Life in the Sixth Form
Pastoral Care
There is a pastoral support structure based, in the first instance, around the Form Tutor. Every day there is a meeting between the Form Tutor and the Form; a ten-minute registration period is scheduled for the beginning of the day. It must be stressed that this is seen as an important contact period and parents are urged to ensure that all students are in the building in good time so as to attend registration at 08:00.
The majority of teachers have been assigned to a tutor group and are in close contact with that group. This leads to a monitoring of progress, both academic and social, within the confines of the students' peer group.
In addition to the channels outlined, each student is under the overall charge of Mr Awt Menghis, KS5 Pastoral Lead and the Director of Sixth Form, Mrs. Sarah McGinley.
Communication
The table below outlines who parents should contact in case of concerns about their child:
The tutor is responsible for the overall welfare of the student, and has an overview of their academic and social progress at school. She/he is the link person between the parent and the school.
For academic concerns in any specific subject, parents are encouraged to contact the subject teachers/Head of Department. Parents can contact the Director of Sixth Form (IB Coordinator) or KS5 Academic Lead should they have general academic concerns over academic progress or curriculum queries.
Parents will receive regular reports on students’ progress and there are scheduled Parents’ Days where you have the opportunity to discuss progress with the Form Tutor, subject teachers and the KS5 Academic Lead.
Sixth Form Code of Conduct
In order to provide consistent, fair and transparent support for all of our learners in the Sixth Form, BISC has produced the following Code of Conduct for Sixth Form students.
All students should strive to demonstrate the aspects of the IB Learner Profile, a guiding principle to conduct and behaviour in the school. All students should strive to be:
As a Sixth Form Student at BISC you are expected to meet the following criteria:
Attendance and Punctuality
- Students are required to be present 90% or more of the time. Failure to do so will mean you are not allowed to attend the school graduation at the end of Year 13.
- Attendance in lessons is mandatory for all but the most exceptional circumstances.
- Have lower than 2x the average number of lates to school and to lessons.
Behaviour
At the end of each term, behaviour is reviewed in terms of the number of AFI’s and suspensions - students must:
- Have lower than 3x the average number of Areas For Improvement for the Year group. For example if the average number of AFI’s for the Year group is 10 then a student with 31 AFI’s may be asked to leave the Sixth Form.
- Have lower than 3x the average number of removals from lessons.
Academic Commitment:
- Students are expected to maintain a high standard of academic effort and excellence and demonstrate that they have made progress in most if not all subjects.
- Deadlines are to be met by all students in line with all teacher requests. This includes the Careers Department.
Relationships with Teachers:
- Students and teachers alike should aim to treat each other with respect and humility.
- Aggressive and confrontational behaviour is not acceptable from teachers to students and from students to teachers.
Academic Honesty:
- Students are to meet the regulations of the IB with regards to plagiarism and honesty regarding the submission of work. All work must be the students own.
Uniforms:
- Students are expected to meet the requirements of the school uniform policy.
Safety:
- Students must act in a safe and responsible manner whilst in school.
Sixth Form Dress Code
The dress code for the Sixth Form is clean, smart casual, such as would be worn by business people. All boys must be clean shaven with hair no longer than collar length. Hair should not be dyed in a fashion that attracts attention; this applies to both genders.
Parents are asked to support the school in ensuring that students are appropriately attired at all times.
Dress Code for Young Men
|
Suitable |
Unsuitable |
|
Black polishable leather/ formal shoes |
Trainers, canvas shoes, or similar |
|
Smart tailored trousers with belt |
Jeans, shorts, casual trousers, tracksuits |
|
Tailored long sleeve shirt, formal long sleeve shirt with collar. |
T-shirts, long sleeved t-shirts, shirts without collars, shirts with slogans, shirts with short sleeves, football shirts, hooded tops |
Dress Code for Young Women
|
Suitable |
Unsuitable |
|
Black polishable leather / formal shoes |
Trainers, canvas shoes, or similar, high-heeled shoes taller than one inch or strappy sandals |
|
Smart tailored trousers |
Jeans, shorts, casual trousers, leggings, skinny jeans, tracksuits |
|
Reasonable length business skirts or dresses (knee length minimum) |
Very long skirts, very short skirts, skirts with thigh-length slits, tight skirts |
|
Blouses / shirts with long sleeves |
Sleeveless tops, T-shirts, tops with slogans, tops showing midriff, no slogans, hooded tops |
|
Neutral nail paint |
False nails, brightly coloured nails |
General
|
Suitable |
Unsuitable |
|
Jewellery should be discrete, reasonable and unobtrusive |
Jewellery should not be ostentatious, attention seeking, expensive or dangerous. Facial piercings are not permitted |
|
Jumpers/ cardigans - Plain |
Make up |
|
A watch is highly recommended |
STUDENT SUPPORT
At BISC, we aim to support every student to achieve their full potential. We offer a range of support strategies for students in the Sixth Form, including:
- Support sessions after school
- Counselling
- Coursework clinics
- Weekend workshops
- Supervised study
- Mentorship
Details of these events will be published in the Bulletin and also emailed to students in advance. A detailed coursework map will also be produced to ensure that students and parents are aware of all upcoming deadlines.
TUTOR TIME
Students will register every morning with their tutor where they will receive notices and messages.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Student leadership team consists of Head Students and House Captains.
During the first term of Year 12, all students are invited to apply for positions of responsibility. We have the following positions available:
- Head of Academics
- Head of Wellbeing
- Head of Community
- Head of Sports (Female)
- Head of Sports (Male)
- Head of House (Fire)
- Head of House (Water)
- Head of House (Air)
- Head of House (Earth)
Selection process for the leadership positions vary according to the post. This will be communicated to students nearer the time. Students must apply in writing for their post, along with a teacher reference; factors such as attendance, punctuality, behaviour and effort will be looked at along with the application when choosing students for particular roles.
Student leaders have a number of important roles within the school, these are dependent upon the role but all include acting as ambassadors at relevant school functions. They are expected to set the very highest of standards at all times.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Sixth Form students have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities, most of which will enable them to gain the necessary hours of experience for CAS and the International Award.
Activities on offer at BISC include:
- INJAZ – students set up and run their own business
- Model United Nations – Year 12 prepare to represent the school at a prestigious conference overseas
- Academic support and mentoring
- Sports – including volleyball, football, rugby and basketball
- Classroom based activities
- Junior School classroom support
A list of activities will be published at the start of each term and students sign up for the activity of their choice. However, students should ensure that they do not commit to too many activities, at the expense of their academic studies.
