School or College?

We are obviously a school and therefore all sixth formers receive the benefits of this.  This includes small classes, one to one teacher support, access to school activities, more outings, a very high level of pastoral care, much support in coping with examination stress, many leadership opportunities as prefects and Heads of Houses, and many more.  Students can expect a greater level of teacher support than you received at GCSE, not less.  This means results are improved, and students are able to make better choices about which modules to study, they have more opportunities to keep up to date with the increased workload that accompanies AS and A levels.

However, BCS recognises that post 16 students are more mature and we have ensured that we have a sixth form that recognises this.  BCS has therefore adopted a unique style of sixth form, one that has many elements of a sixth form college too.  Sixth form students are given the freedom to leave the site on a daily basis, if all their work is up to date.  We have links with other sixth forms, most notably Highcliffe. The style of our sixth form teaching and approach is one that reflects both a school and a college.  It is for this reason that our sixth formers find it so easy to make the transition from GCSE to sixth form, or from abroad to our sixth form.

James, a Year 12 student, says: “I am so glad I chose BCS for my sixth form.  I feel like I am in a school, but at the same time I could be in a sixth form college, but just in a smaller one where we make more friends, and where we get loads more support from teachers.  If I want to pop into town I can, if I need extra help at any time from a teacher, I can get it too.  And the small classes mean we all make quicker progress and seem to have more free time in the evenings and weekends than friends of mine who went to sixth form colleges.  I think we really benefit from this sixth form environment.”