Personal Development
Academic study lies at the heart of Sixth Form life but there is a huge amount on offer beyond this. It is the balance of the co-curricular enrichment that makes Sydenham High School such an inspiring place to grow during your Sixth Form years. There are greater responsibilities on offer, as well as freedoms to develop self-motivation and independence.
When you start in Year 12 there is a bespoke induction programme to aid the transition to Sixth Form including welcome events, team building activities, and personalised curriculum meetings.
There are a wide range of educational visits on offer as part of the curriculum. In previous years our students have visited New York, and to our sister school in Nepal, a school that we helped to rebuild after the earthquake in 2015, alongside the charity In Your Hands.
The Power Skills Programme is a bespoke and unique aspect of Sixth Form timetabled provision and aims to equip you with relevant and transferable skills for life beyond school.
You are also actively encouraged to get involved with some of the many other activities that are on offer to Sixth Form students, including:
– GDST Leadership & Enterprise Advanced Diploma
– Dulwich College Saturday School
– Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
– School societies such as Literary Society, AfroCaribbean Society and BioMedSoc
Partnerships & Volunteering within the local community is an opportunity for you to give back to the people and area around you, whilst also developing key skills in communication, empathy and teamwork.
The Young Leadership Team play an important role in the school. The leadership skills gained from these roles are invaluable, and give you the opportunity to engage with the rest of the school community.
Sport is also an important part of Sixth Form life with rowing and netball being two of our most popular sports in the Sixth Form. All Sixth Formers have a timetabled lesson of PE fortnightly. Our Mind, Body & Soul co-curricular offering is open to all pupils.
Mental health and wellbeing are as important as physical health. Pastoral support and guidance is of paramount importance in the Sixth Form in order to bring out the very best in you. We cultivate a friendly, mutually supportive and aspirational environment in which you’re valued as an individual. The Sixth Form is big enough to be vibrant, yet small enough to be intimate – so that we get to know you personally.
We offer structured advice and support to not only maximise achievement, but to develop independence and resilience, as well as promote wellbeing.
Sixth Formers have specific pastoral needs and face a number of challenges and transitions so we provide comprehensive and practical pastoral support that enables you to navigate successfully the potential pressures you might encounter.
Visiting our sister school in Nepal made me appreciate my school and the things I have because it made me realise that you don’t need the new iPhone, the newest clothes or the best WiFi to be happy. These children just wanted to go to school and get an education. The biggest lesson that I learned, that it is easy to forget, is that when you can go to school and get an education take it and do your best because you might not have a better chance.
– Year 13