Frequently Asked Questions
College Life
Sixth form students do not have uniform requirements, you are allowed to wear whatever you feel most comfortable in. We just ask that students wear clothing that is appropriate for a learning environment.
Students will be given a personalised timetable that details what lessons they have, what room they are in and who their teacher will be. The College is laid out in department areas and teaching takes place in rooms associated with that department, so finding the way around quickly becomes second nature. Maps are also provided on taster days and students have an induction to ensure they are comfortable with where they need to go.
The basic College day runs from 8.30am to 3.00pm with lessons starting at 9.00am. Sixth Form students are free to come and go from the College site when they do not have a lesson or other activity. Depending on their timetable this will mean students could have some late starts and some early finishes. Twice weekly Sixth Form students are required to be in at 8.30am to come together for assembly and tutor time.
Courses
At St Paul’s we use an online application form directly to the College. Please complete this form which can be found here detailing the courses you are currently studying as well as those you would like to take. The deadline for applications is Friday 15th December. We will invite students to attend an interview in the Spring to discuss their options and ensure the right pathway for each individual.
Yes! Provided they have the appropriate grades at GCSE and an average point score of 5.3 or higher, students can choose between a solely A Level based curriculum, a wholly BTEC timetable or a combination of the two. We will discuss a student’s options with them to ensure they are choosing appropriate courses to make them successful in their chosen future.
Most A level courses do have a GCSE requirement in either that subject or a related one if it is not commonly studied at GCSE. However, there are several that do not and all the BTEC courses have no previous related study requirements. To get onto the Level 3 Sixth Form provision, students will be expected to have at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or higher.
If things do not go as well as hoped with GCSE results, we may still offer a place at St Paul’s to all students. However, their course choice may be limited. If a student does not obtain a grade 4 or better in English Language and/ or Maths GCSE, there is a legal requirement that students retake these qualifications.
Lessons
Lessons are 50 minutes long with a maximum of six lessons in a day.
The majority of our classes are small with less than fifteen students; however, this will vary depending on the subject and students’ choices that year. Since we build our timetable based on the courses students have chosen on their application form, we can put on additional classes to ensure class sizes remain small. The maximum in any class would be approximately twenty four.
Travel
Our campus allows for plenty of parking which student are welcome to use. We just ask them to register their car with the main office for security and safety purposes. There is also additional parking at the Triangle Leisure Centre across the road.
Several bus companies run services to St Paul’s at the beginning and end of the day. Spaces on these are organised directly with the company but we can provide information from the appropriate provider. The number 100 bus also serves the Triangle Leisure Centre throughout the day and runs into Burgess Hill town centre, giving easy access to the station.
Safety & Wellbeing
Yes. St Paul’s has elevators, accessible toilets and other facilities to allow students with any impairments to access the school and have an equal opportunity.
