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st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school

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st robert s school sixth form college welcome to st robert of newminster catholic school and sixth form college we are a voluntary aided 11-18 mixed catholic comprehensive school with over 1,700 students on roll including 550 in the sixth form the school serves the catholic parishes in washington birtley penshaw houghton and hetton it is situated in the diocese of hexham and newcastle st robert s school sixth form college is a catholic and christian community in which we aim to follow the example of christ in our daily work and relationships we recognise that all members of our community are learners and are unique and eternal the school aims through a broad and balanced curriculum and an effective programme of personal development to help all students to develop their full potential spiritually socially and intellectually within a secure happy and christian environment our vision all individuals are children of god created equally in his image to share an eternal future we promise to play our full part in their education and formation our mission we strive to meet the academic moral physical social and spiritual needs of all students so that they may take their place as caring committed self aware and self confident adult members of society our aims in striving to create the school climate which will nurture this mission the school aims to offer all students a broad balanced appropriate relevant and flexible curriculum to develop as an integral part of the local community and in particular the local catholic community to develop and maintain the partnership between school and parents parishes primary schools and the wider community daily work and relationships to treat one another with justice tolerance and respect and to be aware of and respond to each other s needs hopes and aspirations to provide and maintain an attractive secure safe and healthy school environment for the students and staff our motto our school motto is sic luceat lux vestra which means so let your light shine we firmly believe in the potential of our students and always aim to nurture and guide them in their personal and academic development to develop as a worshipping community in which prayer and liturgy are encouraged as part of faith development to encourage all members of our school community students staff and governors to follow the example of christ in their st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school

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st robert s school sixth form college st robert of newminster sixth form college offers opportunities to students who have ambition motivation and a desire to `live life to the full this prospectus aims to give students and their parents an understanding of the philosophy and organisation of the sixth form the range of courses on offer and the entrance requirements for them extra-curricular opportunities and an indication of the career and higher education possibilities following from those courses in this large sixth form we expect very high standards of work and behaviour to be established sixth form students are in a rather special category in the school population in that they have elected to return voluntarily and we ask that they are supportive of the christian ethos of the school and the aims of the sixth form we expect sixth formers to be leaders in the school community and to enjoy greater privileges but this also implies a greater measure of responsibility with its attendant emphasis on appearance punctuality diligent attitude to work and full participation in school activities a successful sixth form career is a question of attitude and it is important for students to take greater responsibility for their studies and their conduct in order to support students establish good habits we provide private study areas where they can work outside of their lessons the time spent in the sixth form can be the happiest and most memorable in anyone s school career when opportunities for personal developments in terms of leadership and responsibility abound and where satisfaction can be obtained from working to one s full capacity we wish all prospective students a happy and successful time during their sixth form days at st robert s and look forward to extending a special welcome to those students who come to us from other schools in short st robert of newminster sixth form college offers all young people the opportunity to achieve excellent examination results develop and fully use their talents stretch their intellectual capacities and see education as a lifelong learning process understand the world in which they live learn to respect the dignity and values of others take responsibility for themselves as developing adults prepare themselves for life after further education at st robert of newminster we are proud of our reputation for high quality sixth form provision this reputation is built on a strong pastoral system high standards in teaching and learning and careful monitoring of each individual student we provide our students with support and advice which prepares them for their future education and employment sixth form management team director of sixth form miss j moreland head of year mrs c green head of year mr l craggs senior sixth form tutor mr k hodgson lead progress tutor mrs h garcia st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school

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college information attendance a good record of attendance is essential for the successful completion of all courses and pupils should not be absent unless there is a genuine reason when absence does occur a note giving the reason should be sent to the personal tutor and there should be a strong commitment on behalf of the student to make up for any missing work as quickly as possible sixth formers must not arrange holidays appointments or part time work during school time the department for education recommends that part time employment for sixth form students should be for a maximum of ten hours per week and durham university have carried out a study which clearly shows a relationship between paid work and levels of underachievement careers advice and university applications in addition to the information available through connexions and the career library in school sixth form students are fully supported in terms of advice in their choices of what to do when their studies here are completed this is covered partly through the tutorial programme but also in discussions with members of staff and in the help you will be given in attending courses taster sessions and placements students applying to university are assigned a referee who will assist with all aspects of the ucas application procedure the college has links with many institutions developed over many years as well as local and national initiatives such as the partners and other schemes with local universities we will do our best to help you make decisions and get the place that is right for you and which enables you to fulfil your ambitions students will also have access to guidance and careers advice the opportunity for work experience and links with employers and higher education institutions and initiatives the following pages contain information on a range of topics arranged in alphabetical order for easy reference accommodation the sixth form block provides the main focus for all post 16 students it includes a large study room and a library in addition to this there are specialist sixth form classrooms in this building and elsewhere in the main school building application process prospective students may apply to join st robert of newminster sixth form at any point from the september in the academic year before they wish to commence their studies with us however we tend to receive most applications from january onwards following the open evening please contact the sixth form office at any time in order to request an application pack on receipt of your form you will be sent an acknowledgement and information on the next stage in the process.

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courses available st robert s has an open policy for all students wishing to study post-16 we offer breadth and clear progression in our academic and vocational courses it is most important to stress that the greatest care must be taken when sixth form courses are chosen as students should be aware that this may limit career opportunities later on for instance it is essential that a student thinking about medicine as a career should study chemistry at `a level and it is almost obligatory for anyone wishing to study any branch of engineering at degree level to have passes in mathematics and/or physics as courses available art design business studies chemistry critical thinking design technology product design drama english lang lit english language english literature french further mathematics general studies geography german government politics history ict law mathematics media studies music philosophy physical education physics politics psychology religious studies sociology spanish textiles availability is determined by numbers the list opposite sets out the choice of subjects available in year 12 in september subjects will be grouped to allow as wide a choice as possible students may wish to change their initial choice of subjects in the light of gcse examination results and we can usually accommodate this please see information on the induction process entry to examinations will depend on a student s attendance attainment application and performance throughout the duration of the course students who fail to match any of the criteria for automatic entry may be allowed to pay to enter as external candidates vocational courses currently we also offer · · · · engineering btec health and social care advanced ict intermediate advanced business studies btec as and a2 subjects students initially choose to study 4 `as level subjects on the understanding that they have already achieved a minimum of 5 g.c.s.e passes grade c or above including maths and english individual subjects have their own entry requirements and this information is available for students each subject is allocated 5 hours per week in year 12 and year 13 st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school

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e-learning library resource centre sixth form students have open access to the sixth form library resource centre at any time during the school day in addition to the facilities available in the lrc in the main school building the quiet private study area this is heavily used by sixth formers during study periods reference and sixth form sections the resources in these sections are ideal for conducting research the sixth form section also includes a range of books for reading for pleasure a selection of newspapers and periodicals are also available information technology it section this offers word-processing cd-rom facilities and internet access we have an extensive range of high quality software and positive links with the city learning centre careers section this section holds information on :a university courses b careers post 16 and 18 which university gives information about the university town campus cost of living student life etc mrs grant the librarian and mrs anderson the sixth form librarian will be happy to help sixth form students with queries they have worked to provide an atmosphere in both lrcs which is conducive to learning as well as being open during each school day the lrc will be open at certain times during school holidays extra-curricular opportunities as well as sporting clubs and activities there are many opportunities available to students of st robert s sixth form college to get involved with the wider community some of these include there will also be opportunities to become involved in activities in relation to st robert s status as a specialist humanities college.

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financial support the school administers funds so that students are not prevented from making the best of the opportunities offered to them because of financial restraints details of this funding is available from the sixth form administration office gcse examination re-sits re-sit gcse classes will be available in english mathematics and science and students who have not already achieved at least a grade c in these subjects will be required to remedy this in the sixth form please note we strongly advise students who do not have a c grade in english mathematics and in some cases science to re-sit in order to provide a foundation for further study and employment homework/extended study this is essential if students are to be successful in their courses the recommended amount of time for homework is at least one hour per subject per night however high achieving students are likely to do extra reading and investigations around their subjects in addition to work set by teachers humanities college status st robert s gained humanities college status in september 2005 as a leading humanities college in the north east of england st robert s is involved in a range of projects with a focus upon raising achievement at all levels across the curriculum humanities colleges have a very clear goal humanities colleges will foster an understanding of human values and attitudes past and present and how society is organised develops and changes specialist status at st robert s is led by the english history and re departments however its effects spill across the sixth form with improved teaching and learning facilities and new opportunities for students sixth form students have access to a wider range of theatre and live performance experiences an annual residential debate hosted by the re philosophy and science departments active history project with the local community lunchtime reading group opportunities for involvement in classroom activities and peer support st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school

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induction before starting the sixth form students will be interviewed preferably with parents in order to establish that the right choices are being made and to give students an opportunity to clarify their options it may be that the subject choices of some students may need revising in the light of their gcse results and these changes can be discussed once the results are published staff will be available in order to advise on this year 12 students should have their timetables established and lessons started during the first week of term further details of the induction process and final option choices will be posted to all successful applicants parent/college liaison we should like parents to continue to show an interest in the school in general and their son s or daughter s progress in particular and feel that they can contact us at any time should they wish to discuss any problem affecting academic progress career choice or any issues in which we may be able to help we have parents information evenings at the beginning of each academic year in order to establish contact with parents and to answer any initial questions they may have as well as to inform them of important dates in the calendar religious studies this is a compulsory element of the sixth form curriculum at st robert s the curriculum allocation of time is 10 at the end of which the students have the opportunity to gain an advanced subsidiary qualification this course will take place in year 12 the course consists of ethical theory and practical ethics modules the students are introduced to philosophical thought and are able to develop critical and analytical approaches to study these skills are highly valued and viewed as good preparation for university courses the `as is a stand alone qualification and at the end of year 12 students will have fulfilled the requirement for religious studies the opportunity is available for them to proceed into year 13 to follow the a2 modules of the course which combined with the as modules form the full `a level school day school begins at 8.50 and teaching ends at 3.20 students should be on the premises no later than 8.45 excluding assemblies registration time and breaks each day consists of five teaching periods of sixty minutes duration extra-curricular activities take place during lunch hour after school and some take place at weekends sixth form council the student voice is highly valued within st robert s the sixth form council is elected according to the sixth form constitution the council is comprised of 5 executive members together with representatives from each tutor group it exists to represent the sixth form and is particularly responsible for the following the care of sixth form facilities i.e the common room and study rooms promoting and organising the social life of the sixth form liaising with the director of sixth form heads of year and tutors for the well-being of all sixth form students sixth form tutor teams we currently have a team of 25 sixth form tutors led by a head of year 12 and a head of year 13 we work to provide an environment conducive to pastoral and academic development we are committed to the pastoral welfare of our students and welcome opportunities to offer them guidance advice and support a tutorial programme is in place to support this with a 60 minute lesson each week for their part students are encouraged to build strong and positive relations with their tutors and to take advantage of any support or counselling they may need social work and counselling service the school/college social worker is elizabeth hughes she is a qualified social worker employed in partnership with st cuthbert s care and works with us full time students who wish to seek support and counselling may do so directly or through their tutor.

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tutorial programme the tutorial programme is tailored to the needs of post 16 students it aims to address some of the issues relevant to young adults and is regularly reviewed and developed in addition to outside speakers from organizations such as project trust smart justice and local universities our tutors play a vital role in the delivery of the programme tutors volunteer their expertise and knowledge in areas such as study skills which are delivered on a `carousel system and specific topics such as the political and social situation in burma recently st robert s students have shown particular concern for the issues of fair trade and the samaritan s purse shoebox appeal they are also involved in various local national and international charity fund raising activities uniform it is a condition of joining the sixth form that official school uniform will be worn at all times we hope parents will recognise their responsibility and not allow their sons or daughters to come to school without full uniform denim jeans/jackets and white trainers are not allowed official items of uniform are on sale only at school girls warning the information in this brochure was correct when published it must not be assumed however that there will be no changes affecting the relevant arrangements or certain matters before the start of or during the academic year or in respect of subsequent years arising for example from variations in education policy and/or government legislation safeguarding parents should be aware that the school would take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its students in cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to significant harm ill-treatment neglect or other forms of abuse staff have no alternative but to follow sscb sunderland safeguarding board procedures and inform children services social care of their concern boys one pair of earrings may be worn other piercings are not acceptable primarily for reasons of health and safety

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st robert of newminster sixth form college prospectus a specialist humanities school st robert of newminster sixth form college mr s g white headteacher mr j waugh chair of governors miss j moreland director of sixth form biddick lane washington sunderland tyne and wear ne38 8af t w 0191 5613813 www.strobertofnewminster.co.uk photographs by mr clive smith head of film and media studies

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