Sixth Form

As a Christian School we value the caring ethos and strong set of values and beliefs that pervades all aspects of life at Blue Coat. Encouraging excellence and nurturing talent leads to our winning combination of academic rigour within a caring community. We offer a broad range of high quality educational opportunities which extend teaching and learning both inside and outside the curriculum to create an exciting and stimulating learning community where all sixth form students are expected to use their intelligence and leadership abilities to contribute constructively to the life of the School.

There is a great deal of emphasis on the relationships that exist between you and your tutor at Blue Coat as they will support you through two years, from induction to UCAS application or other post sixth form routes. Students have regular contact with their tutors, meeting each day for registration and tutorial time. Important aspects of Sixth Form experience are also addressed through the PSHE programme delivered either through classroom sessions or with the help of outside speakers when the whole year group meet together. There are assemblies on Mondays and Thursdays which allow many Christian themes to be presented.

Post 16 study offers a very different challenge to that posed by GCSEs. You will move from a broad programme of study in Year 11 to a narrow and specialised one, allowing you to study in greater detail and with greater rewards. With fewer subjects studied comes a greater expectation placed upon you from your subject staff. They will be requiring more from you in lessons and expecting a higher level of commitment to your studies. They will also be looking forward to exploring their subjects with you at a deeper level than previously, as much as you will undoubtedly be looking forward to exploring the subjects with them as your guide. The Sixth Form is not simply about the academic opportunities. Indeed, to develop into fully rounded adults you must seek to become involved in the wider life of the school and community in ways in which your talents support.

We value academic success highly and we also aim to offer every student within the school an all-round education, developing a range of talents, skills and qualities which will develop your leadership potential and provide you with the very best foundation for your future. By offering a wide range of experiences both in the classroom and through extra-curricular activities, we encourage you all to reach your full potential. We are proud of our students’ success in gaining places at a wide range of leading universities including Oxford, Cambridge, York, Bristol and London, as well as to prestigious specialist academies for subjects such as music.

With well over 300 students on roll in Sixth Form, Blue Coat provides the widest range of A Level courses of any school in Coventry, including vocational A levels and two BTEC National Diplomas which are each the equivalent of three A levels. This makes us unique among school sixth forms in the city. There is also an excellent range of extra-curricular subjects including the Young Enterprise Scheme and the Open University Young Applicants in Schools Scheme. Musical opportunities are exceptionally strong, there being a concert band, string orchestra, steel band, jazz group, choir, barber shop and gospel choir, open to Sixth Form students. Drama productions regularly provide further scope for artistic talents, and both drama and music are benefitting from the new 500-seat theatre. 

There is always something new to challenge and develop your skills no matter where your interests lie. New changing room facilities will be constructed in 2011 and our all weather pitches provide additional recreational facilities. Students are encouraged to undertake appropriate work placements and to go on work insight programmes. Our last OfSTED report commented that the extra-curricular provision was an outstanding feature of our provision. Links with universities and other schools allows the sharing of resources and teaching expertise to provide a wider range of courses for students and provision for all our students.

Sixth Form students at Blue Coat become effective and independent learners who are ready for the demands of life beyond school. From the induction week at the end of Year 11, students are encouraged to use the library and ICT facilities, and there is support provided through the pastoral programme beginning in the early weeks of Year 12 as we recognise that it is a big leap from work patterns in Year 11 to those of Year 12. We make a prompt start in September as we feel students need the maximum amount of time to prepare for examination modules which can come as early as January.

Our Sixth Form students are excellent role models for pupils lower down the school as prefects and through their involvement in school musical and drama productions, peer mentoring and Year Group communions to mention just a few activities. The views of Sixth Form students are important to me and through the Sixth Form Council, you can have a say in what happens to you on a daily and long term basis. The Sixth Form Council plays a prominent part in the life of the school community and meets regularly with members of the School Leadership Team. The student council also organises the Leavers’ Ball and other social events which help students to get to know each other.

This is a warm and friendly place to be where individual thought and commitment to study are encouraged and we hope the information within this pack provides you with some additional details about the curriculum that will be helpful to you. We are always happy to show visitors around and should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are interested in joining us next September, we look forward to receiving your application form.