Welcome

Introduction

“Pupils, and students in the sixth form, study an ambitious and broad curriculum that prepares them well for the next stage of their education.” – Ofsted

Isleworth & Syon has an extremely successful mixed Sixth Form which welcomes applications from all young people. Our primary aim is to ensure that all students experience an academic education of the highest standard, and the school offers a highly supportive environment for students to continue their post-sixteen studies. We take both internal applicants (from our Year 11) and external applicants (from other schools).

Isleworth & Syon School were very proud of its Year 13 cohort this summer as they collected their results. These top grades serve as a stepping stone towards their dream next steps as they complete their journey with the school. Students will be attending some of the best institutions in the country; you can see our full list of university leavers. These results were a testimony to the school’s continued desire to be ‘outstanding in every respect’.

In the Sixth Form, our expectations are high, with senior students expected to operate as role models for students in the lower school. This is reflected in the Sixth Form appearance policy.

Please click on the tabs for more information about what our Sixth Form has to offer.

Vision

Our Sixth Form vision supports the school’s consistent drive to be ‘outstanding in every respect.’ You can read more in our prospectus, as well as the two vision statements below.

Student Vision Statement

Outstanding Sixth Form students:

• Achieve or exceed their subject target grade.
• Have high levels of engagement with or develop a passion for the subject.
• Become independent learners who respond positively to feedback and advice to make progress.
• Behave as appropriate role models to younger students in school.

Day-to-day outstanding students will:

• Have an enthusiasm and passion for the subject.
• Have an awareness of their target grades, and what they need to do to attain or exceed these targets.
• Respond positively and actively to questioning in lessons.
• Use the language required by the subject, in both written and verbal responses.
• Use and respond to PLCs, to ensure they are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.
• Redraft and re-test to improve their work, following feedback from staff.
• Work independently outside of lesson time to ensure they meet deadlines, revise and keep folders organised.
• Are punctual to lessons and school, to ensure they make best use of time available to them.

Staff Vision Statement

The Sixth Form vision is to provide a level of pastoral care that is outstanding through:

• Giving guidance and support that helps Sixth Form students to become well-mannered, resilient, independent and successful learners.
• Helping to develop students who leave for University, or the world of work, as confident, positive and reliable young men and women.
• Supporting Sixth Form students in becoming positive role models for younger students in school.

Attendance

Parents/carers of Sixth Form students are asked to leave a message on the Sixth Form attendance line – 0208 232 7972 – if their son/daughter/ward is to be absent from school for sickness or any other reason. You can also email school@isleworthsyon.org. A call or email should be made for every day that a student is absent, and absences not reported will be noted as unauthorised, with further steps being taken if appropriate.

Curriculum Offer

The Sixth Form offers a wide range of Level 3 courses which are studied over two years. We offer A levels and BTEC or CTEC Level 3 qualifications. A level courses are offered for students who return GCSEs at grades 9-6. Vocational qualifications are offered to students with a 6-4 GCSE range.

Our curriculum offer in a typical year can be found here. Specific details are published in the Sixth Form Course Guide. The curriculum also provides a range of non-examinable subjects which will include enrichment, core PE, PSHE and study support.

Students who attained grades in the 4-2 range at Key Stage 4 can still enter the Sixth Form, taking a one-year Level 2 course. Upon successful completion, students are encouraged to progress on to the Level 3 courses for a further two years. All students are expected to take mathematics and English GCSE if they did not previously attain a grade 4 or above.

A Level Subjects

Level 3 Vocational Subjects

Level 2 Vocational Subjects

Level 2 Retakes 

Student Support

Our core business is to support the students who study here. There are various pastoral structures in place to maximise the potential of our students. Should students be at risk of failing to meet their target minimum grades, there are interventions in place to get them back on track; these include the use of tailored one-to-one mentoring and, where appropriate, parent/carer involvement. Many students find the transition to Year 12 difficult, so we put a lot of effort into supporting the students and intervening, where appropriate.

We operate supervised study sessions in the Sixth Form Study Room for Year 12 and 13. Year 12 students operate a five-period day from Monday to Friday, and have supervised study sessions if they do not have timetabled lessons. If they are on or above target in all subjects and have a good Independent Learning score, students are offered the flexibility of studying at home when not in lessons. This is reviewed each term.

Some teachers offer extra sessions in order to support their students attain the best possible grades – these operate on a drop-in basis.

For more information on our support structures, visit the Pastoral System page and click on the ‘Sixth Form’ tab.

Opportunities and Leadership

As a Sixth Form student, your drive, imagination and energy dictate what happens on a day-to-day basis. There is a vast array of outstanding opportunities in which to get involved. Students in the Sixth Form are given a lot more responsibility within the life of the school. This involves the appointment of a Head Student and one or two Deputies, who chair the Student Council and can influence the day-to-day working of the school. This involves extensive leadership experiences and development throughout your time in Sixth Form.

Making the most of your time at Sixth Form is achieved by grasping opportunities. These include being a member of our Student Voice team, which consists of selected Year 13 students who contribute to the day-to-day working and organisation of the Sixth Form. One of their recent ideas involved the creation of a mentoring programme, whereby Year 13 students assist Year 12s with the rigorous UCAS process. Students have the opportunity to become Senior House Ambassadors, leading the whole-school student ambassador system. They can also volunteer to become ‘reading buddies’ for students in Years 7 and 8, and help subject areas in lessons and in clubs. One recent example was some Year 13 biologists assisting with a Year 6 dissection session with a local primary school.

After the Sixth Form

After the Sixth Form, many of our students progress to university or the world of work via an apprenticeship or another route. Every student is offered tailored careers guidance to help them to make the best choice for them. All Year 12 students follow our weekly Enrichment Programme, which helps students develop a wide range of skills that will help them with life after the Sixth Form. These include CV workshops and interview technique, profile-building for university and the workplace, PSHE sessions to cover sexual health and relationships, and basic life skills like managing finances and living away from home.

If students do want to apply for university, we work hard with students to make this a reality. The Sixth Form support team and form tutors are heavily involved in the UCAS application process. Form tutors are assigned according to their students’ interests and aspirations wherever possible (for instance, students with an interest in further science study could have a member of the science faculty as their tutor). Guidance is provided for every step of the process, and students are also invited to taster days, exhibitions, and university lectures and seminars. We have a comprehensive intake of students, and the spread of university destinations reflects this.

Tailored support is also offered for those students applying for Oxbridge, Medical courses, Dentistry or Veterinary School. We know how under-represented students from non-selective state schools are in these top universities and courses, and we are proud of our record in placing Isleworth & Syon students within them.