RMS for Girls on sixth form transitions

Clare Freeman of RMS for Girls on why Sixth Form education needs to deliver far more than exam grades by ensuring a supportive transition for life after school

A Sixth Form education needs to be so much more than an acquisition of knowledge in order to pass a set of exams. At RMS we recognise that, in order to really be prepared to shape their futures, students need to develop a much wider range of skills. These include adaptability, resilience, confidence, creativity, a love of learning and self-awareness.

These skills are developed throughout the school and, during the Sixth Form, preparation for the future is more overtly seen through our LEAD employability course, boardroom discussions chaired by Sixth Form students, and coffee and chat discussion groups. These sit alongside a wide range of co-curricular options aimed at delivering breadth of opportunity and depth to academic interests.

PBL (phenomenon-based learning) lessons enable students to work in diverse groups to look at complex problems such as inequality from an interdisciplinary perspective – emulating the realities of the workplace today. A dedicated careers adviser works with students from a young age to expose them to different careers and capabilities and to help them explore the world of work. Having a career that you are passionate about and that makes you happy is so important and this exploration helps students find their own pathways.

Sixth Form for any school is the opportunity to transition students from school to life beyond. Teaching them how to cook for themselves, manage a bank account, not overspend on credit cards, and learn how to iron, for example, are key skills. It is also important to ensure students build a strong work ethic and develop as individuals who are equipped with the confidence to ask for help – and make mistakes.

“Students work in diverse groups to look at complex problems – emulating the realities of the workplace today”

Independence is, of course, key to personal success after school, when parents and teachers are no longer around. By offering a flexible approach to the curriculum through scaffolded support, students who are, for example, elite sportswomen with US scholarships might choose to study only two A levels to give time for training. Others ambitious for a place at a leading university might study four A levels alongside an EPQ.

Working with teenage sleep patterns and enabling students to choose when they best work means many will have a lie in and come into school in time for their first lesson of the day then continue working later into the evening. Our approach means students are more alert for their lessons, are happier and, ultimately, achieve at a higher level.

Each student who passes through our care will be an individual with their own context, their own ambitions for the future and their own interests. It is key that these are nurtured, supported and celebrated so that they feel valued, whatever their chosen pathway. While most of our Sixth Form students are continuing their education through RMS, we also welcome new students. For all our Sixth Formers, the working environment we create is key to enabling an important transition – to feeling and acting like grown-ups.

Our recently redeveloped Sixth Form space assists this transition. It was specifically designed to showcase the interface between school and the workplace. This provides an innovative and forward-thinking experience for young people who are looking to be fully prepared for life beyond school.

RMS for Girls rmsforgirls.com

Further reading: Are you studying the right A levels?