Report by Mrs Izod-Miller, Head of Sixth Form 

Freedom, independence and fun are all aspects of sixth form life. Our new cohort dived straight into the new term, and what could be a more fitting way to commence than by providing them with a glimpse of these elements. 

The weekend before the new academic year kicked off with our Year 12 boarders in Cambridge, where they enjoyed a guided punting tour followed by the chance to dine and shop in this cultural city.   

The first day of term as a new group was an important chance to meet everyone, speak to new people and for our new pupils to feel fully welcomed and integrated into sixth form life. To this extent the day was spent taking part in activities that mirror three of our core values in the sixth form: team building, leadership and problem solving. This included an exciting escape room and some fun ballroom dancing lessons. Alongside this there was a chance to chat to the sixth form team, discuss timetables and iron out any worries before the first full school day. 

Settling in takes more than one day, and so the week continued with further opportunities to integrate, become familiar with and ask questions to a wide range of people. On Wednesday, at our ‘Meet and Greet’ drinks event, our Year 12s got the chance to meet our Year 13 prefect team, their tutor and key staff - a chance to ask their peers about school life and to be able to put names to faces. 

All week, lunchtime drop-ins supported Year 12 with a range of things such as 'IT help', 'Subject Q&A', 'Come and chat', all designed to encourage everyone to seek support and not worry in their first few days.  

The week culminated in a formal sit-down dinner for all Year 12 pupils and their tutors, where they heard from alumni Simone Rossouw on making the most of sixth form life in preparation for future life and the career pathway she has followed since leaving. She impressed upon our Year 12 to grab every opportunity and to study hard; even without a set end goal RHS prepares pupils in a plethora of ways which she still uses day to day. 'Everything will fall into place' she concluded. 

Find out more about our next sixth form open morning here: Open Morning