How does Rydal Penrhos help smooth the transition from Year 11 into the school’s thriving Sixth Form community?
Although moving up from Senior School to Rydal Penrhos Sixth Form is obviously exciting, this can also be a daunting prospect for Year 11 upon finishing their GCSEs. In addition to the exam pressures, they must also mentally prepare for making the transition into a more independent way of learning while also making plans for the next step of their respective journeys at university or within the working world.
This is something that our teaching staff are mindful of very early in the process. They acknowledge the strains that any changes might have on young learners and go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure each pupil is fully prepared for any challenges coming their way.
Our Sixth Form pupils know they are lucky and as such, they work hard to represent the school as exemplary ambassadors, giving back to the school and wider community with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Becoming role models to younger pupils is a source of great pride for them all – skills they take through into later life as part of the exceptional foundations they receive at Rydal Penrhos.
The Sixth Form experience comes with a proven ethos of teamwork, leadership and service underpinned by a sense of intellectual curiosity. Effective teacher/pupil ratios and bespoke pastoral care ensure that pupils move forward ready and willing to contribute their skills to the wider world around them, maintaining strong well-being and confidence at an integral stage in a safe, happy environment.
Tutor groups are deliberately small and caring, meaning tutors can take the time to know their pupils, forging relationships that will challenge them to fulfil their ambitions.
These elements make it more relaxing for those in Year 11 to make their own transitions. Studying for GCSE examinations is hard enough without the added sense of knowing things are going to change drastically almost immediately after.
Rydal Penrhos combines academic development at a crucial period with preparing each pupil for what lies ahead. Specialist transition days, career events and bonding with their peers during team-building activities are just some of the strategic methods implemented by the school, which are proven to build the right foundations for a successful final two years before moving on.
We understand that Sixth Formers are older and more independent – but there are still people on hand to guide and help as they navigate their way through classes, exams and what comes next.
Starting your A Levels can be a strange and stressful time. You’ve spent the last two years building up to your GCSEs only to find that actually a bigger, more important, nastier set of exams has sprung up on the horizon.
While this is again a challenging proposition, teaching staff ease the pressure by introducing each pupil gradually into the A Level curriculum, ensuring they select the right subjects in keeping with their potential career path and providing expert advice in pursuit of putting pupils’ best interests at heart.
The evidence is there to further indicate how this care assists. Rydal Penrhos has a rich and proud history of examination results, extra-curricular accomplishments are vast and the school is held in the highest regard throughout the Colwyn Bay and Conwy regions.
However, the best example of all comes from our Sixth Formers themselves, not the statistics to which they are attached. A glowing representation of everything good at Rydal Penrhos School.
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Anyone wishing to enquire about Rydal Penrhos School can do so by calling 01492 530155, emailing admissions@rydalpenrhos.com or registering your interest online.
