Why Join Us

Once you have made the decision to continue your education Post-16, the next big step is to decide where you want to study. There are  a number of factors to consider, to make sure you choose the correct course in the correct place for you.

So, before you decide, think about these factors:

1 At what level do I want to study? Do I want to study ‘A’ Levels, and have I got the right qualifications to enable me to do that? If yes, what subjects do I most want to study? If I do want to study ‘A’ Levels but currently do not have the 4 A* to C GCSE’s necessary, is there the opportunity to gain the necessary qualifications? If I don’t want to study at ‘A’ Level, are there still opportunities for me to gain recognised qualifications? 

2 What expenses do I face in Further Education? Will I have to pay for travel, books and /or equipment?

3 Am I the sort of person who will settle quickly amongst people I don’t know? Will I get to know the subject teachers/tutors well and do I get the opportunity to build up a relationship with them for when they have to write a reference for me?

4 What if I don’t settle? Will there be anyone to talk things through with? And if I need help with any issues? Who can I go to?

5 When it is time to apply for jobs or university places, what sort of support, if any, will I get? 

6 Is there any sort of preparation for me, as a young adult, for life as an adult?

7 Am I able to not only study, but gain experience and skills transferrable to the workplace or general life?

8 When I am not in lessons, are there any facilities to enable me to study? How about if I want to relax, and take a break from my studies?

9 How will I know what is going on? How is information passed on to students?

10 What if I need to work part-time to get some money?

All of the above are big questions and need careful consideration.

To help you decide, here is some information about Withernsea High School. To make sure you get your choice right, why not read through what Withernsea 6^th Form can offer, then ask the same questions at other establishments you may be interested in attending. Once you have all the answers, you can make a decision based on the information you have. This should help you make the right choice, so you have a very good chance of settling down, enjoying your studies and gaining creditable qualifications at the end of the year or 2 years, depending on which course you chose.

1 The 6th Form at Withernsea High School offers a range of qualifications and subjects.

Year 12 blocks:

All Level 3 courses are ‘A’ levels unless stated and most students choose 4 subjects from [only one from 4 of these columns (provisional at the time of writing)] :

VOCATIONAL 1 YEAR COURSES

Sport

Travel and Tourism

Hospitality

All students following these one year courses will also follow a short GCSE course in ‘Preparation for Working Life’, and ‘Business and Enterprise’

‘A’ levels are studied over the course of 2 years, BTEC and National Certificates over 1 year. As a completed BTEC or National Certificate is the equivalent of 4 A* to C GCSEs’, a number of students opt to bump up their qualifications by studying a National certificate for a year, which will then enable them to register for an ‘A’ level course for the following 2 years, should they wish.

2 6^th form students do have to pay for their travel, whether on the school bus or service bus if they travel further afield. However, when in the 6^th form there is the opportunity to apply for and become a Bus Monitor, working on the school busses. Bus Monitors then can travel for free.

Usually, any books needed are loaned out by the faculty, or in some cases, obtained by the school at a reduced price which is passed on to the student. There is also a comprehensive library available. Any loaned books must be returned after use, or the cost is then invoiced to the student for payment. Of course, help is available to some students who qualify, in the shape of Educational Maintenance Allowance, or EMA.

EMA is money provided by the government to help students who come from less-affluent households cover the expenses incurred by further education. This can range from £10 to £30 per week, and is payable to qualifying students, who comply with the set government requirements day-to-day.  (e.g. 100% attendance, progress in study & responsible behaviour). Withernsea have a dedicated EMA administrator, readily available on a daily basis, who is on hand to help with applications and any subsequent queries that may arise.

3  Compared to colleges, the 6^th form at Withernsea is relatively small. Usually, around 130 pupils in total. Although some are bound to be people you have not in the past got to know, many will be people you have gone through school with.

There are 6 tutor groups and you are given dedicated time with your tutor one morning every week. This enables you to build up a relationship with them, discuss any issues, have any information passed on. It makes a difference, when writing a reference, if you have got to know a student. A more personal and relevant reference can be written. Employers and admissions tutors are quick to spot generically-written references, and may wonder why the reference is not specific or personal.

4  Studying at 6^th form level is very different to studying GCSEs. The student takes more responsibility for their learning and research and reading round of subjects is required. Our 6^th form teachers are well aware of the impact of such a difference, and know it can take some time for some students to get used to such independent studying. It can be confidently said that at Withernsea 6^th form, every possible help and encouragement is given to students to enable them to make the transition from school pupil to 6^th form student in the shortest possible time. Because of the relative smallness of the classes, individual students are seen as just that, individual, and teachers and tutors are able to monitor the progress and attitude of each student. Issues and problems can then be picked up and addressed rapidly. There is a very strong, accessible support team in place, headed by Mr. Benson, the Director of Learning for the 6^th form. He is supported by the 6 form tutors and Mrs. Kirk, Year Tutor to the 6^th form. Any and all of them are available at some point throughout each day. We also have a full-time Connexions Careers advisor on site, and a Connexions Personal Advisor is also available.

5  Throughout the year, information is given in the form of tutorials and enrichment lessons on the preparation of CVs, job applications, and university applications. Guest speakers, specialising in both job seeking and applying to university are brought in to talk with students. Towards the end of the year for National Certificate and BTEC students, lessons are dedicated to producing a working CV, cover letters and the completing of job applications. A day is then set up where each student will undergo a formal interview, after which they are given feedback on how they did, and interview techniques. Previous to this day, the students are provided with a job advertisement, a job specification, a person specification, and a handbook giving advice on the whole recruitment process, from applying to dressing for an interview. This application is used during their interview, and is handed back, with feedback. Appointments can be set up with the Connexions Advisor, who is available 5 days a week on the school site. The students who are applying for university will have lessons dedicated to life at university (as told by students!), student finance, how to chose the best course, and visiting universities. Towards the end of the first year, they are taken to visit a university to be given advice on making their application. They are also taken to a university convention, where they can talk to representatives from hundreds of universities and pick up prospectuses. They then spend a day, under the guidance of the tutor team, actually registering and starting their university application. When they write their all-important personal statement, it is first sent to their tutor for proof-reading and advice. In the second year, they are given advice on completing the form for student loans and grants, and given information about paying back loans, etc. Help and guidance is available every step of the way, whether in job seeking or applying to university. ‘A’ level Students opting not to go to university are also given help and advice, and will also attend a mock-interview, for which they will need to do some preparation work, and will again be given constructive feedback.

6   The Enrichment programme, which takes place every second week, is designed to give information to young people on many aspects relevant to the lives of young adults. Guest speakers, specialists in their field, are invited in, and cover such topics as driving responsibly, drug and alcohol misuse, sexual health, living independently (budgeting, cooking), managing money, keeping safe when travelling (and going out at home!),  the consequences of smoking, volunteer work and community work, etc. The students are encouraged to nominate any topic they would like to see covered in this programme.  

7   Every CV and university application is enhanced by the inclusion of non-academic achievements/activities as well as academic achievements. Many skills are gained from work/volunteer situations which are transferable, and this is noted by employers and admissions tutors. Withernsea 6^th form offers many opportunities to students, and actively encourages them to become involved in non-academic activities. There are opportunities to work with younger pupils in the classroom during tutorial time or free study periods, and the 6^th form has close contacts with an organisation called ‘V’, which is able to organise local volunteer work in a variety of situations and environments for students. These can include sports/children, environmental projects, or working with people. And as this is properly organised involvement, all hours given gain ‘credits’ which can go towards achieving national awards.

8   It is important that students add to their guided hours study with independent study. It is also important that students take breaks from their studies, and take time to relax. To help them to do both, the 6^th form has various study rooms around the school, equipped with computers, to enable students to research during their independent study hours. These computers are dedicated to students who wish to work, and are monitored using tutor control software. There is also a quiet study room, without computers, in the Study Centre. For relaxation, the Study Centre has comfortable seating, and a pool table and table tennis table. Hot drinks can be purchased for a nominal cost, and there is a 50” plasma TV, on which the news is played until lunchtime, after which a music channel is played.

9   Because 6^th form students are not expected to attend tutorial every morning, just one morning a week, and then an assembly once every two weeks, there are various ways in which information is cascaded to students, both personally and generally. This is done by email, by notices up in the sixth form centre, by an information loop displayed in the 6^th form centre, during the assembly already mentioned, and of course, during your weekly tutorials with your form tutor.

10    Many students are able to take advantage of the paid work available in and around the school, which they find fits in well with their study regimes. Jobs such as Lunchtime Supervisors, Traffic Supervisors for after - hours events such as parents evenings, and School Cleaners. All are paid at competitive rates, often far better than paid locally. Quite apart from the financial gain, students who work find they acquire many transferrable skills from their jobs, and both employers and admissions officers like to see evidence of participation in non-academic pursuits.