On Wednesday, 19th September,
the school hosted the first of its two annual Sixth Form Open Evenings.
The evening began with a talk by our Head of Sixth Form, Mr Angus
Pearson, who spoke about the benefits to our girls of continuing their A level education
at St Catherine’s.
He spoke of the advantages of a single sex
education and the confidence that this gives girls when faced with the
challenges of a more rigorous academic curriculum. He also emphasised the
benefit of studying A levels in a relatively small establishment where the teachers
have a good prior understanding of the students; their strengths and
weaknesses. Mr Pearson went on to give a picture of the busy life that a girl
at St Catherine’s can expect to lead when she is in Year 12 and 13 but stressed
how supported she would feel with good communication being key to her happiness
and success.
We then heard from our Head Girl, Simrin
Grewall, who gave us a view of what life is like from a Sixth Former’s point of
view. She talked about the support that she had received in writing her UCAS
application and the standard of teaching that she had received since coming to
St Catherine’s in Year 12: ‘simply excellent’. Sim also spoke about some of the privileges enjoyed by
the students: being allowed off site, wearing business dress, make up and so
on. Sister Paula concluded the talks with a clear and positive message: that we
are a rapidly expanding Sixth Form, already with some excellent A level exam
results to be proud of (2012: 78% A*-B)
but that the ethos of our Sixth Form will always be preserved: through the
expertise and experience of its teachers and tutors, a Sixth Former at St
Catherine’s can be assured of a challenging education which will provide her
with the confidence and skills to succeed in her future life.
There then followed opportunities to tour
around the school, meet the Heads of various departments and view the school’s
extensive facilities.
It was lovely to see so many new faces
present, from families outside St Catherine’s as well as more familiar ones
from lower year groups.
Some key dates: Next
Sixth Form Open Evening: May 1st 2013 (6.30pm)
Deadline
for Sixth Form scholarships applications: 5th November 2012