Sixth Form

An Introduction

When I became Proprietor and Principal of Priory School in March 2009, which had until then promised an education up to the age of 16, or GCSE level, I became immediately aware of two aspects that suggested the idea of opening a Sixth Form.

The first was the very high calibre of the staff I had inherited and that I was able to appoint. Priory School was top of the island academic League Tables in 2006, though I am unsure how reliable such statistical guides are. For a genuine school, it is not a matter of figures and tables, but whether the children in one’s care are all given the chance they deserve.

Some triumphs never appear in league tables – the child who just needs five GCSEs whatever the grades to go on to the career of their choice but who struggles in every one; or the child for whom to stand up in front of a public gathering and read out a text without loss of confidence or fluency is a major and unforgettable achievement. These in human terms rank with the A* grades, the Oxbridge Scholarships, the high-flying career paths. But both are the proper pursuit and legitimate interest of a good school.

It was clear to me from the staff I met that Priory School had the capacity to be such a good school; and I set about bringing back those staff who had earlier brought the school such academic achievements, and supporting those who were already here. We have also been able to make further appointments since - and are still doing so - to search out and keep teachers whose professional ability and vocational commitment mean we can sustain this ethos.

I feel we have seen this confirmed in the most dramatic way this year by the national award by the Good Schools Guide for being the best School in the country for teaching Biology to boys at GCSE. The Good Schools Guide awards in this very eclectic way, but quite simply it means our teaching is of the highest standard. This has been corroborated by last November’s GCSE papers: out of 84 papers taken by 22 pupils, many in Years 9 and 10 (our S3 and S4 years), the A* or A pass rate was 55%.

In recent years also we have seen students from Priory School win scholarships to Christ’s Hospital, for instance, and also go on to Cambridge. Based on all this, I felt the capacity to provide a Sixth Form education of the highest standard was there.

But the second aspect was the unusually talented - and lively! - set of pupils who would prepare for GCSEs this year. I thought many of them were potential Sixth Form entrants, who could benefit from a rigorous academic education to prepare them for their future. I am pleased to say that members of our current Fifth Form will be staying on to be Founder members of the Sixth Form in September and that is of course a matter of considerable pride.

We aim to do our absolute best for them and all who enter our Sixth Form, to provide a full education all the way to University entrance, professional training, the Services, or whichever career path is chosen. This would we hope complete the education we offer at Priory School, and give island families a real choice for their children.