Life in our sixth form has a similar style to university life. Students are expected to work hard and manage their independent study effectively. For more details on the day to day life at Simon Balle, please take a look at the handbook below.
SBAS Sixth Form Handbook
Students in the sixth form are expected to attend all day from 8.40-3.10. The day begins with morning registration. Students are timetabled 5 hours of study for each subject. When they do not have lessons they are expected to be in the learning centre. Students spend their independent study time completing extended reading through resources such as MOOCS or Open University. They are also expected to revise and recall content which has been covered in lessons, preparing them for future assessments. Support is always available to support students with effectively managing their studies; we know that this guidance, as well as high expectations for students' independence, prepares them well for their future education and destinations.
Students have a range of facilities available to them. In the learning centre students can work in small groups and individually. The pods are a dedicated space for silent study. Our sixth form students can also use the school library and be given support on accessing online materials. The coffee shop is open to students throughout the morning as well as at break time and lunch.
Sixth Form students are expected to set an example to the rest of the school through their high standard of business-like dress and the way they present themselves. The intention of the Sixth Form dress code is to maintain the smart appearance of the lower school years. A Sixth Form student should be able to leave the school site and immediately attend a formal interview without having to change their appearance. Full details of the dress code can be found in the student handbook.
All students are expected to bring a device to school every day. During Sixth Form induction students will connect their devices to the school wifi so they are able to use it in lessons and independent study time. Typical student devices include chrome books, laptops or Ipads. If you require financial support when purchasing a device, please read the Sixth Form Bursary section below.
Each year Simon Balle All-through School receives around £12,000 of government funding to pass back to students in need of financial support. 16-19 bursary is there to help fund experiences/trips/travel/books and costs associated with moving your education forward where those costs may have been a prohibitive factor i.e. you are missing out on an educational experience because you do not have the funds to do so. The experiences need to be linked to the subject you study or looking forward to your education beyond sixth form. Below is a typical list of those applications that we have supported in the past:
- Purchasing a device for school
- Payment towards a trip that is part of your curriculum, for example a geography field trip, or English theatre trip
- Purchasing books or revision guides for the subjects you are studying
- Support towards open day visits for University courses
If you would like to make an application for a post-16 bursary, please complete the form below and return it to the finance office.
