An engineering specialism within a grammar school
| News |
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| Lower 6th Higher Education Afternoon and Evening 6 May 2010 12.05.10 |
| Calendar |
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| Lower Sixth Form work experience begins 12.07.10 |
| Lower Sixth Form work experience ends 16.07.10 |
Sixth Form
Comments
A Message from the Head Boy and Head Girl
Ripon Grammar School sixth form is a great experience. Led by Mrs Wise and Mr Andrew the sixth form has so much to offer its students and there is a good relationship between both lower and upper sixth students and staff. RGS is renowned for its academic success and many students achieve the top results they set out for at the beginning of their courses and go on to achieve places at top level universities. Last year the chemistry department was recognised for achieving the best male and female A-Level results in a state school in the entire country. There are a range of subjects to choose from and RGS has a link with Ripon College where students from the College attend lessons at RGS and vice versa, students from RGS attend lessons at the college. This extends the curriculum and gives students greater subject choice. We value this link and hope to enhance it in the future.
However there is much more to RGS than academic achievement. Work hard and play hard should be the motto for the sixth form. There is a range of extra-curricular activities, including sport, music, drama, school trips, the school council, chess club, sixth form reading group and debating. The social calendar is also hectic, we manage to find time and occasion for five formal balls throughout the year, a chance to wear your best attire and let your hair down.
The sixth form play a key part in school life. Many hold serious leadership positions: each year a number of Prefects, Deputies and Heads are appointed to help with the running of the school; both the lower and upper sixth have a representative from their year group on the school council and the sixth form committee comprises members from both years. There are also a number of sixth formers who are form prefects and are responsible for supervising the lower forms in the school. Sixth formers set the standard for the rest of the pupils in the school and we are incredibly proud of this.
RGS has many facilities to offer the sixth form. There is the sixth form common room, with comfortable chairs, a music system and vending machines. There is also private study space and a set of computers in the library solely for sixth form use. The school cellars have recently been converted and are used for sixth form teaching, they also have a computer room, again for sixth form use. There is also another class room for sixth form private study space and plans are in place for a new sixth form centre which will be a shared facility with Ripon College and other local students. Sixth form artists can enjoy the luxury of a studio.
This is on top of all the facilities RGS already possesses, these include a recording studio for musicians, the gym, a mathematics and engineering block, two boarding houses, newly refurbished science laboratories, two rugby pitches, a cricket pitch, six tennis courts, two hockey pitches, four netball courts, basketball courts and a swimming pool.
One afternoon a week, Sixth Formers are able to choose from a variety of activities, ranging from sport (hockey, aerobics, rugby and so on) to dance, art, music and a very successful voluntary service scheme in the local community.
Boys’ games include a range of options; the main winter sport is rugby, whilst in summer cricket takes centre stage. A full programme of weekly fixtures takes place in the winter and summer for these sports, along with regular practice sessions. However, football, hockey, athletics and tennis are all other options to choose from. If long distance running or swimming is your thing then the house competitions provide your chance to shine.
The main girls’ sport in sixth form is hockey and we have very strong 1st and 2nd X1 teams, who practise twice a week and play many fixtures both home and away. We also have an U18 football team which is currently doing very well in various championships. Other sporting opportunities include senior netball and keep fit, and tennis, rounders and athletics in the summer.
Drama at RGS takes place all year round and is of a very high standard. The House drama competition takes place from September through to November, with Sixth formers choosing, casting and directing their house’s play. The plays are performed over two nights in front of a panel of four judges with very strict criteria. As soon as house drama ends, casting for the senior production starts. This production is the main school production and is performed at an incredibly high standard. Past productions have included; “Guys and Dolls”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Grease” and “Pygmalion”.
The music department here is very strong, with many ensembles for a huge variety of instruments. Groups include string orchestra, chamber choir, samba band, improvisation group, a wind group, Baby Big Band and its successor Big Band. The RGS Big Band plays jazz to wide acclaim, both in the local community at various concerts and national competitions, and also on their annual tour to Holland. The choir and orchestra have also competed in competitions and done very well. The highlight of the musical calendar is the Christmas Concert in Ripon Cathedral, a truly magical event where all the ensembles get together in one huge orchestra to play Christmas tunes and hymns.
Alongside the Big Band trip to Holland, there are many other chances to go abroad in Sixth Form. Depending on your subject choices you could find yourself on a history trip to Russia, an RE trip to New York, or a French exchange with a fantastic school in La Rochelle. Last year, AS German students undertook their week of work experience (which occurs for the entire Lower Sixth in June) in Germany at various companies and schools. A ski trip in February half term is open to all sixth formers, and has always been very successful.
All these trips help you develop closer relationships with teachers and other pupils in an informal setting, and this is incredibly beneficial to the learning environment back at school.
One of the best features of RGS is the House system. Every student is allocated a house – De Grey, Hutton, Porteus or School – and there are lots of house events to get involved with throughout the year. These include most sports - hockey, netball, tennis, rounders, cross county, swimming and basketball – and of course house drama, mentioned above. Atmosphere within the houses is incredible and they are a great way to make friends in different years. The level of competition between houses is high but amicable, and everyone involved with any event always has a fabulous time.
This year we have started up a school council and reformed the sixth form committee. The aim of both of these is to provide a better voice for students of the school, in order to further improve facilities, pastoral care and so on. Getting involved with the council involves year group elections, but you can also apply to join one of the sub-committees to help students make their voices heard.
The sixth form committee is less formal, and there are 2 representatives elected from each form. Our aim is to organize Charity Week which happens in October, and to share and implement ideas about the common room, social balls, and other aspects of sixth form life at RGS. Charity week is a great week where the whole school, staff and students alike, participate in a number of activities at break, lunch and after school, to raise as much money as possible for a charity of the sixth form’s choice. This year we raised money for the cystic fibrosis trust, twenty members of the sixth form also ran the Great North Run for this cause and we raised in excess of £7,000.
Whether you want to get involved with anything our sixth form has to offer or not, you will definitely enjoy your time here at RGS, and make friends and memories which will stay with you forever.
George Owram and Hannah Wray (Head Boy and Head Girl 2007-2008)
