Welcome to the Osborne Sixth Form - BCHS Campus
Welcome to our Sixth Form!
I am delighted to welcome you to the detailed webpages of the Osborne Sixth Form, and in particular our provision at Brentwood County High's campus. I am lucky to work with a dedicated team of Sixth Form tutors and teachers, who aim to bring out the best in our students and support them fully academically and pastorally. Mr Fisher and Mrs Coultish provide excellent leadership of the Sixth Form Team and are available to give additional help and guidance. We pride ourselves on the facilities on offer and the diverse range of destinations our students go on to, from universities to apprenticeships and from employment to gap years students are supported to make the right decisions for themselves and aim high in whichever direction they go in.
Mr R Davies - Director of Sixth Form at BCHS
I am proud to be part of the Osborne Sixth form community. We aim to provide a student centered approach, through an inclusive environment that ensures students are supported and listened to. This is achieved by planning a rich and diverse curriculum delivered by our fantastic teaching staff. We also provide academic mentoring and pastoral support from our wonderful tutor team and deliver exciting enrichment opportunities.
Our team is dedicated to providing personal learning experiences to all students to encourage them to flourish into thoughtful, passionate and ambitious young people prepared for University, apprenticeships, work and life.
Mr T Fisher - Deputy Director of Sixth Form at BCHS
Within my role as Sixth Form Support Officer at BCHS, I work with sixth form students on a daily basis. Whether that be for guidance with subject matter, help and advice through the UCAS/apprenticeship process, or offering a friendly ear for students when negotiating any challenges throughout their sixth form journey.
The element I most enjoy about being part of the Sixth Form Team at BCHS is welcoming students from Year 11 and being part of their journey through the sixth form to become rounded successful adults.
Mrs J. Coultish - Sixth Form Support Officer at BCHS
The achievement of our students at KS5 has been one of our key strengths at BCHS during recent times.
Studying after Year 11 offers great opportunities to focus on the things that truly excite and enthuse you as you move towards your future career. When you choose your options for Year 12, you are able to make a real statement about who you are and who you want to be. Whether you are seeking courses that will provide the path to the university of your choice or qualifications and skills to start in the career of your choice, our inclusive, personalised approach will enable you to be clear about the pathway for you and a clear strategy to achieve your goals.
To complement academic studies, the sixth form team will support students with a plethora of enrichment opportunities, including scheduled talks from guest speakers, timetabled Sports and Societies sessions and extra and super-curricular trips and visits. A dedicated tutor will be on hand to guide you through the varying and challenging options we hope will arise from our extensive curriculum and enrichment program.
The two years that you will spend in the sixth form at BCHS will be academically challenging and personally fulfilling. Our sixth formers are our most senior students and our bespoke A-level and BTEC courses studied in Year 12 and 13 are the pinnacle of our curriculum. You will leave BCH sixth form educated, enthused and Inspired.
Environment
We believe that our Sixth Form play a crucial role in our school as learning adults. We therefore believe that many of the privileges enjoyed by our staff are also enjoyed by our students. We have four adult workrooms (with computing facilities) where teachers and students work together in a purposeful working atmosphere. This atmosphere is more akin to a university environment than a school. The largest of the three is our newly renovated Mezzanine study area which is a large area devoted to private study and computing access. This will enable our sixth formers to develop the self-study skills that are necessary for the highest possible levels of success.
Our common room facilities have plenty of comfortable seating areas, perfect for relaxing during breaks and after school.
Courses
Our post-16 provision includes A-level and Level 3 BTEC courses; building on the wide ranging curriculum of the first five years at BCHS. We offer a wide range of A-levels and BTECs for students who would like to continue their studies on a traditionally academic pathway or a more practical approach to learning; or even a combination of the two. A-levels are designed to provide an academic education for preparing for university, apprenticeship or employment.
BTECs are designed to accommodate the needs of employers whilst still allowing progression to university. They provide a more practical, real-world approach to learning alongside a key theoretical background. Students are given the option to follow the EPQ course which enables them to product an independent piece of research where they will demonstrate a range of skills that can be transferred to help raise performance in all of their A level subjects and prepare them for university or the workplace. Students are also offered the chance to extend their Mathematical studies beyond GCSE with the new Core Maths qualification. The wide range of courses available ensure that every student can follow a personalised curriculum continue end of sent.
At BCHS, we understand that choosing the correct subjects is one of the most important aspects in being successful at KS5. This is why we give students the chance to trial four A-levels until they can be confident which three to specialise in. In designing their study programme parents, students, teachers and form tutors will collaborate to support the student in making their decision.
Opportunities
We do place significant expectations on to our sixth formers as our most senior upper school students. Year 12 and Year 13 students are required to dress in smart business dress and to wear their personal identification lanyard at all times. These expectations are the same as that for staff members and reflect the status of sixth form students at BCHS. Sixth Form students have dedicated form tutors who can support them with UCAS applications, personal statements, study skills, and time management through a regular mentoring scheme which acts to promote achievement and individualised support. For two days each week, our year 12 students have a variety of community based responsibilities which they can choose from; including running form time activities with younger students in our vertical tutor groups, mentoring year 11s through exam-time, supporting literacy for year 7s and year 8s and many more. These activities not only allow students to learn the benefits of working with and for their community but could set them apart from other candidates on a job or UCAS application. We also like to provide our students with regular enrichment. TED talks take place fortnightly. These range from university admissions tutors to inspirational speakers in the form of survival experts! Study in the sixth form at BCHS is more than simply the A-Levels and BTEC courses which fill the academic timetable. There is also the opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a different culture and to volunteer as part of our World Challenge programme. In the past students have travelled to Kenya, Ecuador and Tanzania.
The two years of the sixth form are the time during which students can move from lower and middle school to preparing them for life beyond BCHS in upper school. We assume that there will not be any problems regarding behaviour, attitude, dress code, time keeping or homework. If you choose to be in the sixth form then you have personally chosen to be part of the BCHS community and therefore our expectations of you are adult expectations which we have no doubt you will be able to meet.
We regularly welcome students from other providers and are confident that you will be part of our community.
