Personal Development

Being a Sixth Form student is more than just gaining qualifications, it is about becoming a good, well-rounded individual. We offer a wide range of activities that provide students with the opportunity to develop themselves, which students will be able to add to a CV and UCAS applications.

Some of the opportunities on offer include being involved in the Sixth Form committee, the Interact Club or the school council.  Students may wish to also participate in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, and we encourage our students to support in KS3 form time and private reading sessions.

 

To embed the value of community and a sense of belonging, we have several opportunities that students can get involved with, including our Year 12 v Year 13 competition which runs throughout the academic year. Each month brings an exciting challenge/event for students to participate in to win points for their year group. 

Students also have the opportunity to be involved with a variety of extracurricular activities and trips. In the past year, we have been to The Howl for Halloween, Winter Wonderland for Christmas and into London for our summer enrichment trip. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students also have leadership opportunities within the Sixth Form. Students can apply to be a Head or Deputy student as well as ambassador roles such as Charity, Inclusion and Events. The students in these roles link with the lower school students who are part of their team and lead on strategies to implement across the school. An example of this would be our 'Dunel Christmas Joy' Scheme. Please find a link to the article on the Hemel Today website about last year's scheme. Hemel Today - Sixth Form students at Astley Cooper School deliver Christmas joy

Sixth Form Leadership Team

We would like to welcome our new Sixth Form Leadership Team for 2025. 

Head Students

Christian and Olivia 

Deputy Students 

Mazen – Extra-curricular 

Alicia – Teaching and Learning 

Eve – Student Voice 

Ambassador Roles 

Nathaniel – Student Voice 

Poppy – Charity 

Ayesha – Community 

Individual Support

As well as subject teachers, all Sixth Form students are allocated a Form Tutor who oversees their personal development and provides individual guidance in one-to-one tutorial sessions throughout the year. We will also support you with advice and guidance on your next steps Post 18, whether this is university, an apprenticeship, a gap year or work.

We also offer our students financial support through our school bursary.  This can be used for buying equipment, paying for additional courses, transport fares and costs incurred while on work experience.

Students participate in PSHE lessons once a week which are tailored to the needs of young adults and cover topics such as study skills, time management, money, driving and living in the wider world. We also provide external speakers during the year on topics such as drug awareness, mental health and well-being, gambling and safe driving talks.

Next Steps

All students complete an individual learning and career plan and are supported in finding work experience tailored to their interests and future career ideas.  Students also attend careers events such as The Uni and Apprenticeship Show and UCAS Fairs. The process of applying to university is supported through PSHE lessons, where students will look at writing a personal statement, choosing and applying to a university. Students will also look at preparing their CV’s for a job and discuss possible gap year opportunities that are available.

We work closely with The University of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and the Nuffield Science Foundation to provide a range of opportunities for our students.

In Year 12, students will spend time in the summer term out on a Work Shadowing placement to enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding of their chosen career sector. Year 12 will also be involved in 'Futures Week', which focusses on supporting students with career-specific advice and guidance through workshops and in-person talks with industry professionals and a parents information evening regarding Post 18 options.