Sixth Form Overview
The RGS Sixth Form is a truly special place to study beyond GCSE. We provide our students with an exceptional breadth of opportunity, from subject choices to diverse activities beyond the classroom.
We have a fantastic academic record in helping our students achieve outstanding A-Level results, consistently ranking one of best in the North East. Virtually all our sixth formers go on to study at competitive universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. Whatever your subject strengths, all students are given support to thrive and find their passion as they get ever closer to life after school.
At RGS, the Sixth Form team is committed to delivering excellent and proactive pastoral care. You will have a Head of Year and Assistant Head of Year to guide and support you throughout your time in Sixth Form. Alongside this, you will have a form supervisor, personal tutor and, in Y13, a UCAS advisor to support you as you make choices about your future. With a team of nurses and counsellors, we will work with you to bring the best out of you whilst developing your character, confidence and independence.
There is so much more to life at the RGS: unrivalled opportunities in sport, music, drama, and the arts, alongside a range of clubs and societies throughout the week. Students are encouraged to give everything a go in order to find their passion. At RGS, we believe that those who involve themselves fully outside the classroom also do best within it – and have fun along the way. It is important to us that alongside top grades, our students leave with the skills and personal qualities needed in the real world and do so with kindness and humility in order to be strong leaders and make a difference to others.
With over 350 students, we are proud to be one of the largest Sixth Forms in the independent sector. Despite our size, each student is known, valued and appreciated, fostering a strong sense of belonging and community. We warmly welcome around 40-50 new students each year from other schools alongside our current Y11 cohort. Our well-planned and considerate induction process ensures that every student feels part of the RGS community and has the opportunity to flourish in our sixth form. For more information about applying to the Sixth Form, please visit the admissions section of our website.
Polly Enevoldson, Head of Sixth Form
Sixth Form Facilities
Subjects
All A-Level subjects are examined at the end of a two-year course. No subject will have a public exam at the end of the Lower Sixth.
All our students will pick three subjects that they wish to study at A-Level. Those who wish to study four subjects may do so, but the expectation is that they are intending to study all four subjects for two years. Those wishing to study Maths and Further Maths should be picking four subjects.
Alongside the three main A-Level subjects, students will need to also select from a range of Complementary Studies subjects that will supplement their choices. Full details of this range of options will be available prior to the Sixth Form Options Event.
Lessons are all one-hour long. Students will also do games or voluntary service as well as one hour of enrichment each week.
Sixth Form Guide
Outside the ClassRoom
There is so much more to Sixth Form life at RGS than just achieving great exam results and going off to university! The school has an exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular activities for students to get involved in and develop their interests outside of the classroom. Students in the Sixth Form have access to all of the same co-curricular opportunities as in the Senior School including sport, music, drama, academic societies, outdoor activities and much more. In addition to this, all sixth formers take advantage of our thriving enrichment programme which offers them an opportunity to broaden their outlook, learn a new skill, or simply try something different. Some examples of our current enrichment courses include cookery, set design, Mandarin, flash animation and British Sign Language.
Many students opt to take part in voluntary service, offering some of their free time on a regular basis to help out at other schools or businesses in the area. This is a very worthwhile thing to do and benefits the local community as well as providing excellent experience for the students themselves.
Whilst academic success is at the heart of what we do, our extra-curricular programme both enhances and complements the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom. Our students usually find that they have packed more into their time at RGS than they ever thought possible!
COURSE GUIDES
Below you will find documents for each course we offer in Sixth Form. These can be downloaded and give an outline of course content. All A-Level entry requirements are detailed here.
