sixth form

prospectus

King Edward VI School

Wilton Road

Southampton

SO15 5UQ

Tel: +44 (0)23 8070 4561

Fax: +44 (0)23 8070 5937

Email: enquiries@kes.hants.sch.uk

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

Your time in the Sixth Form is a bridge between compulsory schooling and

higher education. King Edward’s has the experts on hand to advise you, whether

you want to apply to read history at Oxford or go to Music College, develop a

career in the law or take a chance on the stage. With highly professional careers

and higher education advice, together with the energy, industry and drive of our

students, it is no surprise that almost all proceed to study at university, with over

80% in the top 25 institutions.

The Sixth Form at King Edward’s is hard work but it is also fun. You will make

friendships that can last a lifetime and create memories that should sustain you

in whatever you go on to do.

The Sixth Form is one of the most exciting times in your education

– an opportunity to explore new ideas and challenge yourself. For

the first time you can choose what you really want to study and the

curriculum at King Edward’s offers you the chance to engage, in depth,

in the sciences, the arts or to create a mix to suit you.

Beyond your studies you will have the chance to embrace experiences

which will prepare you for university and the world of work. You will learn

to lead others and to develop the teamwork and presentational skills

which will give you the confidence that is a mark of our students. You will

be able to explore new horizons; perhaps an exchange visit to the USA or

Spain, an expedition to Alaska or field work in the jungles of Mexico, the

chance to participate in a new sport, direct a play or record your own music.

welcome

AJ Thould HEAD MASTER

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

King Edward’s Sixth Form has an outstanding record of academic

achievement. As you study for your AS and A2 levels, you will need to

be self-motivated and committed but you will always have the security

of inspirational teaching to support you in your work and your future

choices. Whatever your subjects, you will be encouraged to think

for yourself and to question and debate in a way that develops and

stretches your mind. Much of the teaching is close to that which you will

experience at university with a seminar approach and plenty of time for

reflection and discussion. You emerge at the end of the Upper Sixth as

an informed, articulate and confident individual.

You can also seek out further challenges amongst the opportunities

available via the Extended Project, Foundation Studies, Open Forum and

the wide range of academic and other clubs and societies. You can choose

to hear from speakers with a vast array of experiences, improve your

cooking, learn Mandarin or develop your IT skills.

think

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

Sixth Form tutor groups are small and comprise Lower and Upper Sixth

students. Individual attention is therefore a feature of the guidance on

offer within the intimacy of a group of ten to twelve tutees. Your tutor

will assist as you put together your university application or consider

the options for work experience or perhaps a gap year. The Sixth Form

offers freedom of choice and autonomy in many respects but you will be

guided along your gradual path to independence.

In the Sixth Form at KES we will nurture you and encourage you to

develop your individual talents and skills alongside your academic

studies. Although the focus will be on your academic progress we will

actively encourage you to take part in sporting, cultural, co-curricular and

charitable activities. These will contribute to your enjoyment of the Sixth

Form and also allow you to acquire personal skills such as leadership,

teamwork and self-motivation, thus providing you with an education in

the broadest sense of the word.

nurture

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

You can become involved in creative arts in the Sixth Form whether

or not your academic subjects include them. The School offers a first

class set of facilities including a fully equipped theatre, recording

studio, recital rooms, art workshops and purpose-built dance studio

and allows students of all levels to become involved, develop their

creativity, showcase their talent and perform. Each year there are

opportunities to participate in musical ensembles, drama productions,

concerts, art exhibitions, dance workshops, master classes and related

trips. Every other year this culminates in the impressive Arts Festival

in which Sixth Formers play a vital role in the management and

organisation.

As a Sixth Former you are invited to take a lead in inspiring younger pupils

with your creative talents. The Music Department relies on the talent in

the Sixth Form to lead and improve the standards of its musical groups

whilst each year the Drama Department actively encourages and supports

Sixth Formers in producing and directing performances.

express

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

The range of co-curricular trips on offer at King Edward’s ensures

that learning at KES is not solely confined to the classroom. You will

explore the wider world around you and these experiences, which will

challenge your resilience, adaptability and independent thinking, will

develop a whole range of finer personal skills. At the same time these

trips will create unique memories and be a tremendous amount of fun.

Each year students take part in international expeditions and trips. In

recent years groups have been trekking and glacier climbing in Alaska,

diving in Mexico, visited art galleries in New York, played netball in the

Caribbean and taken part in a cricket tour of Sri Lanka, to name but a few.

You may also explore destinations closer to home with field trips to places

such as Wales or Devon or language exchanges to partner schools in

France, Germany or Spain.

explore

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

King Edward’s is committed to charitable and partnership projects

both at home and abroad. As a Sixth Former you can become involved

in organising a myriad of fund-raising activities helping to make a

difference to the local community and further afield. Charitable work

is an important part of the ethos of KES and each year the School raises

thousands of pounds for good causes through its annual calendar of

events and activities. On a personal level, involvement will allow you

to take part in unforgettable lifetime experiences from which you will

also gain an enormous sense of satisfaction and self-fulfilment.

Every summer a team of Sixth Formers travels to South Africa to work with

the Goedgedacht Trust, north of Cape Town, to support its programmes

assisting the local population. Closer to home, the Summer Camp team

accompany a group of young carers on an activity-packed holiday to

Swanage. Partnerships with local schools also play a key role as senior

students help junior school pupils in a variety of projects.

serve

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

Developing a healthy sense of competitiveness, learning the value of

team work and shared endeavour and good communication are all

wider skills that you can learn through sport and physical activity.

The School offers outstanding sporting facilities with a comprehensive

range of indoor and outdoor facilities for netball, rugby, cricket, tennis

and hockey on the Hill Lane site and at the Wellington Sports Ground.

The senior school teams across all the major sports compete at regional

and sometimes national level and further opportunities to take part in

dance, sailing, fencing, golf, basketball and other sporting activities are

also on offer through co-curricular clubs or the games programme for

Sixth Formers. Regular overseas tours are also a feature of the sporting

experience at King Edward’s.

Sport is readily accessible to those for whom it is just good fun at King

Edward’s whilst the best athletes are also fully supported in their efforts

to reach their full sporting potential.

compete

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

Outside of the classroom there is something in which all students

can participate. King Edward’s offers over 50 co-curricular clubs and

societies many of which are run by Sixth Formers allowing you to

develop leadership and organisational skills as you become a positive

role model for pupils lower down the School. These clubs also enable

you to try something new, mix with others from outside your usual social

circle and bring a healthy balance to the inevitable stresses of a busy

academic timetable. Break dancing, rock academy, politics, creative

writing, hospital visiting or debating….the list of what you can take part

in is endless!

There is also a flourishing Duke of Edinburgh programme. Each year,

the scheme tests the physical and mental endurance of hundreds of

students, with between 25 and 30 gaining their Gold award. We have our

own specialist centre for expeditions on Dartmoor but we use a range of

different environments to help you acquire the experience you need.

participate

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

The vast majority of Sixth Form students leaving King Edward’s will

continue into Higher Education. On average over 80% proceed to one

of the top 25 universities with10-15% of each cohort taking up offers at

Oxford or Cambridge. The Student Guidance staff will provide support

and help with your university applications and subsequent interviews

and organise visits to prospective universities.

Advice is available from a specialist Gap Year Co-ordinator for those

students who decide to take a year out. We will also continue to help you

with your university applications during your year out to ensure that you

are fully prepared for when you return.

At King Edward’s we are proud of the very broad education that we provide

for our students enabling them to move into adult life as confident,

motivated and mature individuals who have an understanding of the

world around them as well as a portfolio of excellent academic results.

succeed

www.kes.hants.sch.uk

prospectus