Prospectus 2022-2023 v2

I am delighted to welcome you to Shooters Hill Sixth Form College, a place where our mission is to transform the lives of young people by supporting the transition into further or higher education, employment, apprenticeship or independent living.

We have created a dynamic curriculum offer that stretches from Entry through to Advanced Level. Our wide ranging academic and vocational programmes also include enrichment opportunities, which include a range of sporting academies as well as academic pursuits to enable students to broaden their interests and prepare them for the global community. We are committed to ensuring young people are prepared for a rapidly changing world and our fully inclusive offer ensures that we can find something to suit everyone within a warm, friendly and nurturing environment.

This short introduction will only provide a glimpse of life at Shooters Hill Sixth Form College. May I invite you to join us at one of our open events to truly feel the passion of our community.

Geoff Osborne Principal

We are proud to announce that we will be offering apprenticeships from September 2022.

Take a look at the list of apprenticeships on offer below and visit www.shc.ac.uk/ apprenticeships for more information.

Child Care Construction Engineering Hair & Beauty Teaching Assistance

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Whatever extra-curricular activities you choose to participate in during your time with us, you can be sure that you will find something that is fun and will also enhance your studies and experience. We have a range of enrichment sessions such as podcasting, music, a debate club and many more. If in September you can’t find something you like—that’s no problem, you can start your own club or activity!

The Termly Challenge is a creative outlet for our students, giving them opportunities across the year to showcase their many talents outside of their academic abilities.

By taking part in the termly challenges, you could have the chance to win a £100 voucher.

Previous challenges have included: photography, creative writing, practical creation and ‘surprise us‘ challenges.

Which ones will you enter?

We believe that work experience is important for all students...

We’re committed to ensuring that you have the opportunity to take part in work experience that is suitable to your academic level and future aspirations.

How our dedicated careers team will help you: • • • • •

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Careers Advice Meetings CV Writing Sessions Employability Skills Workshops Interview Preparation Advice Visits to Employers and their Work Places Onsite Career and Higher Education Fairs Professional Networking Connections

Working with a wide range of employers, both local and nationwide, we ensure that we can offer you a work experience placement of your choice that is relevant to your desired career path and study programme.

“Students are safe and secure in their learning environments and feel that the college is safe and inclusive. Ofsted 2019 You can be sure that you are safe at SHC; everybody—students, staff and visitors— wear lanyards and I.Ds. Our friendly security team are always on-hand if you have any concerns.

Physical and mental health are equally important, that’s why students have free access to sporting activities and facilities such as the swimming pool and gym, as well as numerous wellbeing spaces, like the sensory room, located across the college.

Every member of staff onsite is dedicated to supporting you and your journey at SHC. In addition to this, there are regular visits from external agencies and professionals to support you further with talks on a range of subjects from stress-management to day -to-day life at university.

You will be assigned a tutor during induction, who should be the first point of contact if you have any issues. They will assist you with any problems to ensure you can focus on your studies. However, if you feel like you want to speak to somebody else, we have a large pastoral care team who are in place to prioritise your personal wellbeing.

We’re here to support you in any way we can. If you feel like you need somebody to talk to or just listen, you can access our counselling services. Please speak to your tutor or visit the student centre and ask for the Counsellor. This is a confidential service so you can trust that we will be discrete with your information.

Findlay and Florence are our college therapy dogs, in place to help students who are feeling upset or anxious. When they are not relaxing in their room, they can be found being walked around the college looking for students to help.

We can provide financial support to eligible students via the bursary scheme. To check your eligibility, or for more information, visit www.shc.ac.uk/support

“Staff support students very effectively to achieve their best. They help students to become more confident and independent.” - Ofsted 2019

If you need extra help with your learning, specialist staff will work closely with you to assess your learning needs, agree with you how best to meet them, and with your permission, pass this information on to staff who can work with you.

Once we’ve received your application, we will contact you to arrange an interview where you can discuss your course choices and, hopefully, receive a conditional offer.

Your journey with us begins as soon as you make your application.

You can apply via our website here: www.shc.ac.uk/apply

Before you start lessons with us in September, you will attend induction sessions to help you familiarise yourself with the college and the staff.

Whether you wait until our taster week in July, or join us for a minisession during the year, there are multiple opportunities for you to come in and try the course you have applied for.

Enrolment takes place in the last week of August. Once you have received your GCSE results, you can enrol with us and formally become a SHC student.

We know that the first term of college is often the hardest, that why we’ll continue to support your transition throughout the first term.

In addition to a variety of courses, we also provide a wide range of high standard facilities, enrichments and extra-curricular activities to ensure that you have the best opportunity to achieve your full potential.

An A-Level is an advanced qualification offered across a range of subjects, typically accessible to school leavers (students aged 16 to 18). The programme is a 2-year course taught similarly to your GCSEs, with your final grades obtained from your final exams which take place at the end of the two years.

Whilst subjects are mostly exam-based, some A-Level options, such as Art or Science, require you to complete coursework or controlled assessments during the year which will count towards your final grade.

A-Levels can take you to higher education (university), into high-level apprenticeships or even directly into employment depending on your career goals.

“In my final year at Shooters Hill, I studied Sociology, Philosophy & History.

Thanks to the help of my amazing teachers at Shooters Hill, I am now an undergraduate studying Religion, Philosophy & Ethics with French at King's College London.”

“During my time at Shooters Hill I studied A-Levels. A-Levels at Shooters Hill was a great experience, I felt fully supported and challenged academically by all of my teachers. Having studied at Shooters Hill, I felt fully equipped to be able to move onto University with ease.”

Level 7 Academy work with partners such as Nike, Hudl and Playertek to help push you into professional and semi-professional football. As part of The L7 Academy, you will have access to a wide range of training support, such as qualified physiotherapists, video analysis sessions, ex-Premier League coaches, strength and conditioning sessions, and more!

In order to take part, students must apply to both Shooters Hill Sixth Form College and Level 7 Academy. You can apply for the L7 Academy via their website: www.level7academy.com

If you’re interested in joining Level 7 Academy, you will be invited to take part in a trial session once you have made your application. Trial dates can be found on the Level 7 website.

Did you know the ’7’ represents the seven continents?

A vocational, or BTEC, course is a practical-based qualification that allows you to gain hands-on experience. They are made up of a number of different units that are continually assessed throughout the year with coursework and assignments.

No matter what grades you achieve at GCSE, we will have a course for you. The course that you start on depends on your grades, however you can always progress onto a higher level once you have successfully completed the course you began at.

ENTRY LEVEL 3

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

Vocational courses can take you to further education, an apprenticeship or even employment; the decision is yours to make.

Aiming for University? — Did you know a BTEC course can take you there?

CHECK OUT HOW LEVEL 3 BTEC COURSES AND A-LEVELS COMPARE BELOW...

Grade UCAS Points

Grade UCAS Points

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D*DD

DDD

DDM

DMM MMM MMP

MPP

168

160

152

144

128

112

96

80

64

A*A*A*

A*A*A

A*AA

AAA

AAB

ABB

BBB

BBC

BCC

168

160

152

144

136

128

120

112

104

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Our Art & Design courses are focussed towards your preferred skills and interests, allowing you to create work in the style that you enjoy the most.

We have links with the community and local galleries where you can get involved in dedicated art projects, as well as work with artists from the South London Gallery for regular group critiques.

There are two permanent exhibition spaces on college grounds where you will regularly have opportunities to showcase your work to your peers, family and college visitors.

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Head to www.shc.ac.uk/shcartists to check out some of the amazing work our Art students have created.

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Studying media will give you the opportunity to work for external clients on professional briefs and the chance to work alongside the College marketing team.

You will have access to our highend Mac suite, as well as use of our video editing suite to film, photograph, capture and edit your work.

There are also numerous opportunities for you to broaden your media skills by filming and capturing college events.

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If you have never studied media before, that’s not a problem - we will teach you everything you need to know, all you need is a creative mind and enthusiasm for the subject.

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As a Business or Finance student, you will follow a professional dress code to prepare you for the work environment.

We have links with local business and employers from the community to help enrich your studies and you will have the opportunity to access business-related work experience.

Our business courses will teach you managerial, problem solving and decision-making skills, providing you with the core abilities needed to become an entrepreneur.

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Opportunities to network with employers and business owners to build life-long contacts.

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Computing and IT will teach you the skills you need to work with technology, and give you an in depth understanding of the software and hardware.

In our dedicated computing suites, you will cover a range of topics such as app and game creation, as well as the chance to take part in workshops around key historic technology like the Enigma Machine.

In addition to external work experience placements, you will also have the opportunity to work alongside the college IT team to help you develop the skills you need for the work environment.

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Studying a Care & Early Years course at SHC guarantees you a work experience placement as part of the course. You will also learn hands-on child care skills working in our onsite crèche, Thames Tiddlers.

These courses will help you to develop your personal skills through establishing links with the community, as well as sharing your learned skills with other students across the college.

You will learn how sick and vulnerable people are cared for in medical centres and the community, as well as gaining an insight into early years education and how to give young people the best start in life.

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Our Hospitality and Catering courses will give you the culinary and customer service skills needed to support your journey into the world of employment once you have completed your training with us.

You will learn culinary skills in our fully-featured industry standard kitchens and put your customer service skills to the test waiting on external clients and customers in our onsite restaurant, City View.

All of our teachers are industry trained professionals, and you will also learn from our successful previous students who have gone on to open restaurants of their own.

Head to www.shc.ac.uk/cityview to check out our onsite restaurant and book a table to join us for lunch or fine dining!

Studying any one of our construction courses will enable you to work on real-life projects across the college and in the community.

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Whether it’s the band saws in the construction zone or car engines in the garage, you will have access to industrystandard machinery in our fully -equipped workshops no matter what course you choose to study with us.

In addition to learning from teachers with a range of Industry experience, you will also have the opportunity to work with and alongside local contractors from the community.

Placement onto this course is subject to a successful interview, where a member of our admissions team will assess suitability for the course.

We offer two variations of our GCSE course: The Advanced Study Programme, and the Transitional Year for International Students.

The GCSE Advanced Study Programme This course is suitable for UK students who just missed out on their 9-4 grades at GCSE for personal reasons. Students hoping to study this course should have a range of GCSEs at Grade 1/2.

The GCSE Transitional Year for Recent Arrivals This course is for recent arrivals to the country who wish to obtain UK recognised qualifications. Students aiming for this course should have studied to a similar level abroad, and should have equivalent foreign qualifications.

Depending on the route you take and the grades you achieve, our ESOL programme is designed to take you all the way to a Level 3 vocational course. Students will require at least a low level of spoken and written English in order to study with us.

Example Pathway 1: Year 1: ESOL English and Maths with an Entry Level / Level 1 vocational course Year 2: Functional Skills/GCSE English and Maths with a Level 2 vocational course Year 3: Level 3 vocational course Example Pathway 2: Year 1: ESOL English and Maths with an Entry Level / Level 1 vocational course Year 2: GCSE Study Programme Year 3: A-Levels OR Level 3 vocational course

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Working in our professional standard salons and beauty therapy suites, you will learn to cut and style real, paying client’s hair as well as provide treatments such as manicures and massages.

You will take the skills you have learned into the wider world with opportunities to complete your work experience in local salons and hairdressers.

To further enrich and support your studies, you will participate in our annual visit to the Hair and Beauty Expo at ExCel London as well as workshops and specialist talks from well-known brands and networking opportunities with industry professionals.

Staff recognise that each young person is an individual and work hard to adapt our curriculum to meet your needs. You will be guided and supported by expertly trained staff to ensure maximum progress is achieved.

The journey to success may be filled with hurdles, but we will support you in overcoming these by helping you to develop confidence, self-belief and resilience and celebrate your achievements along the way!

All EHCPs are reviewed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to ensure that we can meet each student’s needs.

Inclusive Learning students learn a range of skills, such as money management in our new coffee shop ’The Coffee Corner’ or life skills in our Independent Living Suite.

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Our science courses combine the core disciplines of science to provide you with a wellrounded body of knowledge for future application within the field.

You will participate in regular, exciting experiments and field testing, as well as the opportunity to enter a range of challenges and competitions like the Science Olympiad.

Your learning will be supplemented with visits from lecturers and professionals.

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Forensic science and criminology will give you both the practical understanding of crime scenes and the theoretical understanding of why crime is committed.

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Sport is designed for those interested in the ever-growing sports industry – Coaching, Physiotherapy and Leadership are the three main skills gained and explored on this programme.

Public Services encompass services such as the army, ambulance service, fire service and the police service. You will learn how services operate from a ground level, as well as additional skills like first aid, leadership and situation control.

Among many things, you can look forward to exciting trips and talks from specialists, all of which will encourage independent learning and strong links with prospective employers in the local community.

Students have FREE access to our onsite gym and swimming pool!

We are always in contact with local employers, residents, poets, writers and anyone else who has some knowledge to impart to our students. Our students are the next generation ,so it's incredibly important that they have a well-rounded view of the world.

Do you have a story to tell or a skill you can teach?

Maybe you have a lifetime of experience in an area our students could benefit from? Are you an employer or rising star in your field? Whatever your background, there is almost certainly something you can offer to the young minds of tomorrow.

You can give a talk, a presentation, performance or provide a practical workshop. Whichever way you deem best to pass on your knowledge, we will do our best to facilitate. If you are an employer, our students are always looking for work experience.

If you’re interested in getting involved and enriching our students, please visit www.shc.ac.uk/involvement

For one day a week, Year 10 and 11 students can come to the college to study a vocational course of their choice. We offer Digital Services, Health & Social Care, Engineering & Building Services and Creative Arts & Media.

Not only does the link programme enable students to gain an additional qualification, but we have found that students also feel re-inspired about education. By spending a day away from their school to participate in a subject that they enjoy, students gain insight into their next steps and potential career, and many find themselves re-motivated to do well and participate in their regular GCSE lessons.

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Students who successfully complete the programme are able to progress to our college with no need to be interviewed Opportunities to have college taster sessions and observations Access to wider college facilities and resources College-level careers guidance and work experience support and opportunities Opportunities to observe and join college classes throughout the year

If you’re interested in getting involved, visit:

We will soon be offering full-time placements for students aged 14-16. Via our full-time programme, students will study GCSEs as well as a vocational programme to help them get a head-start with their chosen career path.

For more details, head to: www.shc.ac.uk/14-16