Pastoral Support and Key Staff

We have a team of eight key Sixth Form staff dedicated to helping you enjoy and achieve highly in your courses.

We have a team of Sixth Form staff dedicated to helping you enjoy and achieve highly in your courses.

Thom Leat – Assistant Headteacher, Director of Sixth Form

Katie Clifford – Performance Director for Year 13

Katrina Clark – Performance Director for Year 12

Hannah Coy – Sixth Form Intervention Lead

Rachael Potter – Performance Director

Stephen O’Connor – Lead Tutor for Year 12

Viv Boost – Sixth Form Learning & Employability Coach

Denise Buckingham –Sixth Form Learning Mentor

Renee Pocock –Sixth Form Learning Mentor

Louise Grubb – Sixth Form Manager

Kelly Coombs – Sixth Form Attendance Officer

In addition, we have a highly experienced team of Sixth Form tutors. Tutors build a close relationship with students in their group and support them in all aspects of Sixth Form life.

Pastoral care in the Sixth Form is seen as an extremely important part of our offer as students make the transition from GCSE to Post 16 study and then need full support to make key decisions for their next steps. Our Learning Mentors are very experienced in supporting students with a wide range of issues, from organising workload and folders, to supporting them with personal issues and mental health and support for UCAS and apprenticeship applications. We also have access to the school counselling service and can signpost students and families to outside agencies where appropriate.

The tutors and the Sixth Form specialists staff meet weekly in order to share pastoral information and ensure all staff are kept up-to-date with Sixth Form activities. Tutors also facilitate Life Long Learning sessions each week to help develop students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The programme includes sessions on improving study skills, learning and revision strategies, independent living, healthy lifestyles and a variety of pertinent cultural and political issues. This session also covers careers advice and guidance and also prepares them for higher education or the world of work. Guest speakers and experts are regularly involved in these sessions.