Beyond the Sixth Form Classroom
A key benefit of being a Sixth Form within a large school is the huge range of opportunities for leadership that exist outside the classroom.
Sixth Form pupils play leading roles in Model United Nations, Debating, Academic Societies, The Combined Cadet Force, Gold Duke of Edinburgh, Sports, Music and Drama, and many take the opportunity to embrace new interests for the first time.
Our Sixth Formers also have the opportunity to train to become peer mentors, where they work with tutor groups from Years 7-9, sharing their experience and perspective. Each year, over half of Year 12 volunteer to take part in this valued programme.
A small group of Sixth Formers are selected by their peers to become Senior School Prefects. Others represent their cohort on the Sixth Form Council or lead their Houses in the ever-competitive House competitions. Leadership opportunities are frequent, and we work to equip all our young people with the necessary skills to lead successfully.
We also value our time as a community, with Sixth Formers leading at large events such as House Shout, cheering each other on from the touchlines, and enjoying their shared time in our bespoke Sixth Form centre.
As pupils prepare to move on from PGS, we ensure they do so fully equipped to face the world of work. The crowning event in this process is the Year 13 Manners and Etiquette evening, where pupils demonstrate their skills to work a room of professionals with consummate ease.
And as we prepare to bid farewell to our Year 13 each summer, we certainly do so in style. A pupil led service in Portsmouth Cathedral is full of music, memories and tears and every Year 13 looks forward to their magnificent Leavers Ball in the Spinnaker Tower.
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Personalised Support
At PGS Sixth Form, we care for each of our pupils as individuals. The first level of support is provided through the tutor, who oversees the care and progress of around 10 pupils in their tutor group. As they progress though the Sixth Form, tutoring moves from a daily group activity to a mixture of group time and 1:1 sessions. Thus, the role of the tutor becomes more akin to a mentor, allowing for regular target setting, academic accountability and most importantly, personalised pastoral care.
The Heads of Year 12 and 13, and the Head of Sixth Form spend significant time with pupils in our Sixth Form centre and are thus able to offer an additional level of pastoral or academic support as needed. Alongside this, all pupils have access to the school’s Health and Wellbeing Centre and the counsellors who work there.
