Welcome to the sixth form
Students in the sixth form are aspirational because their teachers have high expectations for them...... Ofsted 2024
Our flourishing Sixth Form is a genuinely comprehensive school which allows us to maintain high academic standards for all, provide a strong and caring pastoral system with a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, yet we are small enough to ensure all our students are known as individuals,
The high academic standards and ambitions for students are reflected in the high achieving grades (which places the school as a high achieving comprehensive). Achieving such grades is especially significant in the light of our entry requirements for A Level courses, which are amongst the most inclusive in Surrey schools and colleges. Our success is achieved by the hard work of students and the high quality of teaching, together with sophisticated individual target-setting and support systems. We are proud of all our students who achieve their goal. We have students who gain several A grades securing places on courses at universities with very high entry requirements, those who enter the Sixth Form with minimum requirements and gain 2 grade Es as a passport to Higher Education, and those who use the one-year Cambridge Technicals in Business Level 3 course to develop their personal and business skills as the first step on a vocational training path. Our most recent results for 2022-2023:
- 28% A* to A
- 55% A* to B
- 75% A*-C
- 97% A* to E
- 92% gained places at first choices of university
- 96% gained their first or insurance choice of university
Our Sixth Form here offers a multitude of opportunities, ranging from the Extended Project Qualification through to participating in study and exchange visits to China, Romania and Uganda. There are many ways of developing personal skills, whether completing the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme or helping younger students with reading support through the 'Toe-by-Toe' reading scheme. For many students, these experiences have literally been life-changing, leading to a complete change degree subject choice or a heartfelt vocation for working with people. With a vibrant Careers programme, students have many opportunities and much inspiration during their time with us. or a deep sense of a vocation for working with people.
Moving from the Upper School into the Sixth Form provides valuable continuity for our own students who enjoy the different rapport in Sixth Form with staff they know. We are an inclusive Sixth Form and welcome many students from other schools; they settle in very quickly and enjoy the academic challenge and the range of social opportunities. A significant percentage of the Senior Prefects, elected by the Sixth Form, have come from other schools, showing how readily they have been totally accepted into the community.
Being a student at The Ashcombe Sixth Form is a challenging, exhilarating and rewarding experience, which equips all who study here with the qualifications and experiences necessary to take the next exciting step in their lives.
I look forward to welcoming you in this next chapter of your life.
Ben Blackband
Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Headteacher
