When the bell rings at 8:40am the Head Girls take charge and in between their shouts of “Registration!” as they begin to make their way around the Common Room the chaos begins! With Sixth Formers and Form Tutors hurrying in all directions, you can imagine how busy it is. Somehow the students get organised and soon the commotion dies down. Girls stay with their tutor groups to be registered and then head down to Assembly at 8:45.
After Assembly, girls head back to the Sixth Form block for the start of their first lesson. Most lessons are taught in double periods, although some are split into two separate periods. Between 9:05 and 10:20 periods 1 and 2 take place.
At 10:20 the bell rings and once again the commotion begins; break time! Most girls head to the Common Room where sweet and savoury snacks can be bought from the vending machine and copious amounts of tea, coffee and juice are always consumed. Many tutors take their break in the common room with the girls. At 10:40 the bell rings again for periods 3 and 4 which go on until 11:55.
During the lunch hour (periods 5 and 6) girls eat in the separate Sixth Form Dining Room and take time to relax and have a chat with their friends. Almost every lunch time there are activities and clubs that Sixth Formers can get involved in, either by participating or by leading. At 1:05 the cry of “Registration!” takes place again and girls go back to their form rooms.
Periods 7 and 8 are between 13:10 and 14:25 followed by a 5 minute break to collect up much needed textbooks for the two final periods, until the end of the school day at 15:45. There are more activities and clubs available after school and some Sixth Formers stay to complete their homework in the now-quiet Common Room.
One of the great advantages of being in the Sixth Form is the flexibility over the school day. In Lower Sixth girls may leave the school during two free periods each week, though we find the temptation of coffee and cake combined with constant banter means very few do so. In Upper Sixth, the sense of trust and independence is furthered by offering the girls more freedom over their individual study programme; for example, girls may leave whenever they have free periods, including over lunch time. However, girls must attend both morning and afternoon registrations and sign in and out of school.
Each Wednesday the timetable is amended due to the inclusion of a Personal Social, Citizenship, Health Education (PSCHE) lesson which the girls take with their form group after morning break. Traditionally, the weekly sport lesson is always last thing on Wednesday; a great time to unwind with friends and now with the Fitness Room available, Sixth Formers have been more eager than ever before to attend!