About Us

The Trinity Catholic Sixth Form currently hosts approximately two hundred 16-18 year olds working to realise their goals and ambitions through study of subjects that they have chosen out of personal interest and as pathways to their future studies or careers.  It is a friendly, welcoming community which is an integral part of the school.  Our students act as role models and, sometimes, mentors to younger pupils and they have lots of opportunities to express their creativity, curiosity and charity towards others.  Please click on the drop-downs below to investigate further:

The distinctive Catholic ethos permeates every layer of school life, both in and outside the classroom. The development of the whole self – moral, social, intellectual and spiritual- particularly through worship, charity and positive engagement, is seen as vital for students’ future happiness. Our students thrive in a positive atmosphere where learning is based on mutual respect, tolerance and trust.

We encourage students to grow in a caring Christian environment where their faith can be developed. Liturgical prayer is linked to the Gospel values, and religious and topical issues are discussed with the guidance of the tutor team. Students are welcome to join the school’s chaplaincy team to help with the planning and delivery of Masses and liturgies. The annual retreat to The Briars, the Nottingham diocesan youth centre, is always a popular trip. Charity and voluntary work are integral to life in the Sixth Form and help us to support the development of young people who will serve their community.

All subjects are taught over two years and have a linear course structure with A level public examinations at the end of Year 13.

Students take three A level subjects or BTEC equivalents. University offers will be based on 3 A level grades, or an equivalent number of UCAS points, and it is important that students do their best in these qualifications.  Exceptionally able students who wish to take four A levels will have their requests considered on an individual basis. They will have to meet a higher entry requirement and demonstrate a particular talent in one or more subject areas, as well as the potential to cope with the additional workload.

Students need to think carefully about their subject choices and be certain about the nature of the subjects they intend to take and the expectations that will be placed upon them, particularly outside of lessons through independent study or continuation of coursework or projects. We advise students to talk to their subject teachers before making any final decisions.

Students must ensure that their course choices match the requirements of any Higher Education courses or eventual careers in which they are interested. For students wishing to apply for certain courses, e.g. Medicine, Veterinary Science, Law and for prestigious Oxbridge/Russell Group universities, it is advisable to check subject choices against university entry requirements.

From September 2024 the courses we plan to offer are listed below.  Please note that this list is subject to change, should circumstances alter.

  • Applied Science (BTEC level 3 equivalent to two A levels)
  • Art and Design (Fine Art)
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Drama and Theatre Studies
  • English Literature
  • French
  • Geography
  • Health and Social Care (BTEC Level 3 equivalent to two A levels)
  • History
  • Information and Computer Technology (BTEC Level 3 Diploma equivalent to two A levels, and BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate equivalent to one A level)
  • Mathematics
  • Further Mathematics
  • Music
  • Physics
  • Politics
  • Product Design: Graphics
  • Product Design: Resistant Materials
  • Product Design: Fashion and Textiles
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies

Well-qualified and committed teachers, determined to enable students to reach their full academic potential, teach at post-16 level. Students receive five hours of tuition for A level subjects and single award BTEC courses. Double award BTEC courses have ten hours of tuition per week.  Additionally, students are expected to attend one lesson per week of Core RE, which is mandatory and part of the diocesan requirements.

For all courses teaching is provided by more than one teacher, which enables staff and students to draw on their different areas of expertise and knowledge, something that is most valuable at A level. We aim for small teaching groups with a maximum of fifteen students per class (whenever possible). Teachers know their students well and, as a result, can offer individual support and challenge.  Feedback from students leaving the Sixth Form focuses on their appreciation of the commitment of their teachers.

An important aspect of life in the Sixth Form is the tutorial system, through which we care, encourage and develop our students, aiming to ensure that they make the most of their time in both academic and personal terms.  The care and guidance that we offer all of our students is exemplary. Our expectations are high but we know that students appreciate the support that envelops them from the start of their post-16 experience.

Each student is allocated to a tutor group for two years. Form tutors oversee their academic work, provide guidance on study, assist with any problems that may arise, and advise on applications for university or other career pathways. All tutor groups work together supporting the wider opportunities within the Sixth Form and within the life of the whole school.

Miss C McGrath – Head of Sixth Form
Mrs T Marsden – Progress Co-ordinator for Year 13
Miss K Clegg – Progress Co-ordinator for Year 12

Mr Rowland – Form Tutor 6A1/JD
Mrs Bolton – Form Tutor 6A2/MBO
Dr Wilson – Form Tutor 6A3/EW
Mr Howell – Form Tutor 6K1/GH
Miss Bosworth and Mrs Hodson – Form Tutors 6K2/KB
Mrs Dickinson – Form Tutor 6K3/ND
Mrs Prout and Dr Mulligan – Form Tutors 6L1/AP
Mr Lewis – Form Tutor 6L2/DL
Miss Rose-Simms – Form Tutor 6L3/SE
Mrs Wright – Form Tutor 6T1/LW
Mr Harbage – Form Tutor 6T2/NH
Miss Burns – Form Tutor 6T3/LBS

Mrs D Ferrara – Administration Assistant

The Sixth Form Centre is a discrete but integral part of The Trinity Catholic School. Life as a Sixth Form student offers continuity as well as change through a new and challenging level of study as well as in new Sixth Form facilities.

It contains a purpose-built common room, science laboratories, teaching rooms, tutorial rooms, independent study areas and I.T. rooms.  There is a separate food servery in the common room for students to access snacks, drinks and meals throughout the day.

The school library is at the heart of lower school and sixth formers are encouraged to use it for quiet study. There is also easy access to the Kingsbury Site where some subjects are taught including Art, Design, Drama and Music. The arrangement of the buildings allows students an insight into a campus-style university.

To enter the Sixth Form students must meet these entry requirements.  They are not intended as a barrier to learning, but to ensure that we match the students’ ability with the correct level of study:

All students follow the equivalent of three, Level 3 post-16 courses.

  • The minimum academic requirements for entry to the Sixth Form are 5 higher grade passes (grades 4-9) including English Language and Maths.
  • To study a subject at A level we require a grade 6 in that subject or a similar subject for A level subjects which are not currently studied at GCSE. (The prospectus offers further information.)
  • To study a BTEC double award you need 5 higher grade passes (4-9) including GCSE English Language and GCSE Maths with a grade 6 in the subject you wish to study at A level.
  • To study a BTEC single award you need 5 higher grade passes (4-9) including GCSE English Language and GCSE Maths with a grade 6 in the subjects you wish to study at A level.

The following offers a broad calendar of events in preparing for post 16 study:

October – Sixth Form Open Evening
Teachers from all subject areas are on hand to discuss their post 16 courses.
There is an introductory talk about life in the Sixth Form.
Prospectuses and application forms are available.

January – Year 11 ‘choices interviews’
All pupils in Year 11 will have a meeting with a member of the Sixth Form pastoral team. Students will be given advice about their chosen career pathway. Advice will be given about what subjects and courses are suitable for study.
Deadline (15th January) for all Sixth Form applications both for internal and external students.

February – Conditional Offers
Students will receive conditional offers of a place.

June – Induction Day
The day includes team building activities, a pastoral session, taster lessons and a chance to talk to our Year 12 students about their experience of Sixth Form life.

August – GCSE Results Day
Teachers may be available on this day to provide further information and advice prior to the finalising of students’ Sixth Form course choices at enrolment.

Trinity students are proud to help serve the school community. Sixth formers are role models for younger pupils and take on responsibilities wherever possible within the life of the whole school.

The following extra-curricular activities are offered for Sixth Form students and we encourage everyone to become involved:

  • A variety of different music groups including Chamber Choir
  • The whole school show – acting, singing, make-up, lights, scenery etc.
  • Chaplaincy Team
  • The Briars retreat
  • Outdoor activity trip (Outward Bound)
  • Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme – Silver and Gold
  • Social events
  • Paired reading scheme to support Year 7 pupils.
  • Learning mentors
  • Charity fundraising

A wealth of expertise is available to all students. Not only are our own experienced and knowledgeable form tutors and teaching staff available, but a range of appropriate visitors also advise the students:

  • Progress Careers (our support partner) offers specialist advice and information
  • Speakers from Higher Education institutions, professions and apprenticeship schemes
  • Into University – a widening participation scheme
  • Unifrog – a destinations platform
  • Ex-students return to discuss their career pathways
  • Organisers of gap year opportunities

 

Students have regular interviews with their form tutor to discuss their career goals and aspirations. There are also trips and visits to university exhibitions and universities, including Oxford University.

Student Information

The school day begins at 8:50am, so the students are expected to be on site by 8:40am.

The school day runs as follows:

8:50—9:15 Registration and tutor time
9:15—10:15 Period 1
10:15– 10:30 Break
10:30—11:30 Period 2
11:30—12:30 Period 3
12:30—13:25 Lunch
13:25—14:25 Period 4
14:25—15:25 Period 5

Students are only allowed off site during lunch time not during their study periods.

Those who do not have a lesson during period 5 are allowed to leave the site to go home to study.  Therefore, at 14:25 they can sign out at the Sixth Form office for emergency purposes and leave.

Full attendance is essential to students reaching their full potential.  Students are expected to be at morning registration and every timetabled lesson on time. Subject teachers record attendance and punctuality and comments are made on reports and references. Sixth Form students are expected to be in school for 8.40am for an 8:50 am start every weekday. This also applies if students have a study period during lesson one. Any absences will automatically trigger contact with home.

Parents/carers only can report a student absence by contact the Sixth Form office on 0115 9008624.  Students can give us advance notice of medical appointments themselves by filling in the appointment form available from the Sixth Form office.

In line with the rest of the school, the Sixth Form follows the same procedures with regard to ‘late gate’ and same day detentions.  We are aiming to instil good organisation and self-discipline with regards to punctuality, which shows respect not only for the school but for other people’s time.  Observance of these is part of the behavioural expectations of our students and is not optional.

Attendance and punctuality concerns will lead to a formal meeting to discuss the viability of remaining in the Sixth Form, as they may indicate that another organisation or course may be more suitable.

The Sixth Form students do not have a uniform but are expected to abide by a dress code.  In comparison to other Sixth Forms, we have a reasonably liberal list of requests.  However, we are part of a school, and we do set limits on what we regard as too casual.  Students need to factor in this dress code when deciding whether this is the right place for them to study.

  • Lanyards must be worn at all times.
  • No hats or headgear of any kind.
  • No offensive slogans.
  • No facial piercings or visible tattoos. Nose studs and eyebrow piercings are not allowed.  (Clear spacers from the office will be charged at 20p each.)
  • No low-slung, ripped, or torn jeans.
  • No tracksuits, jogging bottoms, or leggings.
  • No low cut or strappy tops or midriff showing. Cropped tops are not allowed.
  • Knee-length skirts.
  • Tailored, knee-length shorts may be worn in the summer—no football/training/cycling shorts.
  • Dresses must be knee-length and not low cut.
  • Sensible footwear.
  • Hair colour and hairstyles must not be extreme.
  • Coats must be removed in lessons, so it is the students’ responsibility to make sure that a suitable warm jumper is worn in the colder months.

Students who do not comply with the dress code will be given a verbal warning, in the first instance.  However, we reserve the right to send students home to change if they continue to break the dress code.  This will be detrimental to their studies, so we ask all our students to make sure that we are not put in this position.

It is recognised that Sixth Form students should have some privileges regarding the use of mobile phones in school, but it is essential that they model the responsible use of such devices to their younger peers who do not have this privilege. We appreciate that mobile phones are an important element of people’s lives in the modern age and that they can be useful when used appropriately.

 

The rules regarding mobile phones and electronic devices are as follows:

  • The school accepts no responsibility for the loss, theft or damage to any phone. They are brought into school entirely at the parents’ and students’ own risk.
  • Mobile phones should only be used within the Sixth Form Block.
  • Mobile phones should not be used on school corridors.
  • Earphones/headphones should be removed so that students can converse with staff and listen to instructions.
  • Mobile phones should not be seen or used in assemblies, meetings, Masses and liturgies, etc.
  • When students are in lessons mobile phones should be put away, as they can prove to be a distraction from learning. If students are asked to hand over their phones, due to distraction, they must comply.
  • Students may be given permission to use their mobile phone under the direct supervision of the teacher, if needed for learning purposes.
  • During any private study time in the independent study rooms, library or computer rooms, the use of a mobile phone must not disturb others, including teachers.
  • Students are allowed to join the wireless network: ‘trinity-students’ and therefore should not use personal hotspots to bypass the school’s security and filtering measures.
  • Parents and students must recognise the security problems of young people being targeted for their phones when travelling to and from school.
  • It is strictly forbidden to take photographic images (still or video) or make sound recordings of staff or students at any time – with or without permission. Doing so will be treated as a serious safeguarding breach and dealt with accordingly.
  • Using mobile phones to humiliate, bully, harass, violate or threaten any member of the school community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
  • Students must understand that they are strictly forbidden to take mobile phones or smart watches or any other kind of electronic device into an examination. It is a breach of the rules to do so and, therefore, malpractice, which must be reported to the exam board. Qualifications can, and have been, lost as a result.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency which is run by the government can provide financial assistance to help with education-related costs if students are aged 16-19 and studying at The Trinity Catholic Sixth Form.  A bursary is money that students, or their education or training provider, can use to pay for things like:

  • clothing, books and other equipment for your course
  • transport and lunch on days you study at Sixth Form
  • educational school trips that are a necessary part of your course

A discretionary bursary provides financial assistance to students and to be eligible for bursary payments in this category, there must be a combined household income of £30,000 or below per annum.  This will also take into account any benefit the student or his/her family receives.  The level of support we can offer is dependent on the total central funding we receive, shared across the total number of applications.  Consequently, the level of funding may vary from year to year.  We will review the student’s eligibility position each academic year. Students need to apply each year and will only continue to receive a discretionary bursary if they continue to satisfy the criteria.

Government guidance states that, ‘Institutions should make payments for both the bursary for vulnerable groups and the discretionary bursary conditional on the student meeting agreed standards of attendance and behaviour.’  Therefore, at The Trinity Catholic Sixth Form our expectations are that students must:

  • Complete all coursework and homework on time and to a satisfactory standard
  • Meet the behavioural expectations of the Sixth Form
  • Attend all lessons and registration on time
  • Keep their attendance above 90% (except in the case of prolonged sickness or medical conditions). Routine medical appointments must be made outside of school time.

All students are required to sign a declaration confirming that they agree to these conditions.  No payments will be made until this signed declaration has been returned, nor will they be backdated.  We strongly advise anyone who thinks they may be eligible, to make an application. 

In Year 12 we allocate a week in the Pentecost term in which students can go on work experience.  This should be a meaningful experience, preferably in a line of work of interest.  Work experience gives a realistic insight into the world of work and what jobs actually look like day-to-day and close up.  They also add to a UCAS application, to show admissions tutors a student’s drive, determination and sincerity about a course for which he/she is applying.

Students will be given plenty of time to make provisions for this week and it is their responsibility to use their initiative to secure a placement.  While we understand that not all employers will offer work placements, it is a good life lesson for students to persevere with alternatives.  We must make health and safety checks before students go out.  Therefore, there are strict deadlines which we enforce and we cannot make exceptions.  Therefore, students must follow their progress co-ordinator’s instructions and deadlines to the letter and communicate frequently with their tutor.

Finally, we understand that some university courses require work experience placements and they cannot always be offered in the allocated week.  If students keep the communication open with their progress co-ordinators, we can offer some degree of flexibility in certain cases, e.g. NHS providers.

Sixth Form students are subject to the same broad principle of the school’s behaviour policy which can be found HERE.  Students are expected to act as positive role models within the school and are, additionally, reminded of the following points:

  • Students are expected to be courteous and mannerly at all times. They are expected to comply with teachers’ instructions without challenge.
  • Any prejudicial behaviour including racist, homophobic, disability- related words or actions are not allowed. All students should support the equal value and dignity of all people.
  • Anybody mistreating and damaging the furniture or fabric of the school will be punished. CCTV cameras record all activities in the common room and independent study rooms.
  • School sanctions must be respected. The school behavioural expectations apply across the Sixth Form.
  • Smoking and vaping are strictly forbidden. They are not allowed and if students break this rule they will be punished.
  • Drugs and alcohol are strictly forbidden. The school has a clear zero tolerance drugs and alcohol policy (available on the website). Any involvement with drugs or alcohol, which impinges on the day-to-day life in school, will be dealt with in line with this policy.
  • Chewing gum is not allowed and students will be asked to remove it if they have it.
  • Sports can be played outside of lesson time but the 25 hours on the timetable are to be used for academic work.
  • Students can only go home early at 2.30pm when they have no lesson period 5 that day. It is imperative that all students abide by this strict rule as we have a legal requirement to know who is in school at any given time. Students must sign out at the office.