Welcome

Dear Parent/Student,

I am delighted that you are interested in our Sixth Form provision and I aim to provide an overview of the great opportunities and culture that we have here at The Cooper School. We are a Sixth Form centre that even in the relatively short time since we opened in 2011, have grown in strength as shown by our impressive student destination data and an increase in numbers choosing us for their Sixth Form studies.

Our vision is to prepare students for the ever-increasing challenges of the 21st century and to equip them with the skills, knowledge and attributes that they will need to meet these demands as resilient, fulfilled and responsible young adults and future citizens. Education should be exciting and challenging so that it instils a love of learning and we believe this will take place within our forward thinking, innovative and exciting centre. Our curriculum offer is predominantly an academic one, including a wide range of A Level courses and a small number of Level 3 BTEC courses which provide our students with the qualifications necessary to make successful applications to many of the top universities in the country. We also aim to cater for our students who might learn more effectively on vocational courses, such as our Food Diploma course.

Sixth Form at The Cooper School is a key part of a large and successful school. Our Sixth Form students enjoy a culture in which all students experience the right balance of independence, challenge and supportive guidance. Set against the national picture of more challenging examinations, of reduced opportunities to retake exams and of expensive university tuition fees, we believe we must place academic performance at the heart of what we do and every student is encouraged to fulfil their true academic potential alongside our other core values of dreaming big and being kind.

We are able to offer modern, purpose built facilities, with well-resourced private study areas, IT facilities, seminar rooms and social areas. We also have a Sixth Form PDM Team (Personal Development Mentor) who are skilled in monitoring and raising student attainment and who also help to prepare students for higher education and employment.

Extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities are an important and significant area of learning as they provide students with new and challenging experiences. Therefore, all Sixth Form learners are provided with a broad and diverse range of opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award scheme, the Young Enterprise scheme and a Subject Leadership scheme, where they can work with younger students in a subject of their choice.

I hope that this prospectus will provide you with a brief insight into life in our Sixth Form centre and I would encourage you to find out more about what we offer. I look forward to meeting you and would very much like you to consider being part of our future successes.

Mrs J. Post

Head Of Sixth Form