The start of a new academic year is always an exciting one!

For our new Year 12 cohort, this marks a fresh beginning as members of our Post-16 community. For some of you, it means continuing subjects you enjoyed at Key Stage 4, while for others it involves taking on brand new courses and experiencing them for the first time. Sixth Form also brings a new way of working, with greater independence and responsibility for extending your learning beyond the classroom. It has been fantastic to see how quickly you have adapted to these expectations, how hard you are working in the Private Study Area, and how many of you are already beginning to think about your Post-18 options.

Year 13, you have made a phenomenal start to this important year. Your commitment to your studies has been commendable and is being noticed by all of your teachers. The challenge now is to sustain this momentum. This year will fly by, and before long you will be moving on to exciting new destinations. As I said in assembly, resilience and a growth mindset are essential. Remember: failure is not the end, but a step on the path to success. What matters is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up. This year will be intense, but we believe in you, and we know you will rise to the challenge.

Attendance across the Sixth Form has been exceptional. Year 12 and 13 currently have the highest attendance in the school, which is an achievement you should be proud of. A special mention goes to Year 12, who achieved 100% attendance in their first full week back, we hope you enjoyed your ice creams as a well deserved reward for such a fantastic start! Remember, the more time you spend in lessons with your subject experts, the more progress you will make and the more successful you will be in the future. We are proud to be at the top of the attendance leaderboard at Brakenhale and are determined to keep it that way throughout the year.

We were also delighted to welcome back former student Raul Dan, who spoke in assembly about applying to Oxford University and navigating the UCAS process from his own experience. His advice will be invaluable as you consider your own next steps. A reminder: some courses require additional entrance exams beyond A Levels. These are often essential for applications in areas such as Law, Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Science, and places for these exams can fill up quickly. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, please speak to a member of the Sixth Form or exams team as soon as possible.

It has been an incredible start to the academic year. Let’s keep this momentum going, Post-16!