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Welcome to The Duston School

I am delighted to welcome you to The Duston School Sixth Form and share with you our aims and aspirations.We are proud of our Sixth Form and the support, care and guidance we provide to our students, along with excellent teaching and the facilities you would expect from a great Sixth Form, including a designated Sixth Form area and an experienced Sixth Form team.A relentless approach to student focused achievement and progress is what has driven up standards in Sixth Form.The Sixth Form has increased in capacity over the last few years, with a wide range of A Levels and vocational subjects.We continue to have a significant number of Russell Group successful applicants, including Oxbridge, and we are proud of the superb destinations of all our Post 18 leavers. We have dedicated support for those that may not wish to attend university post-18 and we have seen increasing success with our degree apprenticeships applications.The Sixth Form results have continued to improve year on year and in the 2024/25 academic year the Sixth Form results were the best ever in the school’s history. We have excellent programmes for enrichment, including EPQ, Peer Mentoring, targeted Horizons sessions and an extensive work experience programme.Our Sixth Form is an integral part of the whole school community and the students in all year groups benefit from our focus on role modelling and mentoring.Our Sixth Form study centre offers opportunities for both independent and supported study. All students undertake engaging and meaningful enrichment activities, and we encourage students to take on roles of responsibility within the school community,such as the Head Student Team, Student Voice, Peer Mentoring and Curriculum Support.We also recognise that education is not solely based on achieving those vital qualifications, but also about becoming a confident young adult. We offer high quality pastoral care, careers guidance, and Higher Education support so that our students are fully informed of the wealth of opportunities open to them in the future.We are ambitious for our students, and our expectations of conduct and commitment are high. Our Sixth Form is a place for students who want to work hard and realise their potential, and we are proud to support them on their journey.Thank you for your interest in our Sixth Form. We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have.Mrs N Montagu | Vice Principal - Director of Sixth Form

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Boarding Type

No Boarder

School Type

Primary, Secondary, Sixth Form

Suitable Ages

4 to 18

Gender

Mixed

No. of Students

2,018 Total

No. of Boys

1,055 (52.3%)

No. of Girls

963 (47.7%)


Academic Excellence

GCSE Results

Latest Examination

24.0%

Students achieving A*/A grades (9/8/7)

A-Level Results

Sixth Form Performance

A* grades

4.46%

A*/A grades

21.43%


Leavers' Destinations

Destinations after GCSEs

Staying in education

82%

School

79%

England

Apprenticeships

7%

School

3%

England

Further education

School:36%
England:51%

School sixth form

School:47%
England:19%

Sixth form college

School:0%
England:7%

Other education destinations

School:0%
England:2%

Destinations after A-Levels

UK higher education

64%

School

1%

England

Apprenticeships

3%

School

19%

England

Higher education or training

School:91%
England:63%

Further education

School:1%
England:4%

Employment

School:23%
England:35%

Not sustained in education/employment

School:7%
England:26%


Exciting Events Ahead!

A detailed admissions process on ApplicaaOne is coming soon.

Please see our website for more information on our admissions process.


Admissions Process

Quick Apply
Jan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026Aug 2026

Sixth Form 2027 Entry

Key Dates & Deadlines

Jan 5, 2026

External Applications open

Feb 13, 2026

External Application Deadline

Mar 17, 2026

External Applicant Interview Morning

Mar 27, 2026

External Applicant Offers Sent

Jun 25, 2026

Y12 Taster Day for All Applicants

Aug 20, 2026

GCSE Results Day-Sixth Form Enrolment 10am-12pm


Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays

Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Autumn

2 terms

Half Term 1

Sep 1 - Oct 24

Half Term 2

Nov 3 - Dec 19

Spring

2 terms

Half Term 1

Jan 5 - Feb 12

Half Term 2

Feb 22 - Mar 31

Summer

2 terms

Half Term 1

Apr 19 - May 28

Half Term 2

Jun 7 - Jul 21

Half-Term & Holiday Dates

Autumn Half Term

Oct 27 - Oct 31

Spring Half Term

Feb 15 - Feb 19

Easter Holidays

Apr 1 - Apr 18


Alumni Stories

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Emily

September 2020

University

3rd year at Cambridge University studying architecture.

Athena

September 2019

University

I’ve since graduated from the University of Sheffield with a first-class degree in Biomedical Science and now work as a Research Associate Scientist in medical research.

Aleks

September 2019

University

I am not studying Clinical Sciences at the University of Leicester, and currently on a placement at ViiV Healthcare, supporting global conferences on HIV and AIDS. I'm very grateful for the foundation the school gave me.


Enrichment Activities

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We strongly believe that learning and development in Sixth Form should extend beyond the academic, and encompass the health, wellbeing and emotional development of our students, as well as offering opportunities for them to explore all that the future has to offer. All Sixth Form students access our Horizons programme, which features a termly enrichment programme involving external speakers, career events, workshops and demonstrations on a wide range of subjects such as young driver safety, seeking an apprenticeship, writing a personal statement, applying to university, coping with exam pressure and good mental health. We also offer a number of career focused sessions where speakers come into school to talk about their role in professions such as policing, nursing, the legal system, finance and accountancy, the armed services and teaching.

About School

RegionEast Midlands
Local AuthorityWest Northamptonshire
Ofsted RatingGood
Gender TypeMixed