An education is so much more than just what’s learnt in the classroom. We offer an array of exciting enrichment opportunities in the Sixth Form at St Bede’s; whatever your interests, you will find something to get involved in! 

For extra-curricular clubs and activities offered to Key Stage 5, please click here.

Enrichment

We have recently launched a new enrichment programme in the Sixth Form. From academic mentoring to wellbeing opportunities, there is something for everyone. Year 12 and 13 students have the opportunity to become a subject leader, support in KS3 lessons, helpline (running activities with Year 7 and 8 tutor groups), mentor a younger student academically or pastorally and train to become a mental health ambassador. It is always lovely to see our sixth formers circulating during tutor time supporting students lower down the school in different ways; some students provide a listening ear while others act as a subject tutor in the library. In addition to these opportunities, we also recruit a leadership team of Senior Students every year who plan and oversee whole school events and community outreach projects. In the Sixth Form our students model the St Bede's values of Belonging, Education, Determination, Excellence and Service on a daily basis. Our Year 12 and 13 students are proactive, interested and reliable, true role models for our younger cohorts.

Careers programme

The Sixth Form also provides a variety of opportunities to learn from professionals and industry experts. The careers department at St Bede’s works closely with our Sixth Form students, advertising work experience opportunities and educational visits, seminars and workshops for our Year 12 and 13 students through our Careers and Higher Education Bulletin on a weekly basis. Students gain skills and knowledge from real-world experiences in the second half of the Summer Term when Year 12 takes part in an annual work experience week. Students also have the opportunity to gain valuable employability skills in Year 13 through our CV workshops and mock interview day. Students ‘apply’ to a job of their choice and meet with industry experts who guide them through an interview before offering them advice and feedback to take forward. Each term, students hear from a visiting speaker to highlight different career options and avenues into the world of work. In recent years, representatives from a local law firm, PwC, HSBC and IBM have worked with our students either in person or virtually and, to offer a virtual alternative to work experience last year, students were guided through application writing and how to set up a LinkedIn profile, as well as given the chance to undergo an assessment centre style task in tutor groups. In Year 12, our Business CTEC students have been working with Nestlé through their Employability Mentoring Programme and the whole cohort are invited to hear more about employability skills, amongst other things, on our Next Steps day in the Summer Term.

Trips and visits

Trips and educational visits are an important part of what we offer in the Sixth Form. Psychology students take part in an annual trip to Marwell Zoo, the History department travel to Washington DC biannually, Geography host a field trip to Iceland, Art and Photography have visited Venice and there is a joint History, Sociology and Psychology trip to Poland. As we continue to adjust post-Covid, we also look forward to offering our annual trip to Tanzania again at the end of Year 12; in conjunction with the charity GoMAD, students get to work on community projects, serve others and experience local culture. In addition to this, the Music and Drama departments attend theatre productions and concerts to supplement in-class learning, including a visit to the Royal Festival Hall and the English National Opera. There are also excellent sports facilities and a fitness suite that students have access to on campus.

Extra-curricular

Extra-curricular is alive and well across the whole school. The Music department runs Senior Orchestra, Senior Choir and ‘Slide’, our senior jazz band, in which Sixth Form students are encouraged to take a lead role. There are annual concerts which are always a highlight for the whole school and, in addition to this, a number of opportunities for smaller groups and soloists too. Last year, our A level Music students performed a range of vocal repertoire at Dorking Halls for local primary schools. The Drama department has put on a number of high quality musicals and productions featuring students in all year groups. Our most recent production of Joseph was a real triumph and it is always fabulous to see so many Sixth Form students involved onstage, backstage, with the tech team, selling refreshments to raise money for Tanzania, front of house and in the pit band.

Higher education

Each year we promote Oxford and Cambridge student conferences, workshops and summer programmes, also facilitating visits to colleges where possible to further support our early entry applications each year. Year 12 visited the University and Apprenticeships Fair and students heard from ALPS Alphi to understand how to best discover a range of apprenticeships. This, along with Unifrog and their work around both universities and apprenticeships, best guides our Year 12 students when looking ahead to life beyond school. In addition to our careers and higher education programme, we encourage students to get involved in university visits, both independently and through the Sixth Form careers programme. 

Community and charity

Finally, a real highlight of the year is our annual RAG Week. A week filled with lunchtime shows, sponsored events and some very entertaining costumes, all in the name of charity. Organised by our Senior Student leadership team, we were able to raise just over £17,000 for four chosen charities (nominated and chosen by sixth form students) in 2023: Teenage Cancer Trust, St George's Hospital, The Royal Marsden and DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, supporting those internationally, nationally and locally. Charities are nominated by Year 12 and 13 students every year in assembly, a powerful occasion where sixth formers speak passionately about organisations close to their hearts.

Subjects on offer at our Sixth Form