for this important role and you will receive training to help you become an effective listener and communicator.

this is a really key part of the Croydon High experience.

Not only will you be providing a great service for the younger girls, but you will be developing some of those all important ‘soft skills’.

Everything you do and the way you do it will be unique to you, including how you learn and what support you need.

Networking: is another important skill and something that many Croydon High girls have naturally; they are generally confident, personable and good communicators. But there is more to networking than just being able to chat and our careers support and excellent business links will help you develop into a really effective networker.

Oxbridge Programme: unique to Croydon High and helps with

developing research, independent learning and interview skills to really maximise the appeal of your application. This year, 34% of the year group are applying to Oxbridge or for Medicine. Aim High, girls!

The tutor system, class sizes and pastoral care helps us make sure you achieve academically and that you are fully supported all the way.

Quality:

this is what makes the difference in our sixth form. Quality of care, of teaching, of learning …the whole experience is top quality. As the current sixth form put it on their Twitter feed #CHSdoesitbest!

Releasing potential:

every girl who starts Croydon High Sixth Form, will have her own individual potential. Our job is to make sure that potential is recognised, nurtured and released, enabling every girl to have the best possible chance to achieve her own unique dreams. It’s not just about taking the brightest girls and sending them off to the best universities. A top class education is far more than this and that is what you will receive here at Croydon High.

Single Sex:

the big difference, of course, between our sixth form and many others locally, is that we are Girls Only. And we have no problem with stating for the record, that when it comes to maximising opportunities and success rates for girls, then single sex is the way to go! Why? All the research suggests that girls flourish in secure, happy surroundings like ours, where they can discover who they are and where they want to go. ‘All girls’ means less stereotyping, more opportunities to lead and take responsibility, to act as role models for younger girls, more intellectual risk tasking. A single sex school environment certainly doesn’t seem have a negative effect on the girls’ social lives! But school is primarily the place where they are preparing to go on and achieve the amazing goals they have set for themselves.

Trips: New York,

Washington, Florence, Venice, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Oxford, Cordoba, South Africa and Barbados sports tours, Tuscany music tour, No.10, Edinburgh Fringe, Bank of England…the list goes on and on. Girls who are going places go to Croydon High Sixth Form.

Volunteering:

girls actively get involved in supporting both the school and the local community. Some volunteer at a local primary school others at a day centre for the elderly. Some work with animals, some with the disabled and other choose to help the younger girls in the school with active participation in mentoring, reading clubs and subject specific extra-curricular activities. It helps make them the amazing young women they are.

Wellness:

keeping healthy in mind and body is an important part of sixth form life. Girls are encouraged to use the gym on site, to swim or to get involved in team sports. Equally, there is outstanding support available from both staff and peers to help everyone cope with the inevitable ups and downs of everyday life.

UCAS:

the all-important UCAS application involves completion of an on-line form and for most girls this will be done between September and November in Year 13. But the whole process starts back in Year 12 for Croydon High girls, with clinics, presentations and opportunities to visit universities and discuss possible degree choices. Preparing Personal Statements is a very big deal at sixth form and like many things at Croydon High, we believe that nobody does this better than us. When you begin writing this vital part of your application to university, you will be given the very best advice and support.

There is no limit on the number of re-drafts your teachers will be prepared to read and respond to! It is not like this in every school, believe us. Just ask the current Year 13 girls about their experiences.

With years of combined experience, your teachers really know what the universities are looking for, so the quality of our applications is outstanding and certainly contributes to the number of excellent offers, including ‘unconditionals’, our girls receive each year.

Xtra Curricular: a huge range of extra-curricular and enrichment

activities are on offer to develop the girls academically, socially and culturally and to help them become the well-rounded individuals who leave us at 18.

Young Women addressing difficult issues: in 2012, Croydon High joined the National Council of Young Women and we are now the hub for NCYW events in the south of England.

The organisation seeks to give women a voice on the important and difficult issues of the day, and each year we have hosted a Conference, bringing young people together to learn and discuss.

Our girls choose the topics, invite the speakers and run the whole event and every year it seems to get bigger and better.

From Human Trafficking, to FGM, to Domestic Violence, the subjects covered have been hard hitting but have had a huge impact on the young people who have come to learn more.

Zest for life: Croydon High Sixth Form girls have it in abundance. That’s why they make sixth form here such an unforgettable experience and why they go on to do such amazing things.

Why not come and join us?

The most important thing to know about CHS Sixth Form is that, no matter what the problem, you’re never alone. Whether it’s a part of the syllabus that you just can’t get your head around or you just need a good pep talk to get you through the next essay, there is always a patient teacher or a friend to lend a hand. The teachers make an effort to know you: the way your brain works, how you learn most effectively and, I know it sounds cheesy but, how to unlock your potential and I believe that this invaluable support is really what makes the difference.

Work hard, play hard was always a big part of sixth form, and managing to keep a work life balance throughout the numerous 18th birthdays, fashion shows and school trips, was one of many important lessons that are already standing me in good stead at university. I love sixth form and it is not an exaggeration to say that I really do look forward to school in the mornings!! Staying onto sixth form has to be the best decision I’ve made so far and the thought of leaving the hallowed halls of Croydon High at the end of this year makes me so sad. My experience at sixth form has been fabulous – the small class sizes have given me such a close relationship with my teachers and means that the teaching is much more tailored to all of us and, the family like feel in the sixth form centre means it has become my home. The friendships I’ve made I’m certain will remain with me for years and years to come and the support I’ve had through my A Levels I’m sure is unrivalled. I really am Croydon High! I joined the school in year 3 so it is safe to say that I am a Croydon High girl through and through! This last term in the sixth form has been challenging but enjoyable none the less and I’m looking forward to what is to come. My sixth form experience at Croydon High has been really exciting and rewarding so far. Coming from a different school, I was quite nervous but all the girls and staff have made me feel extremely welcome. I’m really enjoying the range of extra-circular activities as well; there is something for everyone with amazing facilities and helpful teachers. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a fantastic, high-achieving sixth form. Both of my girls, who are about as different from each other as it is possible to be, visibly grew into themselves whilst in the sixth form at Croydon High. Inspired and supported in equal measure, they have emerged confident and articulate but also, equally importantly for me, able to think critically and demonstrate social intelligence. My only regret is that I don’t have any more daughters to send there! We have had three girls in the sixth form at CHS and can happily say that each has been treated as an individual, with equal measures of consideration, care, encouragement and motivation to be themselves, strive for their best and to grow in self-confidence, both in their sixth form lives and thereafter. I couldn’t have been happier with a sixth form for my daughter. Croydon High has equipped her with all that she needs to enter the world as a strong and confident young woman. Croydon High ensured that my daughter developed into the well-rounded, articulate and self-sufficient young lady that she is today. Not only was she provided with amazing academic support, but also the pastoral care and guidance, which is paramount for girls at such a pressurised time in their lives. Croydon High has been a blessing to my daughter. Allowed the freedom to develop as an individual in the supportive sixth form environment, our daughter blossomed intellectually and socially leaving CHS as a responsible, well-rounded and independent young adult.

Croydon High School, Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon, South Croydon CR2 8YB www.croydonhigh.gdst.net admissions@cry.gdst.net 020 8260 7500