Woldingham School Sixth Form

SIXTH FORM

Woldingham’s Sixth Form is a place of limitless ambition.

COURAGE. CONFIDENCE. COMPASSION. A leading UK boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18, Woldingham develops courageous, confident and compassionate young women through our empowered learning approach and values-driven ethos. Set in beautiful Surrey countryside, Woldingham is just 30 minutes from London by train and only 30 minutes from Gatwick and 45 minutes from Heathrow.

A pioneer of girls’ education since 1842, Woldingham continues to look to the future with our use of innovative technology, world-class teaching and learning, and new facilities such as our wellbeing hub and our purpose-built, state of the art Sixth Form Centre, where learning, creativity and excellence flourish.

Woldingham’s staff are experts in teaching in an all-girls educational setting. Our supportive, stimulating environment enables students to grow into independent women who make a positive contribution to the world.

STUDENT-CENTRED SIXTH FORM In Woldingham’s dynamic and thriving Sixth Form, students are known and nurtured, and given the tools they need to succeed, not just in public examinations but also in their personal and professional lives.

The two years spent in Sixth Form are often the most memorable, exciting, and challenging time at school. Our purpose-built Sixth Form Centre in the heart of the school’s grounds provides the perfect setting for our senior girls to develop intellectual curiosity, be stretched academically and flourish as individuals.

With deliberately different spaces to inspire our all-girls Sixth Form, the centre boasts a collaborative zone where they learn to lead, listen and delegate as they take part in a range of projects and activities, gaining the skills for success in whatever career they choose. The silent study space provides a calm and purposeful setting for independent study, leading to academic growth and success in exams. The café is a social space for breaks, forging friendships and promoting wellbeing. The centre also has classrooms and a small lecture theatre exclusively for the Sixth Form.

The centre is also home to our whole-school library, where students can undertake research, read, study and enjoy as an additional calm space on site.

OUR STUDENTS ARE HIGH ACHIEVERS Woldingham students achieve outstanding A Level results to secure places at leading UK and international universities, opening doors to exciting careers.

In recent years, some of the most popular UK universities for Woldingham students have included Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, UCL and Warwick.

Students have also taken up places at a range of universities overseas, including Dartmouth, NYU and Parsons School of Design in the USA. Students secure places on a very wide range of courses, with a spread across science, arts and humanities, social science and business-related courses, reflecting their diverse achievements and interests and the broad education offered at Woldingham.

Woldingham offers a choice of 25 subjects at A Level. Most Sixth Form students take three A Levels alongside our additional curriculum, which comprises Futureproof sessions and our unique Sophia programme, which explores philosophy and develops critical thinking skills through university-style seminar-based sessions.

DEVELOPING A FUTUREPROOF SKILLSET Woldingham’s Sixth Form is a place of limitless ambition.

Of course, this means facilitating the academic success that will open doors to the most competitive courses and universities in the UK and overseas - but that is only part of the story. We have a sector-leading programme to support our students in developing a skillset that is futureproof: creativity, communication and critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation, as well as resilience, initiative and problem-solving.

The development of these skills is at the forefront of our Sixth Form offering. Students enjoy a range of opportunities, including networking breakfasts with business leaders, interview training, public speaking workshops led by professional trainers, inter- and intra-school competitions, such as STEM Solutions and debating - the list goes on. Our Sophia programme, unique to Woldingham’s Sixth Form, is focused on developing critical thinking skills, and our programme for developing future leaders was recently awarded the national Supporting Young Leaders Award by The Institute of Leadership, beating the likes of Swarovski and Virgin Media O2.

Each student has access to unlimited individual support from our Higher Education team to help her explore her interests, select appropriate courses, and prepare her applications. The team works with every student to ensure she has explored all possibilities to find the best option for the route she wishes to follow, including vocational courses and higher or degree apprenticeships.

The Higher Education team includes specialists in applications to medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, Oxbridge, art and drama schools and US and overseas universities.

GOING FURTHER, GIVING BACK, TAKING PART Our Sixth Form is an industrious, vibrant and fun-loving community where students go further, give back and take part.

We encourage - and delight in - genuine intellectual curiosity and want to see students stretch themselves academically; there is so much more to learning than accumulating facts.

Our students engage with academic societies and attend – and deliver - talks on areas of interest beyond the curriculum.

They take on an EPQ or complete some MOOCs, contribute to school publications, such as STEM Blast or WAM (Woldingham Academic Magazine), enter competitions and attend lectures inside and outside of school. There is no shortage of opportunity!

A commitment to community is a core value of the school and – despite the increased demands that accompany Sixth Form – this remains at the heart of who we are. Our students involve themselves with volunteering in the local community, raising money for charities, organising events and mentoring younger students. They can also become a Ribbon (prefect) or apply for a variety of meaningful leadership roles which allow our students to shine.

All students are expected to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities they have to learn and develop vital life skills through the myriad of activities at their fingertips, from beekeeping to rock climbing, through theatre productions, music and sport. Students can rise to the challenge of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, pitch their strategies to executives in our Business Challenge Programme or engage in the critical inquiry of a Philosothon.

UNIQUE LOCATION – PERFECT FOR BOARDING Many of our Sixth Formers choose to board, enabling them to focus on their academic, sport and other activities in a safe and supportive environment. Boarding is also a good transition to life at university.

Sixth Form boarders live in purpose-built, modern accommodation. Lower Sixth boarders live in Berwick House, where they have their own study bedroom, a laundry area, kitchen, common room and study areas. In Upper Sixth, students move to Shanley House, where their study bedrooms have en suite bathrooms. Shanley also has its own laundry area, kitchen and common room.

Woldingham’s countryside location is the perfect place for a school. It’s a calm and purposeful environment, where it’s safe to learn, safe to be yourself and safe to make mistakes and grow from them. But with London just a 30-minute train ride away, Sixth Formers take the opportunity to visit its world-leading museums, galleries, theatres and institutions to provide academic stimulation and stretch – as well as cultural enjoyment.

BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN EVERY STUDENT The wellbeing of each student is at the heart of everything we do. We understand that a student who feels known, nurtured and supported as an individual will thrive emotionally and socially as well as academically in our increasingly fast-paced world.

We have high expectations for all our students but, as in the rest of the school, we see our Sixth Form as a ‘greenhouse’ not a ‘hothouse’, where our dedicated and enthusiastic teachers provide the academic rigour and stretch to bring out the best in every student.

Pastoral support is delivered by our dedicated Sixth Form and tutor teams, who get to know each Sixth Form student well, providing the ideal environment for academic scholarship to thrive in a mutually supportive environment.

Woldingham’s Sixth Form values define the culture of this special chapter of our students’ educational journey. Living by these values, our students become confident, courageous and compassionate young women.

SIXTH FORM VALUES As well as our school-wide Sacred Heart goals, we have an additional set of values in the Sixth Form which define the culture of this special chapter of your Woldingham journey.

Live by these ‘touchstones’ and you will become a confident, courageous and compassionate young woman.

• Discretionary effort: Doing all the things you don’t have to do will bring success.

• Integrity: Do the right thing, rather than the easy thing... even if no one will notice.

• Take charge: Be independent learners, leaders and role models.

• Fail well: Take responsibility for mistakes, they provide information to learn from.

• Challenge yourself: Step out of your comfort zone; embrace new opportunities and experiences.

• Disagree agreeably: Welcome debate and accept that views might be different, not better.

• Be self-aware and considerate: Think about how your actions affect everyone in the community.

• Self-discipline: Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

• Gratitude: Be thankful each day for the opportunities you enjoy - and those who provide them.

• Kindness: Play your part in cultivating a kind, humble and inclusive community.

VISIT US The best way to find out more about Woldingham’s dynamic Sixth Form is to come and visit us.

You can also find more information about life at Woldingham at woldinghamschool.co.uk

Visit our website

View our examination results and destinations of leavers

View A Level subjects options

Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR)

+44 (0)1883 654206 registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk

woldinghamschool.co.uk