Welcome to
St. Bede’s 6th Form
St Bede’s College is a Catholic HMC Independent College for boys and girls aged 3-18. We are passionate about providing an education where every pupil is known and valued in a family environment.
Welcome to Sixth Form
Dr Anne McMonagle
Head of Sixth Form
Prospectus
Human and academic excellence
Co-curricular
Discover your talent, spark new interest
Open Events
Start your journey to a school for life
The Sixth Form
St Bede’s College is a Catholic HMC Independent College for boys and girls aged 3-18. We are passionate about providing an education where every pupil is known and valued in a family environment.
Academic Scholarship
The College offers an Academic Scholarship to students who attain Grade 9 in a minimum of three subjects at GCSE, with at least six further GCSEs at Grades 7 or 8; candidates must also embrace the Catholic ethos of our College and maintain an excellent attitude to study.
A Level Subjects
Choosing subjects will often come with a degree of uncertainty. If that is the case, then our highly experienced team will advise on preferred subject areas and career aspirations. We provide an extensive offering of subjects through our academic pathways model, which helps students to choose subjects that complement each other; in this way, we also guide them to ideas on higher education and future career paths.
Students may choose four A Levels provided they have achieved a Grade 6 or higher in the subject (or subject equivalent) at GCSE. In the case of STEM subjects a Grade 7 or above is recommended given the additional subject demands at A Level. Once committed to their pathway, students are required to continue with four subjects until the end of Lower Sixth, and may decide which three subjects to continue after their summer examinations.
Additional Sixth Form Qualifications
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an independent research-based project which allows students to develop and extend a specific area of their studies, a personal interest or activity different to their normal programme of study. Students undertaking an EPQ can submit either a research-based written report of around 5000 words or opt to produce a practical project or ‘artefact’ with an accompanying research-based written report of at least 1000 words. Some benefits are:
- Having the opportunity to pursue an area of personal interest.
- Research suggests that students who undertake an EPQ often perform better in A level and university examinations.
- The qualification is highly regarded by universities and some even have an alternative offer scheme for applicants who excel in the EPQ.
Be a Leader
We promote leadership roles in both years of the Sixth Form and deliver the Oxford Character Project, an initiative from Oxford and Harvard Universities which focuses on character as the core of responsible leadership. Students carefully consider the qualities they wish to have as leaders of the future and earn a certificate from the Harvard Flourishing Program.
We encourage our students to embrace opportunities to inspire our younger students and to play an active, visible role in the running of the College. Their achievements, behaviour and attitudes are powerful incentives for the younger students in our community.
A great number of positions of responsibility are available within the College, including Head Boy and Girl, Senior Prefects and House Prefects. Sixth Form students also form the committees that run various activities such as the Upper Sixth Ball. They also organise and co-ordinate charity work, help our Prep School with various activities such as Sports Day and Language lessons and act as ambassadors for the College at external events.
Be Enriched
Students can avail themselves of the many co-curricular clubs that run in the Sixth Form such as: Debating, Model United Nations, Languages, Photography, Oxbridge, Journalism, First Aid, Duke of Edinburgh and Music. This list is not exhaustive and students are encouraged to ask for, and/or run, clubs or activities that they would like to see at St Bede’s. Although we cannot arrange work experience for our students, we certainly encourage them to undertake it. Where possible, we provide links to our Alumni and parent network, along with identifying opportunities in industry and the wider community.
Be Happy and Supported
We take a holistic approach to education, one which is nurtured by a happy and harmonious learning environment where pupils are celebrated for their differences. Hard work, respect and personal growth are key to the ethos of St Bede’s. We aim to ensure that our students have the necessary skills, attributes and experience to help them to stand out and secure their future ambitions. We aim to produce young people who are well-rounded, polite, disciplined, and who have teamwork and leadership qualities in equal abundance.
All students are placed in small tutor groups with one of our dedicated team of specialist sixth form tutors; these smaller discussion groups lead students to build an excellent rapport with staff, which allows for tailored support and guidance to be given.
Beyond A Levels
St Bede’s Sixth Form team, together with our Careers Coordinator, works hard to prepare our students for life beyond St Bede’s, giving sound, in-depth advice on university and apprenticeship application processes.
As part of that preparation, we organise a series of events such as:
- Higher Education Evening for students and parents (including a presentation from a Russell Group University on choosing courses, universities and finance)
- UCAS Convention at Manchester Central
- St. Bede’s Universities and Careers Fair
- Higher Education Days and University Open Day visits
Throughout the College year, alumni and others deliver talks on various career paths as well as university and apprenticeship experiences.
UCAS Applications
Subject teachers, Tutors and the Sixth Form Team support each student through the university application process, in particular with choosing courses and writing personal statements. We take pride in producing the highest quality references for our students and have an excellent record of obtaining offers and final places at prestigious and competitive universities.
All Lower Sixth students are guided through UCAS registration and application in the summer term. At our Higher Education Day, admissions tutors from several universities offer advice and guidance on the UCAS process. Oxbridge applicants are also offered subject-specialist mentors, admission test preparation, mock interviews and bespoke advice on how to strengthen their applications. We also make extra provision to support aspiring Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary applications.
Oxbridge candidates are expected to demonstrate a keen love of their chosen subject through independent learning and study beyond the A Level syllabus. They should undertake wider reading and independent study courses such as MOOCs, accessible through the online platform, Unifrog, to which the College subscribes. They are also advised to complete work experience or volunteering in their chosen field. We are committed to supporting our students in every way we can to ensure their applications are competitive and the process is a rewarding one.
The Next Steps
We would love the opportunity to welcome you to St Bede’s for a tour or to take part in one of our taster days. Please contact our Admissions team, who will be happy to talk you through the admissions process and clarify any points that you may need to discuss – admissions@sbcm.co.uk.