Cheney School

Cheney Sixth Form is a vibrant and diverse community where staff, students and parents/carers support each other to be confident, resilient and successful.

We all take pride in, and responsibility for, our Sixth Form and value its powers to raise aspiration across the school, within our trust and beyond.

In a nutshell, you can expect:

• Challenging, inspirationally taught classes
• First-class UCAS and ‘next stage’ support
• Wide-ranging extra-curricular tutoring program
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
• Thought-provoking speakers & assemblies
• Mentoring program to secure progress
• Pastoral support to help with mental health & wellbeing
• Student Leadership team
• Leadership opportunities throughout the school
• Annual student conference
• Gold Duke of Edinburgh
• Access to Brookes University facilities

Your studies

You can expect your Sixth Form studies to be challenging, rewarding and fun. We offer students a wide range of academic and extra-curricular activities and support to help them successfully transition to the next stage of life - whatever that might be. We offer stimulating A-Levels and BTECs, taught by an inspiring and committed group of professionals. The academic side of our students’ school life is supplemented with a wide-ranging tutor and volunteering program. We provide lessons on personal study skills, social & political issues, mental health and wellbeing, and look at developing leadership skills.

Volunteering, Duke of Edinburgh and EPQ

We believe strongly that our Sixth Formers are key to a robust and empowering culture and we encourage all our Sixth Formers to volunteer throughout the school. All Year 12s support the younger years with a literacy session on Thursday morning, and students also have the opportunity to work in Pam’s Diner, work as classroom assistants or be mentors for the younger students. Sixth Form students also help with events and activities and work on school improvement with the Senior Leadership Team. We also offer Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

Assemblies

Our fortnightly assemblies include a very broad range of speakers and material, all carefully chosen to encourage thoughtful exploration of a range of important topics. We benefit from close engagement with our school's Rumble Museum and its "Agora Project" of speakers and panels. From Alastair Campbell talking about politics and his personal struggles with depression, to Professor Avi Loeb from Harvard University exploring the evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and from a panel on the role of religion in public life with the Bishop of Oxford, Imam Monawar Hussain and Humanist Andrew Copson, to meeting the world's first ultra-realistic artist robot Ai-Da, we strive to include a rich and stimulating programme which prepares students for the complex and exciting possibilities ahead of each of them.

You can listen to some of these talks online.

Student Leadership

We have a loud and prominent student voice in our Sixth Form. Our Student Leadership team are pivotal to our community, and play a very important role in ensuring the Sixth Form continues to improve, to meet the existing and new needs of students and staff. We hold an annual student conference where we provide a stimulating program of talks and discussions, and secure students’ feedback on how we can improve further.

Brookes next door!

We are lucky to be right next door to Brookes University and our students can take full advantage of the facilities that this offers; all our Year 13s can use the study spaces during the school day (apart from around university exam periods) and also enjoy using the coffee bars and chill-out areas. Each year, students benefit from the Brookes Engage programme of lectures, tuition, support and fun, giving them an insight into Higher Education.

16-19 Bursary Fund

While you are in 16-19 education you should feel able to take advantage of all the opportunities on offer, without worrying about the cost.  The 16-19 Bursary Fund is available to you if you are ever in financial need. If you have been Pupil Premium or Free School Meals at any point in secondary school, you may well be eligible for support from the Bursary Fund. Please come and talk to Sixth Form Team in the Office for more information. Please be aware, however, that the value and distribution of awards made from the Bursary Fund are subject to change each year depending on government guidance, universal credit roll-out, your personal circumstances, and the number of people applying for support.