Announcements — Solihull Sixth Form College

Announcements

Keep up to date with important announcements from the College.

21/06/24: Please note there are no lessons for current learners on the following forthcoming days:

Friday 28 June – Welcome to College Day for applicants
Friday 5 July – Summit Conference (staff development)
Monday 8 July – Year 10 Taster Day

The last day of the academic year is Tuesday 16 July.

17/06/24: On Monday 1 July, end of year celebrations are taking place with a range of exciting activities planned from 1.35 – 4.00pm. To accommodate this afternoon event, the timing of lessons will change that day only, with hour-long lessons from 9.00am – 1.35pm.

Column A – 9.00 – 10.00
Break – 10.00- 10.15
Column C – 10.15 – 11.15
Column B – 11.20-12.20
Break – 12.20-12.35
Column D – 12.35-13.35

04/06/24: Although repairs to the College’s gas supply have now been completed and pressure tested, the site will take a long time to have the air purged from the gas systems and for the boilers and other equipment to be reinstated. As a result the College will remain closed for the majority of Year 12 students on Wednesday. All staff, Year 13 learners and students taking exams should be in as usual on Wednesday, but Year 12 learning will continue from home via Teams at your usual lesson time. We apologise for the inconvenience, but look forward to welcoming everyone back on campus on Thursday and Friday.

03/06/24: Please note, there is an issue with the gas supply to the College, which is limiting the amenities on campus on Tuesday 4 June. All exams will continue as normal. Year 13 students should come into College and attend all their lessons as usual. However, there will be a limited food service. There will be no Year 12 lessons in College and Year 12 students will be set work for the day on Teams, which should be available by 10am. For those who do not have the facilities at home to work, then there will be limited spaces available in the LRC. A few Year 12 students may need to come in for specific meetings, but these learners will be contacted directly by the College.

24/05/24: Year 12 Progression Examination re-sits are taking place on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 June. This is an opportunity for students who missed or did not pass all of their progression exams to show what they are capable of and head into Year 13 with renewed confidence.

23/05/24: Congratulations to the College’s Young Adult Carer team. The College has just achieved the Quality Standard in Carer Support reaccreditation from the Carers Federation for its support of those young people who juggle their studies with caring responsibilities at home.

20/05/24: On Thursday, Year 12 Parents’ Meetings take place in the afternoon and evening. To facilitate this, lessons will finish at 12.45pm on Thursday.

10/05/24: Year 12 students Simran Sagoo and George Balnaves are part of the Environmental Society at College and have been talking about the work they are doing with the Society. Hopefully their enthusiasm will inspire all members of our community to think about the environment and support the West Midlands Lieutenancy’s Tread Lightly project, like all academies within the Summit Learning Trust.

From Solihull Sixth Form College on Vimeo.

30/04/24: Solihull Sixth Form College and the Summit Learning Trust are celebrating as it has been graded a ‘Good’ college following a recent inspection by Ofsted, who also praised the college for the ongoing improvements it has made. Learn more here.

22/04/24: Good luck to all Year 12 learners sitting Progression Exams (Key Assessment 5) this week.

16/04/24: Reminder that Year 12 Progression Exams are taking place next week. During these exams, all Year 12 A level, Year 12 Criminology, Year 12 BTEC IT Single Award, BTEC Science Single Award and BTEC Sport Single Award classes will be cancelled, and students will only be required to come into College for their examinations. BTEC Health and Social Care Single Award classes will take place as normal as they have their external exam shortly afterwards. All BTEC Triple and Double Award classes continue as normal. Where a Progression Examination clashes with a Double Award BTEC course or a BTEC Health and Social Care Single Award, students are expected to attend the Progression Examination.

15/04/24: Calling all Year 13 students – celebrate the end of exams with a choice of three exciting trips and all for incredibly low prices. Taking place on Tuesday 2 July, there are trips to London (to see Mouse Trap at St Martin’s Theatre, visit the Tate Modern and go to Covent Garden) for £10, to Thorpe Park for £27.50, and to Weston-super-Mare for £5. Check out the letters that have been sent by email for more information.

12/04/24: It is the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi this weekend. Best wishes to all those celebrating.

12/04/24: Year 13 learners – confused about your next steps after college? Danny North, Regional Student Recruitment Specialist from Coventry University, will be in college on Wednesday 17 April 2024 (12.45pm – 14.30pm in Room H201) to offer guidance and one-to-one tailored advice. Book your place via Careers Coordinator, Mary Cunningham by Tuesday 16 April 2024. Please note, if you would usually be attending an Enrichment Class at this time, you will be required to check with your Enrichment Tutor as to whether this is acceptable, prior to confirming your attendance.

10/04/24: Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating today.

08/04/24: Welcome back to all learners for the start of the Summer Term. It’s a vitally important term, with exams coming up for all students. Good luck to you all!

01/04/24: Revision tips are being added to our social media channels every day in April – follow our channels and see if any of the tips are useful to you.

29/03/24: Happy Easter from everyone at Solihull Sixth Form College.

25/03/24: Please note there are 3 contingency sessions for summer exams on the afternoons of 6 & 13 June, and all day on 26 June. These sessions would be used in the unlikely event that an exam had to be moved nationally. Learners must be available for all three contingency sessions, even if they do not have exams scheduled on that day. There is more information about the Exams Service on the College website.

21/03/24: After the Easter holidays, we will be just 5 weeks away from the start of exams. Full attendance and excellent time keeping in the lead up to those assessments is more important than ever. Lessons in each subject will continue for Year 13s until the final exam has taken place in that subject, but the focus in those lessons will be on revision and preparing students to sit those exams.

18/03:24: Countdown to Year 12 Progression Exams – These are taking place between 22-26 April, so they are just 5 weeks away. During these exams, all Year 12 A level, Year 12 Criminology, Year 12 BTEC IT Single Award, BTEC Science Single Award and BTEC Sport Single Award classes will be cancelled, and students will only be required to come into College for their progression examinations. BTEC Health and Social Care Single Award classes will take place as normal as they have their external exam shortly afterwards. All BTEC Triple and Double Award classes continue as normal. Where a Progression Examination clashes with a Double Award BTEC course or a BTEC Health and Social Care Single Award, students are expected to attend the progression examination.

11/03/24: Check out highlights from the Employability Fair held at College on 7 March 2024:

08/03/24: We are excited to announce that the amount of financial support provided by the College is expanding! We already offer financial support to students whose household income is below £30,000. We are now able to extend funding to households with a total income up to £40,000 per annum (including benefits). This could assist learners with travel expenses, such as a bus pass and free meals. To apply for bursary support, learners must complete an application form via the Student Portal and provide the necessary evidence. During registration, it is necessary to use the student’s name and college email address. For assistance, feel free to contact the Bursary Team at Student Reception, available from 8.30am to 2.30pm daily.

06/03/24: Bursary students can still claim their Free Meals, even during Ramadan, with the “Pack & Go” lunch. Forms are available at the Refectory Help Desk and completed forms need to be handed back a day before to collect a free lunch for Iftar the next day.

29/02/24: Having heard from ASK Apprenticeships in Coaching last week, Year 12 learners are having a session on higher Education this week, with representatives from Nottingham Trent University and Coventry University helping students to think about their options after College.

28/02/24: The College has recently been re-accredited with the Investors in Diversity award. Thank you to all the colleagues and learners who contributed to the focus groups and surveys with the National Centre for Diversity. This award demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

21/02/24: Year 13 Parents’ Meetings take place on Wednesday 6 March. There will be two sessions at 1.45 – 3.45pm and 4.30 – 7.30pm, and lessons will finish at 12:45pm. The afternoon session will be video appointments and the evening session will be face to face. The booking window will open at 6.00pm on Monday 26 February until 12.00pm on Wednesday 6 March and parents will be able to book both the video and face-to-face appointments using Parent Booking. Further details will follow by email.

21/02/24: The College Multi-faith room (available for all learners) is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm (closed between 2.45pm– 3.45pm each day). Muslim prayer times are: 1st prayer: 12.30pm and 3.00pm; 2nd prayer: 3.00pm – 4.30pm. Friday Jumma (congregational) prayers are held every Friday at 12.30pm in the Studio and 1.50pm in the Multi-faith room.

13/02/24: Elections for new Parent Governors have just taken place. Congratulations to Fiaz Afsar and Sarah Baker on their appointment to the Board of Governors. There is more information about them in the latest College Update, being emailed to learners and parents this week.

13/02/24: Key assessments remain a vital tool that the College uses to monitor how students are getting on in their learning. Year 13 learners recently completed KA8 (their mocks) and those results will be released on Friday 23 February. Results from Year 12’s KA4 will be released on Friday 22 March (just before the Easter break).

13/02/24: Parents and carers of Year 12 students who are thinking about making an Oxbridge application next year are encouraged to attend an information evening on Wednesday 28 February at 5.30pm. Information on how to sign up for this will be sent by email after half-term.

12/02/24: Huge congratulations to the 10 learners who have secured Oxbridge offers this year. Eight students have offers to study at The University of Oxford and two for places at The University of Cambridge. Find out who they are and what they hope to study in our News section.