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Sixth Form

The Sixth Form is the most challenging and rewarding period for students at Woldingham. It’s a time of transformation from pupil to scholar. It’s where we help students to put their future in their own hands.

The Sixth Form Experience

The Sixth Form Experience

We provide a unique and inspiring Sixth Form experience in a warm and thriving community where students are known and nurtured, given opportunities to grow and be challenged to be the best. Students are given the tools to succeed, not just in public examinations, but in their personal and professional life after school, whatever their hopes, dreams and ambitions. Stimulating yet supportive, stretching but safe, Woldingham’s Sixth Form helps students put their future in their own hands to shape their life and career ahead.

Achieving good A Level grades is important because it opens doors to universities, careers and other options in the future. As in the rest of the school, Woldingham Sixth Form is not a hot house, but we do have high expectations for all our students. Our dedicated and enthusiastic teachers provide the academic rigour and stretch to bring out the best in every student.

The wellbeing of each student is at the forefront of everything we do. The pastoral support for both day and boarders is exemplary. Both the dedicated Sixth Form team, and wider teaching and support team, get to know each Sixth Form student very well. This means we can provide tailored support, care and attention as students transition into adults and succeed academically.

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Choice of 27 A Levels

Sixth Form students at Woldingham have a very wide choice of A Levels including a range of new subjects not available at GCSE including economics, politics and media studies. We are one of the few Sixth Forms locally offering history of art at A Level.

Current subject choices are:

  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Classical civilisation
  • Computer science
  • Design and technology
  • Drama and theatre studies
  • Economics
  • English literature
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • History
  • History of art
  • Latin
  • Maths
  • Maths – further
  • Media studies
  • Music
  • Physical education
  • Physics
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Religious studies
  • Spanish
  • Textiles

Most students study three A Levels and an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification).

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Choice of 27 A Levels
New Sixth Form Centre and Library

New Sixth Form Centre and Library

Woldingham will open a new Sixth Form Centre and Library in 2024. The new building will provide innovative and vibrant spaces for students across all years, with dedicated areas in the Sixth Form Centre for older students as they make the important transition from school to university, developing careers as lifelong, empowered learners.

The new building will bring the Upper Sixth and Lower Sixth together for the first time in a shared Sixth Form Centre with collaborative workspaces, flexible learning areas supported with cutting edge technology, a careers and university zone, and a café.

The new library will house Woldingham’s existing extensive collections with space for additional books, periodicals and online resources as well as new areas for individual and small group study and reading. To watch a short video about our exciting new building click here.

Going further, giving back and taking part

The ethos in the Sixth Form is centred around three key principles: going further, giving back and taking part.

Going further

We want students to be as busy outside of the classroom as they are inside the classroom. Our aim is to encourage - and delight in - genuine intellectual curiosity. Alongside supporting students to stretch themselves academically, we encourage them to pursue the exciting array of opportunities for enrichment and discovery available. This could be by undertaking an EPQ, participating in the Thinking Big Lecture series, Café Scientifique, entering competitions or attending one of the many academic clubs and societies, such as STEM Society and REthink. Students are encouraged to go further geographically too! The peace and quiet of Woldingham make it an ideal place for study but in the Sixth Form students are preparing for life after school. Taking advantage of London on the doorstep, there is a plethora of opportunities to pursue academic and cultural enrichment, by attending university lectures, going to the theatre and visiting world-class museums and exhibitions.

Going further
Giving back

Giving back

Being a student at Woldingham is a privilege. Woldingham students learn and grow in a safe and supported environment in a beautiful location with excellent facilities. It’s something we wish for all young people around the world.

One of our core values is commitment to community. Students throughout the school, and particularly Sixth Form students, are expected to have an awareness of – and empathy for – the needs of others, especially those less fortunate than themselves, whether that be within the school, locally, or in the global community.

In the Sixth Form, students are involved in community volunteering at local schools and nursing homes and in raising money for charities. As ‘Big Sisters’ they mentor younger students both academically and on the sports pitches.

Alongside having the opportunity to become a Ribbon (School Prefect), there are wide ranging opportunities for students to take on meaningful leadership roles and make a difference. In our experience it’s often the students who take the initiative, coming forward with creative ideas to make our community a better place.

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Taking part

Learning at Woldingham is embraced in the widest sense. As well as developing skills, the importance of having fun and letting off steam during a challenging two years is crucial to ensuring a healthy work-life balance and keeping well.

In a world where employers are increasingly frustrated by the lack of young people’s ‘work-ready skills’, we support students to develop these skills and characteristics such as adaptability, resilience, communication skills, teamwork, negotiation and advocacy.

Our wide range of exciting events and programmes ensures our girls leave with the skills to succeed in every aspect of their life - such as public speaking and being entrepreneurial.

All students are expected to take advantage of the opportunities available for all girls throughout the school from archery to Zumba, and through theatre productions, music and sport.

Co-curricular

In addition, Sixth Form students can rise to the challenge of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award, take culinary skills to new heights through the Pru Leith cookery course, or learn the art of stage combat – there really is something for everyone.

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Taking part
Sixth Form boarding

Sixth Form boarding

Boarding becomes more popular as students go through the school and it is particularly common for students in the Sixth Form to board.

Boarding allows students to focus on their academic, sport and other activities in a safe and supportive environment and is a good transition to life at university.

The Sixth Form has two dedicated purpose-built Houses with study bedrooms – Berwick for Lower Sixth and Shanley for Upper Sixth

At the weekends, Sixth Form boarders have a wide range of activities to choose from. Recent trips included indoor skiing in Hemel Hempstead, Borough Market in London as well as visits to the Natural History and Science Museums in Kensington and Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.

Boarders in the Sixth Form have more freedom than younger girls. They can visit local towns on their own and some take driving lessons.

Both day and boarding Sixth Formers have two wellness rooms and a popular coffee bar in Main House.

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Sixth Form Futures

The Sixth Form Futures programme plays a key role in students’ lives as they transition from Woldingham life at university, work or training. We focus on ensuring students leave with the skills essential to succeed in today’s world.

To prepare students for the workplace, we have discussion events, such as our Women and the Workplace breakfast, as well as a range of career sector-specific events. We offer structured business partnerships and workplace visits, and opportunities to take part in external programmes. These include Classroom to Boardroom, organised in partnership with Entrepreneurs in Action, where students are set a real-world business challenge faced by a high-profile organisation.

We host a range of activities to develop students’ essential employability skills. We host networking breakfasts, speed-networking careers fairs and public-speaking workshops to enhance networking and communication skills. We run workshops in CV writing and creating LinkedIn profiles. Students can hone their presentation skills as part of the Thinking Big lecture series.

Every summer we run a Higher Education Conference for the Lower Sixth. The conference features a range of internal and external speakers covering applications to UK and overseas universities, alternative pathways including higher and degree apprenticeships, transition to university life including academic life, well-being and student finance. We also host a Higher Education Evening with panelists from a range of UK universities as well as visits to university taster days, and university and apprenticeship fairs.

Each student has access to unlimited individual support from the Higher Education team to help her explore her interests, select appropriate courses, and prepare her applications. The Higher Education team includes specialists in applications to medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, Oxbridge, art and drama schools and US and overseas universities.

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Sixth Form Futures

Destinations and exam results

Woldingham students are high achievers, going on to prestigious universities in the UK and overseas and to successful careers.

Destinations

Destinations

Most students leave Woldingham to take university places at prestigious institutions in the UK and overseas. Around two thirds leave for courses at Oxbridge or Russell Group universities. In recent years some of the most popular UK universities have included Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, UCL and Warwick. Woldingham students have also taken up places at a range of universities overseas including Cornell, MIT and Parsons School of Design in the USA.

Examination Results and Destinations of Leavers 2023

Map of Destinations of Leavers 2021-2023

We work with every student to ensure she has considered and explored all possibilities to find the best option for the route she wishes to follow, including vocational courses and higher or degree apprenticeships.

Students secure places on a very wide range of courses, with a spread across science, arts and humanities, social science and business-related courses, reflecting their diverse achievements and interests and the broad education on offer.

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