Support
Your subject teachers will monitor your progress in relation to your academic potential and will liaise with your Sixth Form tutor. Every student will receive regular grade collections which are emailed home. During your tutor meetings you will be able to review your progress, set targets and be offered advice and support.
tutor support
Students belong to a tutor group with up to 18 other students. The tutor provides regular support with study, future career planning and any other pastoral concern that arises, through regular tutor group and one-to-one meetings. These interactions allow tutors to build an excellent relationship with their students and really get to know them, ensuring support is personalised and relevant to each individual. Tutor groups are a blend of Year 12 and 13 students to cultivate the ‘as one’ Sixth Form community feel, and ensuring students quickly settle into St Paul’s life.
Support from your tutor is never more important than when considering life beyond college. The tutor will take an active part in supporting applications to university, jobs and apprenticeships. We pride ourselves on the support provided for UCAS applications, resulting in 90% of students going to their first-choice university in recent years. Subject teachers monitor students’ academic progress in relation to their potential and liaise with your personal tutor and the Sixth Form team and are readily available to answer queries if needed.
learning support
Our active and approachable Learning Support department work with any Sixth Form students who have extra requirements for their learning. This can come in the form of exam access arrangements, in-lesson support or personalised care plans as required to meet the needs of any student. The department will work closely with the Sixth Form team and teachers to provide any appropriate support.
Careers advice & services
Every student will have a Sixth Form tutor who will guide students through future career choices. In Year 12, all students will participate in work experience, helping them prepare for work, and develop general business awareness in their chosen field.
This work experience can really help students stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs or university places. An important part of the Sixth Form experience at St Paul’s involves guest speakers and industry professionals who provide insight into various career paths.
Once you have embarked upon your College studies, we offer a range of facilities to support your future careers decisions. All Year 12 students have the opportunity to meet with our careers adviser to discuss post-College options, ranging from university to apprenticeships and employment. During the course of
Years 12 and 13, various external speakers visit the College to speak to students about a range of professions. Students will complete a one week work experience placement in the summer term. Each student benefits from access to Unifrog, an online careers portal which provides up to date information regarding university courses, apprenticeship opportunities as well as career development.
In Year 13, we ensure that all students are interviewed by a
specialist in their chosen profession. We have found that the students really benefit from this experience and that it gives them confidence when considering different career possibilities.
16 - 19 bursary
The Bursary Fund is provided to help students with the direct costs arising from study such as equipment, books, travel, exam costs and trips and visits. The fund is available to assist students who may have difficulties in completing their course because of financial considerations. As a general guide, students who have a family income of less than £26,000 per annum may be eligible to receive some financial support from the Bursary Fund. There is also a small emergency portion of the fund in the case of unforeseen emergencies where completion of the course could be jeopardised by financial constraints.
The College receives a fixed amount of funding which means the amount available to applicants will depend on the number of applications received. Students in care, care leavers, young people in receipt of income support and disabled young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance may also be eligible to receive a bursary of £1,200 per year. To be eligible to apply for financial assistance from the bursary fund, a student must be aged 16 and under 19. Additionally, students must be under 19 at the start of the academic year they are applying for. Applicants must provide evidence of income from the previous tax year; usually the Tax Credit Notification TC602 (E) will be sufficient but evidence of receipt of benefits, P60 or other relevant documents may be requested in addition.
Payment will be weekly in arrears. Payment will be withheld if the student does not comply with the College expectations regarding attendance, behaviour and performance. For more information and the official government guidelines for the 16-19 Bursary Fund, please visit the Department for Education.
Student Support
College can be a challenging time for students, so we pride ourselves on supporting them to ensure they are as happy and successful as possible. Students will be guided by their tutor who will know them well from their fortnightly one-to-one monitoring sessions. The wonderful Sixth Form team are also on hand for additional support, safeguarding issues or simply a chat.
Sixth Form students have access to our College chapel at any time, which is a calm, safe and quiet place for reflection. Students also have the support of the College Chaplain, who provides guidance in a warm and wise fashion, and he has a good supply of biscuits and tissues! The College also has a counsellor who can provide more specialist mental health help when a student needs it.
University applications
We are very proud of the number of students who achieve their first place at university and/or apply to Russell Group universities. We have a growing number of students who make successful applications to Oxford or Cambridge, as well as for courses in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and law. All students at St Paul’s will be given as much support as they need to achieve their potential. All departments have strategies and resources in place to support students aiming for A* grades.
In addition, all our students benefit from:
- one-to-one advice and mentoring from their tutor.
- support with interview preparation and practice.
- university visits, and specialist guidance on university applications, especially personal statements.
For further support please contact us
