The Upper School at St Helen’s is the final two years of school, also known as the sixth form. It is divided into Upper School 1 (Year 12) and Upper School 2 (Year 13) and is seen as a bridge between the necessary constraints of school life and the exciting freedoms of life at university. Joining the Upper School represents a fresh start for girls whether they come from our own Year 11 or have joined us from other schools.
The Upper School has its own facilities, guidelines, privileges and responsibilities. One privilege is that there is no uniform in Upper School, whilst responsibilities vary from being part of the elected prefect team to helping with younger girls in their forms or in clubs. The impressive array of extra-curricular activities available enables students to maintain a good balance between work, rest and play.
In The Sixth Form Centre, a separate building, in which each year group has its own common room equipped with comfortable chairs, notice boards, desks, a dishwasher and a toaster. Students are encouraged to take ownership of these spaces, managing a cleaning rota for the common room and maintaining quiet conditions in the study room.
Each Upper School year group is divided into small tutor groups of 10-12 girls. The form tutor is responsible for their academic and social welfare and will be a key figure in helping to guide each individual through the application processes for higher education. This system makes it easy for students, particularly new girls arriving in Year 12, to make new friends and get to know a wide cross-section of other students quickly.
The Upper School provides a supportive, unpressured and caring environment and access to excellent A Level teaching. As well as promoting high academic achievement, St Helen’s encourages you to take on a range of tasks and responsibilities and gain independence – all important preparation for life beyond school. In short, meeting our sixth formers answers this question best of all: they are caring, well rounded individuals who take with them a strong sense of community when they leave to embark on the next stages of their lives.
Mrs Jackie Armstrong Head of Upper School