Homewood Sixth Form Centre 6
Welcome to Sixth Form
“Sixth Form students value the age-appropriate discussions about relationships and navigating the wider world. This is also supported by the extensive careers information, education, advice and guidance that all receive.”
(Ofsted 2023)
“Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. This is particularly the case for Sixth Form students who have a wide range of vocational options alongside traditional courses.”
(Ofsted 2023)
Thank you very much for your interest in Homewood’s Sixth Form Centre. Our Sixth Form has been highly praised in successive Ofsted inspections. We offer a diverse and exciting curriculum, consisting of different pathways to help meet the individual needs and aspirations of our students. Our examination results every year are excellent, ensuring that our students can progress to university, college or the workplace with the best possible qualifications. In recent years, we were extremely proud that Homewood was recognised as Kent’s fourth best state school for student progress at A Level in the official DfE 16-19 Performance Tables.
Beyond the classroom, we offer a wealth of different enrichment and personal development opportunities to help broaden students’ options and prepare them for the future. Students are encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of school life, and, as a result, they make a very valuable contribution to the culture and success of the school and wider community.
Whilst the website and prospectus will provide you with lots of information, you will find out much more by visiting the school and discussing your plans with our highly qualified and supportive Sixth Form team. Please do therefore get in contact with us if you are keen to find out more about our fantastic offer.
Jeremy Single Principal
“Leaders are determined that all pupils will go on to the right next steps for them and are very successful with this work.”
(Ofsted 2023)
Springboard to Success
Homewood is extremely proud to be able to offer a wide range of level 3 courses, including both academic and vocational qualifications, to allow students to pursue their interests and their aspirations through to the end of Key Stage 5 and beyond. Students are required to select a minimum of 3 courses from our wide range and are supported by our dedicated careers team to ensure that they make the best choices. In addition to A Levels and a range of vocational subjects, the Sixth Form also offers the Extended Project Qualification which is seen by many universities as an extra boost to applications.
Homewood Sixth Form demonstrates its commitment to our students from the outset. There is no overall entry requirement for the Sixth Form, but each course has its own entry criteria that students must meet in order to begin the next steps of their learning. Once an offer has been made and if the results don’t quite come in as expected, Homewood will continue to work with students and their parents to ensure that courses are put in place to support them so that they can continue to move forward.
Join Us on Our Quest
In addition to the curriculum offer, students in Homewood Sixth Form are supported by a dedicated team of tutors and pastoral support workers who help to guide students through the QUEST programme. All students attend the Personal & Professional Development
sessions on a Thursday and there is a full weekly Sixth Form briefing with a wide range of speakers from both in school and out. The programme is broken down into 5 key areas which are designed to help students prepare for life beyond school.
QUALIFICATIONS UNDERSTANDING THE WIDER WORLD
EXPERIENCE OF WORK
SUPER-CURRICULAR
TIME MANAGEMENT & STUDY SKILLS
Our dedicated Sixth Form team works hard to support all the students in Key Stage 5 and actively seeks out those who will benefit from extra intervention, work experience or careers advice. Based in the Sixth Form area, the team includes a dedicated Family
Liaison Officer, a Careers Manager, a Work Placement Coordinator and teachers with the responsibility to oversee pastoral support, university applications and academic interventions.
All students and parents receive a termly bulletin from the Sixth Form team to allow them to keep on top of all the opportunities available and make them aware of requirements of the courses being followed.
Super-curricular Activities
We know that our Sixth Form has a huge range of students with very different abilities, backgrounds and aspirations.
Our aim is to use the Sixth Form experience to give them “the edge” when competing with other students as they enter the competitive work of university admission or apprenticeship and employment applications.
The Sixth Form team gives our students many opportunities to take part in
“super-curricular” activities which help them to demonstrate 21st Century skills and highlight their interest in the subjects they are studying, further their knowledge and make them stand out. Across the school, students are involved in leadership development through activities such as our Student Cabinet, World Challenge, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and sporting teams.
Homewood’s Super 6 Programme
Our Super 6 Programme allows all students to access a range of initiatives which will enable them to improve their applications and stand out against their peers. Opportunities are offered to engage Sixth Formers in local projects, learn new skills, contribute to society, become more mindful and develop their 21st century skills. Our teaching staff also signpost their students to relevant podcasts, reading and other activities to further their development throughout their courses.
As soon as they are ready, we aim to give our Sixth Formers much more independence and autonomy in their learning, taking responsibility for the decisions that they have made and the work that they complete. Students enjoy the privilege of wearing their own clothes although there is a dress code.
They are able to leave the school site if they are free, although they are expected in school for their lessons, supervised private study and their Professional & Personal Development sessions.
Sixth Form Pod
An informal study area with a café selling a variety of hot and cold food and drinks. Café style seating with bistro tables and chairs create a relaxed mood and space to mingle.
Sixth Form Study Room
Next door to the “Pod” is a large study area with computer availability for use by Sixth Formers, often working quietly in groups or in the individual study booths. The study area is often supervised and there is access to independent study work for students to extend themselves.
Other Areas
Students are often to be found working in the school Library and in dedicated work spaces in various departments.
“Leaders have ensured that staff have the strong subject knowledge required to plan and deliver a curriculum that meets the needs of all, including for pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND).”
(Ofsted 2023)