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Sixth Form

At GGS we aim to foster a supportive, tolerant community that gives our students the drive to achieve academically and take responsibility for becoming the best possible version of themselves.

Students will explore a range of opportunities to promote openness to new experiences, respect for others and challenge a fear of failure. They will be role models for younger students, and support one another through success and adversity. They will develop resilience, independence, empathy and integrity to prepare them for the next stage of their lives.

The range of courses we offer is extensive; some subject areas will be familiar and some will be new. The staff at Gravesend Grammar School are subject specialists and they, along with a tutor and Careers Guidance staff, help our students make the most of the educational opportunities and to choose the best path when they eventually leave us. We are dedicated to helping students reach their full potential and hope that the two years in the Sixth Form will act as a springboard for future success.

We expect the highest standards from our Sixth Formers. With greater opportunities and increasing freedom comes increasing responsibility - for other people and for their own learning.

Sixth Form Prospectus 2024

We want all of our students to leave the sixth form with a deep knowledge of their subjects, an enthusiasm for lifelong learning, and the strength of character to follow their own well-informed pathway.

Over the past few years we have been determined to upgrade the facilities for the sixth form. Our aim has been to provide an environment that is aspirational and purpose built for our 6th form students. We are delighted to announce that we opened our sixth form centre in November 2022 providing brand new standalone facilities. This IT enabled space gives us two work floors for private and directed study as well as offices for the sixth form staff, a student support area, and 16 classrooms where students will have most of their lessons delivered. Adjacent to this we have a dedicated Sixth Form café and a plaza area with outdoor seating. We feel that these facilities will bring a University campus feel to the sixth form and help students to transition to the next phase in their lives.

We are in a very competitive market where many students nationally will achieve the very highest grades at ‘A’ level. It is very important that students also take up the opportunities provided by the school in the non-academic curriculum. This includes sports, music, drama, Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh, volunteering and mentoring to name but a few. The richness of your experience at Gravesend Grammar School will make you stand out – make the most of these opportunities during your time in the sixth form.

Students in Year 12 will study three or four A Levels, together with a programme of PSHE, enrichment, tutorials and directed study.

It is expected that, following Year 12, students will continue all three or four subjects into Year 13, taking the A-Level exams at the end of Year 13. Our curriculum offer and subject information is provided in more detail in the subject prospectus. This document will provide you with an overview of each subject in terms of the subject content, assessment and additional activities that will need to be undertaken at A Level. 

Each student is allocated a Tutor who is responsible for day-to-day matters.

Tutors will support students through their time in the Sixth Form, and in most cases will remain with them for the whole journey. The tutor is the first point of contact for students and parents with any concerns or requests for general support. Tutors support their students through a programme of mindset development to aid them in developing their own vision, with the systems in place to work towards it. Tutors, aided by the Sixth Form team, will know how their students are progressing academically and will have regular meetings. Programmes of intervention to support students will in most cases be led by the tutor who will get to know them well during their time with us.

Tutors are responsible for writing references for applications to Higher Education and through this system they are able to write positive, sympathetic and meaningful references.

We aim to develop students widely as people rather than focus just on the academic.

We run a PSHE programme where students take whole days off curriculum during the Sixth Form to explore issues in depth. These days include:

  • Substances, addiction and safe driving;  
  • Healthy relationships
  • Mental health & first aid
  • Religious, cultural and political ideologies.
  • Money matters.

There are many other opportunities that students have which include:

  • Participation in training and competitions for a wide variety of sports. For example, our elite Basketball Academy and our high performing rugby squads, provide students with an intense schedule of team practices, individual development workouts, strength and conditioning programmes and video analysis sessions, delivered by our dedicated coaching staff.
  • Regular assemblies, often delivered by external speakers on a wide variety of topics of current interest.
  • Seminars and focus group talks on specific careers, aspects of higher education and finance.
  • Driving safety activities.
  • Challenge of Leadership event – preparing for recruitment and leadership challenges.
  • Volunteering opportunities within and outside of school with a variety of organisations and working with other students.
  • Prefect and subject mentoring roles in school – supporting younger students academically. A bespoke training programme is provided for senior students to help support students in lower year groups who benefit from social and emotional support.
  • Professional societies, for example the Medic society, the Law society, the Engineering society and the Finance society have their own bespoke series of events.