Sixth Form Parent Handbook 2021

Page | 5 Welcome from the Director of Sixth Form A very warm welcome to the RGS and thank you to your son for choosing us to complete his A Levels over the next two years. Sixth Formers at RGS leave here as confident, well rounded and independent young men, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Joining our Sixth Form marks a departure from all previous school experience. It is an exciting new beginning, marking the start of two years that will shape what your son chooses to do beyond RGS. It is also the start of studying subjects they have chosen and excel at. Students are given greater autonomy, are expected to take responsibility, to demonstrate leadership qualities and to become increasingly independent in all they undertake. The School enjoys a long-established reputation as a centre of academic excellence, and RGS Sixth Formers are here because they want to be. Consequently, students are ambitious, hard-working and respectful of scholarship. The environment is designed to be challenging and purposeful, but supportive and inspiring in equal measure. Galvanised by a collaborative relationship with staff, parents and peers, your son will be emboldened to explore and to push boundaries. The step up from GCSE to A Level is a seamless process, facilitated by dedicated subject teachers. There is scope for rigorous independent research and learning, guided by specialist academic staff who prepare students thoroughly for Oxbridge, university entrance, apprenticeship and job applications. They help students make important and sometimes daunting choices, whilst helping to formulate personal statements and navigate application procedures. Throughout his two years in the Sixth Form, your son will be supported by an experienced Head of Year and a team of caring Form Tutors who will ensure he makes the most of his time here. Your son’s academic timetable will have some non-contact study periods so that he can organise his work and develop the crucial skill of self-discipline. Balancing the purely academic with life beyond the classroom is critical to personal growth and well-being. Your son will enrich his intellectual and social development by taking advantage of the seemingly limitless range of co-curricular opportunities on offer. We advocate that students involve