2024 PROSPECTUS EMPOWER ENRICH ACHIEVE
We are delighted that you are considering Woodrush Sixth for your post-16 journey. Woodrush Sixth is proud to be more than just an education provider. It is a thriving place of learning and development at the heart of our local community. It is the final chapter of educational excellence at Woodrush High School – fostered through passionate teaching, ambitious study, enriching experiences and a unique sense of cooperative learning. Decisions you make between 16 and 19 are some of the most important and exciting decisions you will make as a young person and Woodrush Sixth can provide you with unique opportunities that distinguish you from others. No two students are treated the same at Woodrush Sixth as personalisation is central to our approach: from our intimate tutor support and pastoral support to our bespoke timetables, careers advice and personal development enrichment programme. Woodrush Sixth is about a passion for learning, the pursuit of teaching excellence, motivating academic support and a relentless commitment to maintaining the highest belief in your ability to achieve outstanding results. Woodrush teachers will ensure high-quality, interactive lessons and seminars and design illuminating curriculum and extra-curricular experiences. All of which will blend high challenge with the forging of life skills. developing character and personal resilience and will prepare you for your next steps into your future. Students who join Woodrush Sixth are treated as mature members of our community, with freedoms and privileges that young adults have more than earned. Relationships shift to a learning partnership with your tutors, specialist teachers, and vitally, your fellow students. We orientate our offer on your becoming: becoming leaders; young ambassadors; active citizens and within our community - with opportunities to build up your CV and personal statement with experiences that set you apart from the crowd. The transition from Year 11 to young adulthood is a significant one, so nurturing and supporting your holistic wellness and wellbeing is an explicit dimension of life at Woodrush Sixth and you will have access to our strong team of specialists from day one. Woodrush Sixth works around you and we can offer you a uniquely personalised post-16 experience that enables you to fulfil your academic ambitions, raise your personal aspirations and assist you in forging your own future beyond Woodrush Sixth. I hope the information contained within this prospectus, enables you to see how you could make Woodrush Sixth work for you. Mr Barber, Headteacher
We have a clear aim at Woodrush Sixth: “To EMPOWER, to ENRICH and to ACHIEVE” These three principles underpin everything we do as a sixth form. We will EMPOWER you as an individual so you can experience incredible personal growth and sustained academic development, from a 16 year old that has just completed their GCSE’s into a young adult that is prepared for University, an apprenticeship or employment. We will ENRICH the curriculum so that you learn more than just the knowledge and skills outlined in your courses. We want you to leave Woodrush Sixth with memorable learning experiences both inside and beyond the classroom that you will remember years after you have left us. We want you to leave us enriched with the knowledge, skills and experiences that will prepare you to follow your dreams and to make positive changes to our society in the future. We will support you to ACHIEVE and maximise your potential. We will never place a limit on what you can achieve and we will be relentless in making sure that you perform to your optimal personal best, so that you gain the qualifications, confidence and develop personal aspirations you need to carve a future for yourself. “Woodrush Sixth Form is a vibrant, purposeful, and welcoming academic community where there is a relentless drive for excellence.” Ofsted ‘
We have a dedicated sixth form team of staff who provide pastoral support to empower each student in their post-16 studies. SLT Assistant Headteacher – Mr Roche Head of Woodrush Sixth – Mrs Kaur Head of Year 13 – Mr James Head of Year 12 – Mrs Ashley CEIAG Co-ordinator – Mr Cooper Pastoral Support Leaders – Mrs Ashman and Mrs Robinson These staff are all based in our Post-16 block and provide the support and nurture that students need and to challenge students to be their best selves. We pride ourselves on the care that we provide and the team work tirelessly to help students emotionally, mentally and academically. Their aim is to empower students so that they become independent and resilient learners who are ready for University, apprenticeships or employment. Student views at Woodrush Sixth: “At Woodrush Sixth, our teachers are not just educators, they are mentors who provide brilliant pastoral support. I feel that staff are committed to ensuring that I reach and exceed my academic potential. I want to go on to do a degree apprenticeship and I feel fully supported by Woodrush Sixth to go on and do that” Grace Waterhouse - Head Student At Woodrush Sixth form, I feel respected and supported as a young adult. I have always wanted to be in the medical field since I was younger, so to get to that point I have decided to take 4 A-Levels, which can feel overwhelming at times. Here at Woodrush I am supported and listened to, and the staff make sure everyone in Woodrush Sixth feels comfortable. For instance, we are provided with independent study sessions, group study session to support and influence our revision. To add, being part of the student committee allows me to voice my peers and my own opinions to ensure the sixth form space remains beneficial to our wellbeing, our academic studies and allow us to become more independent. Daisy Hateley-Smith – Woodrush Sixth Student Councillor “At Woodrush Sixth, the way of life is very different to the rest of the school. You are treated much more like an adult and you are allowed much more freedom. We are allowed to timetable our own independent and group study periods and this allows you to complete most of your work within school hours” Owen Hemming – Woodrush Sixth Student
become a part of. Support from teachers has been brilliant from the moment I started and the sixth form community has become a new family for me. The teachers here are always eager to make adaptations to my needs to allow me to progress as well as possible and I’ve already built a strong support network with them. There’s a constant strive for improvement and progression with regular communication between staff and students which is making the sixth form better every day. The atmosphere here is one in which I can grow and make progress while not being overworked. The balance with work and wellbeing really makes the task of A-levels more bearable and has allowed me to make friends and have fun alongside my studies. It’s a place that makes me grow and improve every day and is a pleasure to be a part of.” Annie Venters – Woodrush Sixth Head Student “Woodrush Sixth form has given me opportunities I never thought I’d have, such as the chance to visit Auschwitz through the lessons from Auschwitz programme or go to New York which was a bucket list opportunity. These trips meant I spoke to people I never thought I would and made surprising friendships. It also gave me extra independence when given opportunities to explore New York by staff and this gave me a new found confidence. Also the life lessons you learn as part of sixth form such as taking responsibility for your work load and skills such as time management and organisation which are crucial for later life.” Emily Cooksey – Woodrush Sixth Head Student “At Woodrush Sixth, the quality of teaching and lessons is truly outstanding. My teachers are all very supportive and extremely helpful with helping me towards my dream of studying Physics at University. Excellent opportunities have been provided to me such as being able to volunteer in Maths and Physics classes to give me more experience in the field I want to pursue. In all of my A-levels the lessons are designed to be engaging and informative and the teachers ensure that we understand what we are learning about. The teachers also provide resources and advice to help me and my classmates feel confident and perform our best academically all of which makes me feel lucky to be a member of this excellent sixth form.” Isabel Hemmings – Woodrush Sixth Head Student “I appreciate the support from the staff, they encourage learning through different ways that allows for successful results. The student societies programme is a wonderful idea that helps us relax whilst leading our own enrichment session. The drama enrichment has also let me contribute to the school production in a creative way outside of my formal learning.” Daanish Ahmed – Woodrush Sixth Student
In addition to the shared facilities around the school, the Sixth Form Centre is a space reserved for use by post-16 students at Woodrush Sixth. It creates a purposeful learning environment and acts a hub for developing a positive and enthusiastic culture in the sixth form. Our facilities include: o Dedicated ICT rooms used only for sixth form study o Independent study room for students to study by themselves in a calm and focused environment o Group study / common room which is used for students to work together, which helps create a vibrant learning ethos. At break, lunch and after school it acts as a common room in which sixth for students can relax, socialise and build relationships with their peers and staff members. o Wellbeing resources including games to encourage students to relax and socialise in their wellbeing periods o Public Library / Woodrush School Library in the Community Hub. This is a modern study space which can be used by our students so they can access the wides possible range of resources. o Gym located in the Community Hub with reduced rate memberships. o Conference room used as a study space and for Sixth Form Council meetings. We are proud to work in partnership with the Community Hub, Worcestershire Library, and the Woodrush Training Consortium to create additional opportunities for our students such as work experience, volunteering, charity work and part time employment.
Guidance (CEIAG) Mr Cooper is our CEIAG co-ordinator and he has a wealth of experience in mentoring students through their transition from A-Level students to university, apprenticeships or employment. His passion is evident in the time spent giving personalised support to empower students so they can realise their ambitions. This includes: Training and support in completing UCAS forms, and apprenticeship applications Delivering the Career Ready programme where students gain mentors from business and complete paid internships Mentoring students on writing powerful personal statements Trips to Higher Education conferences Visits to Universities to raise aspirations and broaden horizons Guiding students to make ambitious and informed choices about their chosen courses, universities and apprenticeships Information about structured gap years / volunteering Supporting students who may need to go through clearing following results Bespoke support to students who are applying to Oxbridge or are applying for courses such as Medicine. “Students leave Woodrush Sixth Form confident and well-equipped to succeed in their chosen destinations.” Ofsted Student Leadership To further empower our students, we have an active student council, this consists of 4 Head Students and a team of student councillors who represent the diverse views in the sixth form. The student council meet fortnightly to discuss ways to improve the sixth form experience and to plan charity events such as our Macmillan Coffee Morning in which the sixth form raised £600 this year. They also help plan and organise social events and reward trips, which have previously involved attending the theatre, going out for meals and attending Winter Wonderland in London. Senior prefects also lead on lower school forums on wellbeing, inclusion, anti-bullying and sports. At Woodrush we believe students should be given a voice and the sixth form council feedback to the post 16 team and we always listen and respond to their voice. We regularly survey student opinion to ensure that all students have an opportunity to further develop the positive culture we have in Sixth Form.
The Woodrush Sixth curriculum offer is designed to be broad, balanced and enriching. Our curriculum is designed to empower students to become independent learners, to enrich their knowledge and skills and enable them to achieve so they can progress onto one of these future pathways: University Apprenticeship Employment When a student joins Woodrush they will choose 3 A-Levels or Vocational Qualifications. In a small number of cases, students may choose 4 A-Levels and reduce this to 3 A-Levels in year 13. Provisional option blocks for the academic year 2023-24 can be seen in the table below. Students can choose 1 subject from each option block, and will also be enrolled in our enrichment programme and either the Extended Project Qualification or extra-credit modules. NB. These are provisional option blocks and may be subject to change based on uptake. The table above can be used as a guide for your child to make initial options choices. Mandarin We are excited to offer the highly regarded HSK Level 4 qualification for those students who have studied Mandarin GCSE which can be taken as an extra qualification in addition to their 3 A-Level choices. This is offered in a very small and select number of schools and the HSK Level 4 develops students’ proficiency in Mandarin so that they are able to read to communicate fluently and confidently. We are proud to offer this as an enriching experience and as a qualification which few students in the U.K. get to study.
Woodrush Sixth is an inclusive sixth form and our entry requirements are designed to be as broad as possible whilst ensuring students have the right level of prior attainment to be successful on their chosen courses. Subject A-Level Maths A-Level Biology A-Level Chemistry A-Level Physics A-Level English Literature A-Level English Language A-Level Film A-Level Spanish A-Level Geography A-level History A-Level Sociology A-Level Criminology A-Level Psychology A-Level Art A-Level Business A-Level Product Design A-Level P.E. Cambridge Nat. Health and Social BTEC Applied Science Entry Requirements Grade 7 in Maths and Grade 66 in Combined Science or a 6’s in Chemistry and Physics (separate science) Grade 66 in Combined Science or Grade 6 in Biology (separate science) and Grade 6 in Maths Grade 66 in Combined Science or Grade 6 in Chemistry (separate science) and Grade 6 in Maths Grade 66 in Combined Science or Grade 6 in Physics (separate science) and Grade 6 in Maths. Grade 6 in English Literature and English Language Grade 6 in English Literature or English Language Grade 5 in English Literature and English Language Grade 7 in Spanish Grade 6 in Geography and Grade 5 in English Language Grade 6 in History and Grade 5 in English Literature and Language Grade 5 in English Language and English Literature and Language Grade 5 in English Language and English Literature and Language Grade 5 in English Language and Grade 5 in Maths Grade 5 in Art Grade 5 in Business or Grade 5 in English Literature and Language Grade 5 in Product Design Grade 5 in PE or Merit in BTEC Sport Grade 5 5 in Combined Science, Grade 5 in Biology (separate science) or a Merit in BTEC Health and Social Care Grade 55 in Combined Science These are provisional subjects on offer and this may change slightly. Options choices by students are finalised after GCSE results day prior to the start of the new academic year. It is important to note that if you do not achieve a GCSE Grade 4 in English and or Maths then you will need to resit these at Woodrush while studying for your post-16 qualifications.
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