Student Guidance

Balancing a part time job, a social life and sixth form study 

For many students, the realities of life mean that they often find they need to balance their studies with a part-time job. A part-time job can be a necessity, but it can also provide a valuable skill-set that future employers are looking for. However, many of those who work during term time reportedly find it tough to balance their academic, work and social commitments.

Before choosing to secure a part-time job, make sure you have covered all the available funding options, including your eligibility for the Post-16 bursary. If you do find that you need paid work, try to maintain a strict work/study schedule, so nothing gets missed. Keeping a record of all your upcoming course dates will help, ensuring that you are not adding any extra pressure to yourself at busy periods.

We do not recommend students to work more than 12 hours per week, to support your ability to strike this balance. If possible, try to work more during the holidays so you can save some money for when term begins again.

Studying in the Sixth Form and Being an Independent Learner

In the Sixth Form you will have more individual freedom and your academic life will be less structured than during your GCSEs. This is a positive aspect of your studies if approached responsibly, but it is easy to lose sight of your priorities. You will need to organise yourself and your workload. Teachers will expect work to be completed on time and to a high standard. We recommend that you should be aiming to commit seven to eight hours per week, per subject of independent study, on top of the four hours per week you will receive of taught lessons. This can include: Homework, preparation, reading around the subjects and other super-curricular activities to help you to develop your skills, competencies and make you stand out from other future candidates in your next steps.

However innately talented you may be, there is no substitute for hard work. The students who appreciate that and put in the work find the whole Sixth Form experience much more rewarding and get better results. Your attitude to your studies will impact on your experience of Sixth Form life and affect the grades you get.

For this reason, The Ferrers Sixth Form has introduced Directed Learning Time into every students’ timetable. Here you will be guided to work on subject specific materials in a supervised environment to help you to develop good study habits and independently learning skills.

The Ferrers Sixth Form – Dress Code

Clean – Comfortable – Appropriate

When students join The Ferrers Sixth Form they become role models for their peers and for our younger students in the main school. They are leaders and are often asked to take visitors on tours or represent the school in other ways. In light of this, we expect our sixth form students to have a smart appearance and dress in an appropriate way for a school environment.

However, we recognise that the workplace our students are preparing for has changed in recent years, with fewer restrictions and greater opportunity to express individuality. Please remember that we are a diverse community, and we have a responsibility to consider the sensibilities of all members. We feel that it is therefore fitting for students to have an element of personal choice and judgement in what they wear, but with this privilege comes a responsibility to dress in an appropriate way.

We do not feel it is necessary to provide an extensive list of expectations and rules, however we have provided some guidance below to support our students to make informed and appropriate choices as part of our sixth form dress code. This is not an exhaustive list, and we reserve the right to challenge students about their choices where required.

• Footwear should be appropriate
• No caps or hats
• No hoodies
• No bodycon tube dresses or skirts
• No slogans
• No ripped jeans
• No fishnet tights
• No underwear should be visible
• No cropped, skinny strap or backless tops
• No beachwear (including sliders or flips flops)
• One discrete nose piercing only
• Smart, tailored shorts may be worn in hot weather

As a sixth form team, we make a commitment to be led by the following guiding principles: clean, comfortable, appropriate. We ask that students agree to the dress code, as outlined in their initial home-school agreement.

If students arrive to school wearing clothes that do not meet the expectations outlined above, they will be asked to go home and change. Any ongoing issues with the dress code will be addressed by the tutor in the first instance and then in partnership with parents and the sixth form team.