Our Sixth Form understands the immense demands and sometimes overwhelming challenges faced by young women between ages 16 and 18, and we pride ourselves on providing excellent pastoral care. We have a highly skilled team of experienced, specially chosen tutors who offer bespoke one-to-one support throughout Lower and Upper Sixth. Tutors are the key component in championing and encouraging our students, and closely monitor wellbeing and academic performance through careful and considerate tutoring with timely and sensitive intervention. Tutors see their tutees every day, and are the first point of contact between parents and the School. At any time the tutor has the best all-round understanding of each student’s wellbeing.
Tutors support the exceptional academic education provided by our subject teachers with dedicated guidance that builds confidence, resilience and independence.
Our main aim is to establish the right balance between independence and dependence for our students. Throughout their A levels, our girls gain in confidence when they are able to confront issues and solve problems themselves.
Tutor groups within the Sixth Form contain no more than ten students; groups are small enough to allow students and tutors to get to know each other well. With small class sizes and tutor groups, our community is very close-knit; students share in each other’s successes and support one another on a daily basis. The girls and our tutors are supported by the Sixth Form pastoral team, comprising the Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, as well as by the School’s wider pastoral network, which includes the School’s Head, Assistant Head Pastoral and Boarding, the on-site School Nurse and School Counsellor. The School also provides access to an independent listener for any student who wishes to talk to an independent adult about personal challenges or concerns at school, and a native speaker for those whose first language is not English. Tutors maintain a detailed overview of academic progress and general wellbeing and work closely with the Head of Sixth Form to ensure that parents, teachers and students are fully informed and working well together at all times.
The Sixth Formers are encouraged to support their own wellbeing with effective management of classwork and other pursuits within Cedar Lodge, our dedicated Sixth Form centre. The Head and Assistant Head of Sixth Form are on hand to offer support and guidance whenever it is required. Students are also encouraged to take ownership over their own space in the Sixth Form – the Lower and Upper Sixth Common rooms are shared spaces for socialising, relaxing and working. Each has a kitchen, shared working areas, and space for casual conversations.
