The Evolving World of Sixth Forms: The Challenge of Change
In today’s evolving educational landscape, the challenge for school sixth forms to justify their existence and remain relevant and appealing to students looking for a ‘college style’ experience is greater than ever. As ‘consumers’ of further education, young people today have a multitude of options, experiences and opportunities open to them as they enter into the next stage of their educational journey. This new wave of students are clear about what they want, requiring a bespoke education that meets individual needs and expectations. They crave ‘newness’ or novelty of experience at post 16 but also a sense of belonging and ‘excitement’ for learning new things along with a stimulating learning environment. They want more freedom, bigger rewards, more choice, greater flexibility and a wealth of cutting-edge resources at their fingertips. The real challenge is how schools interpret and realise these new demands: sixth form today must appeal to the young adult who expects autonomy, quality and choice and whose parents encourage this. It’s a world away from ‘school life’ as we know it. The need for change As well as the general perceptions of ‘freedom’, funding vs. the range of qualifications on offer can also prove challenging for many schools. Creating an exciting, aspirational environment that mirrors a ‘college’ existence is no easy feat within the realms of a traditional school building. Yet modern sixth form provision, even five years ago, is beginning to look tired and out of date. Add to that, competition from state-funded colleges, independent ‘crammer’ colleges and even university-led foundation courses, all competing for the same pupils and it’s easy to see how the pressure on school sixth forms has grown in recent years. Students want a college-style environment because they believe they need a ‘change’ from the limitations of their previous school life. Yet pinning down what this specifically translates to in reality, can be tricky for schools. Whilst the need for ‘change’ can mean a great many things, a major factor for students is the need for greater freedom, in which case sixth form schools could revisit the current rewards on offer at Key Stage 5 – could students be allowed to sign out early, are they allowed to go out at lunchtime or could they ‘earn’ their freedoms through effort grades? How could this be ‘sold’ to them? For other students it is about the need to move as far away from being that Year 11 school pupil (who perhaps has not enjoyed their schooling at GCSE) as is humanly possible. Sixth form is a chance to ‘remake’ a student’s reputation and start afresh. In which case, is this about looking at how the staff perceive sixth form students moving through from Year 11? Is it about the language staff use to talk to sixth formers? Does the sixth form ‘feel’ different or more collegiate in atmosphere? If there is still a strong desire to move across to a college to experience these changes, schools could be proactive, drawing up a list of students to speak with, questioning perceived need against learning maturity or readiness for this environment. Rely on the expertise and knowledge of the Head of Year 11 in your school and include the Y11 pastoral team on this journey because their role in marketing is as important as anyone else’s in the school. A conversation with the students and their parents to discuss these perceptions and their educational needs using evidence of their learning from data and teacher testimony will make a compelling case. Getting parents on board and to realise their role is very important in this decision is crucial so it is important to win the hearts and minds of the entire family. A hard act to follow Cutting-edge college facilities today can be a hard act to follow, with roomy seminar spaces, high-tech innovation, modern furniture, laid-back café cultures etc. therefore, schools need to take a creative look at their sixth form common rooms, study spaces, libraries and refreshment facilities to create that college ambience that students are looking for, if they are to truly compete. There is a place for school sixth forms who can offer this and manage well the challenges that come with it, operating within whole school rules and restraints. Beyond, this, schools need to think about what they can offer well, which other institutions cannot. Where sixth form schools have an advantage is that the relationship with the Year 11 student is already established, and staff can form new relationships with external students quickly with a suite of transitional and induction marketing events. We can also use prior knowledge of existing students to communicate that individual needs would be better met in a sixth form school where they are known, where their current standard of work is known and therefore will receive more personalised academic attention quickly. Of course, having an outstanding HE programme and the gold dust of supportive Alumni to offer careers fairs, panels, networking breakfasts, high profile visiting speakers etc. could entice students to consider their options more carefully. Partnering with other schools to ensure mixed-sex experiences or state-independent experiences is a great way to ensure students mix with people from diverse backgrounds, thereby replicating a more college-like experience. Ensuring your relationships, teaching and learning standards are known for excellence is also important and often the key reason students stay on at a school or will make the leap to a new school. It is about creating a loyal following based on faith in the ‘product’ you are marketing for this consumer-savvy market. Separate but still integrated Probably the biggest challenge is to keep the sixth form separate and also a part of the school that Year 11 students still want to attend for their further study. Using your happy sixth formers to engage in initiatives across the school such as peer mentoring, House systems, vertical tutoring and prefect- led events will help spread the message positively in addition to the more formalised
NewVIc students feel empowered by Michelle Obama and female business leaders.
Since October, NewVIc has been working with the National Literacy Trust to deliver ‘Words for Work: Women in Leadership’ – a programme which aims to engage and empower our future female leaders. Earlier this week, the programme culminated in a fantastic ‘Women in Leadership’ panel event, which was attended by over 200 female students from across East London. Students heard from inspirational female leaders and learnt about their journeys to success, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. The panellists of professionals included: Laura Bates – Everyday Sexism Project Marie Scott – CMS Law Thanyia Moore – Comedian Kavita Hansla – National Literacy Trust Elizabeth Yentumi – Ministry of Justice Emilie Marsh – Lancôme Sanisha Wynter – National Student Union Kathleen O’Malley – Network Rail Later that day, seven NewVIc students were invited to the sold out event ‘Becoming’ – An Evening with Michelle Obama’ at the Royal Festival Hall, to discuss her new memoir. Michelle chatted with author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about everything from her childhood spent in the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive, motherhood and her time as a resident in the White House. “Michelle Obama stands for race equality and gender equality. She just wants to make this world a better place and she believes in us young girls, that we have the power to make this change, and that’s why she particularly addressed us because we are the younger generation. As she says, she is laying the foundations for us to become the future leaders” “What I got from that was the feeling of empowerment and I think that’s enough for me to strive forward. I realise now that my fear of rejection and failure is something I’m emphasising too much and I shouldn’t.” “It actually made me realise that behind every woman, every leader, there is a story to tell.” NewVIc A Level students “The students were a credit to themselves and to NewVIc. The inclusive environment from the minute you walk in the door is hugely evident. They listened incredibly to the panel and asked such insightful questions. It was wonderful to see them rushing to take a copy of Michelle Obama’s autobiography at the end of the event.” Fiona Evans National Literacy Trust, Head of School Programmes The ‘Words for Work: Women in Leadership’ programme, focuses on challenging stereotypes and raising aspirations of students by developing their literacy, communication, leadership skills and preparing them for the workplace by learning how these skills can be used to overcome the barriers women face in their careers. During the first phase of the programme in October, a group of NewVIc students were invited to Lancôme for an immersion day. It was an incredible opportunity for young female students to network in the corporate world. Students saw first-hand how women are valued and developed in a hugely successful international company. “The motivational women that led the programme gave a tour of the company’s offices, encouraged the students to reflect on their own aspirations and dreams and gave them the chance to ask both pertinent and personal questions. The day gave our young female students a deeper understanding of the world of work and left them feeling that there are no limitations to what they can achieve and how high they can aim. The warm and supportive vibe also left us as female staff members full of confidence and enthusiasm to do the same.” Jodie Fink NewVIc A Level Tutor The programme has been a huge success seeing so many strong young women, from all different kinds of backgrounds, develop their literacy skills and have the courage to challenge stereotypes by aspiring to go into leadership roles. Find out more