Sixth Form news
May 7th 2024
On Friday our Sixth Form students took part in a Driving Experience Day giving them a head start with learning to drive. Max from Max's Masterclass Driving Tuition delivered a 'Driving Myth Busters' session to the students, along with giving them an insight into what to expect when learning for their theory.
Students then all had the chance to get behind the steering wheel! Giving each student a quick basic lesson on maneuvering a car.
This was an excellent experience for all those involved, and everyone came away really enthusiastic about learning to drive - getting rid of those first lesson nerves and fears!
A BIG thank you to Max and well done to everyone involved!
April 22nd 2024
In order to support our local community, Sixth Form students will be volunteering their time to attend the Kidsgrove Memory Cafe, supporting people with dementia. The first group went down to visit today!
Here they provide company and conversation and get involved with the activities on offer to support local people with memory loss. We're extremely proud of our students for giving back to our local community.
Well done to Billy, Lily, Selena and Cosmo who have all visited today
March 20th 2024
Yesterday saw our students taking part in the final Network Rail – Track to the Future workshop!
Students presented their final projects to the mentors, received feedback and reflected on the progress that they have made from the start of the programme. They even got to have a go of some Ozobots, putting their coding skills to the test.
The programme has been really fantastic for our students, and it’s been great to see them step out of their comfort zones and gain confidence alongside new communication and employability skills which will no doubt be invaluable in their future.
A big thank you to The Talent Foundry and Network Rail for providing this fantastic experience.
March 1st 2024
At our Sixth Form we offer a number of extra qualifications in the form of VTQ’s MOOC’s and TEFL, that students can opt to take part in to boost their university and job applications
Aleesha has just completed her TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, completing over 120 hours of independent study – Well done Aleesha!
Why choose to do a TEFL qualification?
- A TEFL qualification and the skills gained from the course make university and job applications stand out from the crowd!
- Acquire an understanding of the challenges they may face when teaching those with a limited understanding of the English language.
- Gain transferable skills in a number of different areas such as, communication, teamwork and presentation, which are all important skills to have when applying for jobs.
- Use your TEFL certificate if you move abroad and teach English as a Foreign Language. The course also enables students to teach at summer schools, on placements at UK universities.
February 20th 2024
Yesterday we kicked off a fantastic 4-part Track to the Future programme at our Sixth Form working with The Talent Foundry and Network Rail.
The first session was brilliant, students really got stuck in and it was great to see them getting involved with challenges and activities that pushed them out of their comfort zone!
Over the next 3 sessions our students will work alongside their Network Rail mentors, to complete a series of real-life tasks to plan and present design options for a new multimillion pound train station
We’ll finish the programme with 2 visits to the Network Rail offices in Manchester - we can't wait to see the finished designs.
More updates coming soon!
February 6th 2024
Here at our Sixth Form we pride ourselves on the high level of support we are able to offer our students. Due to our small class sizes our students gain more 1-1 support, in turn achieving those higher grades!
Just look at our headline figures - they speak for themselves!
- The average BTEC grade achieved was a Distinction*
- 100% of our students achieved OR exceeded expected progress
- 100% of our students go on to attend their first choice university
- 100% of our vocational students achieved a Distinction or Distinction* as their final grade
Interested in attending our Sixth Form? Apply here: https://forms.office.com/e/9Q1KKG4w3k
Applications close 31st MARCH!
January 31st 2024
We had a great time at the National Apprenticeship Show yesterday!
Students had the opportunity to talk to a variety of different employers, receiving advice and exploring what their next steps could be after leaving our Sixth Form. Some even got involved in the various workplace activities and challenges!
December 19th 2023
On Friday our Y12 Health and Social Care students went on a visit to Staffordshire University - Stafford Campus to take part in a Health Master Class
Students participated in a variety of skills sessions including:
- Nursing (Adult, Child and Mental Health)
- Paramedic Science
- Midwifery Practice
- Operating Department Practice
All of the sessions provided an invaluable insight in to university life and the different health related pathways students can take! Feedback from the day was fantastic! Thank you to Staffordshire University for hosting us!
December 6th 2023
Last Thursday was an incredibly empowering morning at our Sixth Form at The King’s!
From CPR for adults, children, and babies to understanding how to treat fractures, shock, and bleeding, the students time spent learning First Aid was invaluable. Every moment was a step towards being better equipped to handle emergencies and save lives.
The knowledge gained on how to put someone into a recovery position serves as a testament to our commitment to being responsible and informed members of our community.
It was inspiring to see everyone coming together to learn these essential skills that can make a real difference in critical situations. Each student now holds the power to potentially change someone's life for the better.
Kudos to everyone involved in organizing and participating in this session! Let's continue to spread awareness and be ready to step in when needed.
November 30th 2023
Well done to our Year 13 Sixth Form at The King’s students – Kadie, Saher, Paris, Aleesha and Billie who have all successfully graduated from their Career Ready programme
All students demonstrated incredible commitment to develop their skills for Career Success supported by their mentors!
An extra special thanks to Caroline for delivering the programme and supporting our students every step of the way!
You can find out more about Career Ready here: https://careerready.org.uk/our-programme/
October 11th 2023
Our new Sixth Form, Football and Education students are raring to go in their kits along with Mrs Hinchcliffe. This is just one of the initiatives we have at The King's CE Academy due to our ongoing partnership with Port Vale FC Foundation
You can find out more about our Football and Education programme here: https://thekingscofeacademy.org/port-vale-football-and.../
If you have any questions please contact either Mrs Hinchcliffe (khinchcliffe@thekingscofeacademy.org) or Mrs Degg (sdegg@thekingscofeacademy.org)
September 28th 2023
WHAT RSHE LOOKS LIKE IN THE SIXTH FORM
Our Sixth Form students are encouraged to shine by being supported in making effective decisions, proactive learning, career choices and in achieving economic wellbeing.
We want students to leave our Sixth Form fully prepared for the next step of their journey. On Thursday 28th September students spent the day off timetable to take part in a workshop with Jane from The Trussell Trust.
With the ever-rising cost of living, Jane introduced our sixth formers to what poverty in the UK looks like today and the work that they do at The Trussell Trust and our local foodbank.
Students took part in a workshop that demonstrated the reasons why people might need help from the foodbank, teaching them vital budgeting skills and making students aware that the need to access a foodbank can arise for anyone. Finally, Jane addressed what we can do about poverty and how to end the need for foodbanks.
Students will be working alongside the food bank for the rest of the academic year, supporting with fundraising and food collections.
You can find out more about out local foodbank here: https://newcastlestaffs.foodbank.org.uk/
September 18th 2023
A Level Art students make an excellent start!
For their first couple of A Level art sessions with Miss Stevens, students were tasked with creating their own sketchbooks/sketchbook pages. Using anything that they could find to make pages with, giving different backgrounds to work on each time. They were then asked to sketch some doodles of their choice in these, as part of their independent study time.
We are all so impressed with how they have turned out! Miss Stevens commented that the students have really enjoyed it plus they also get to see the value in recycling old materials to work on!
August 17th 2023
Today our sixth formers celebrated their amazing vocational and A Level results, along with acceptance to their first choice universities
The "Class of 2023" have worked incredibly hard during their time with us and will be missed! Connor was extremely proud of his results earning himself a D*D*D*!!
We wish them all the very best for their future plans!
July 4th 2023
Wishing a fond farewell to our Year 13 Sixth Form students!
A buffet including lots of cake was enjoyed by some of our students in their “end of studies” celebration. GOOD LUCK to each and every one of you with your results. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success and the very best for the future.
We’ll be seeing you soon!!
June 5th 2023
On Friday 26th May, the school council hosted an "Exercise Awareness Day", with the aim of raising money for our national charity, MIND, as well as promoting awareness of the impact that exercise can have on our wellbeing.
Some of our Sixth Formers, Aleesha and Kadie, gave up their free time to support! Volunteering for a 10 minute exercise time slot and then also encouraging other students who were taking part.
They have both earned themselves a place into a prize draw, with a chance of winning a months swimming pass at Kidsgrove Leisure Centre throughout June.
Well done ladies!
May 22nd 2023
Following on from Mental Health Awareness Week, on Monday Year 12 students on our Career Ready programme took part in a Masterclass on resilience and managing stress hosted by The BUPA Foundation.
The BUPA Foundation, a charity funded entirely by Bupa, has worked with Career Ready since 2002 to help young people develop key employability skills through a mix of initiatives.
Bupa is a leading international healthcare company which provides health insurance to over 16 million people and runs care homes, health centres, dental centres and hospitals. The company is led by its purpose – helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. As part of Bupa’s commitment to making a better world, the Bupa Foundation works with Career Ready to support young people to achieve their potential.
This interactive workshop looked at what investment in wellbeing is and why it is so important. Students explored the importance of resilience, both in during their studies, and in their future career.
By the end of the session all students had learnt about:
how to understand what’s affecting your energy and wellbeing
how to understand the relationship between how you treat your body and how your body then treats you
developing tools and strategies to keep a positive mindset
identifying simple ways to manage your energy every day with a personal action plan
You can find out more about BUPA and the work they do look at their website: https://www.bupa.co.uk/about-bupa
May 16th 2023
With it being "Mental Health Awareness" week as part of their weekly enrichment, today Sixth Form students picked a mental health topic that they wanted to explore. With exam season quickly approaching students decided that a good focus would be stress particularly coping with exam stress!
Taking part in an excellent discussion and online research, students came up with the below steps to help when coping with exam stress.
keep fit by taking some exercise you enjoy.
relax, perhaps by sitting quietly or meditating.
eat well, but healthily
get sufficient sleep.
take some planned time away from study, rather than feel you're avoiding revision.
be pleased with your achievements as you revise
speak to someone if you are feeling overwhelmed
They all agreed if they followed some of points that it would stop them feeling overwhelmed and to help keep a clear head when revising.
Year 13 also helped to schedule some social media posts targeting mental health and where you can find support. They scheduled these using the META business suite for our Sixth Form Facebook page working alongside Miss Degg, creating excellent social media content for Mental Health Awareness week! You can see an example of some of these posts below, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @SixthFormatTheKings
#MENTALHEALTHAWARENESSWEEK
#TOHELPMYANXIETY
April 25th 2023
Over the last 10 weeks some of our Year 12 Sixth Form students have undergone Mental Health Ambassador training to enable them to offer Peer Support at school.
Students received training from the NHS North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare team providing them with a number of key helping skills such as:
🟣 Active listening
🟣 Core conditions
🟣 Unconscious bias
🟣 Body language
🟣 Communication skills
🟣 Open and closed questions
🟣 Boundaries
🟣 Confidentiality
🟣 Self Care
Well done to all of the students involved!
They will be putting their new skills to the test soon with the introduction of a Sixth Form student peer support programme - Watch this space!
April 18th 2023
As part of their 'Sports Organisation' module, our Year 13 Sports Leadership students organised and delivered this event, which saw over 40 Year 7 pupils represent their form groups to compete head-to-head in a 6-aside football tournament. The purpose of this mixed gender event was to further increase lifelong participation in sport and to showcase that football is inclusive for all genders, whilst simultaneously raising the profile of form competition.
Whilst effectively carrying out their individual roles and responsibilities, our Sixth Form students demonstrated excellent leadership and teamwork to collectively coordinate the event. In turn, our Year 7 pupils did their form tutors extremely proud, showing outstanding engagement, encouragement and unity throughout. It was a pleasure to see our youngest and eldest pupils come together to carry out such an amazing event.
To the important part, the results! Following a round robin & knockout format, it was Mr. Mahony's Nazareth (France) prevailed as champions, defeating Miss Jones' Cana (Brazil) 3-2 in an enthralling final that could only be decided after extra-time. Meanwhile, Miss Elkins' Galilee placed third, after defeating Mr. Baxter's Jericho (England) 2-1 in yet another tight encounter after extra-time.
Congratulations to all of the students who were involved!
March 31st 2023
Following on from our Easter Egg Appeal at the beginning of March our students successfully managed to collect over 50 Easter Eggs for our local foodbank!
Thank you so much to everyone that donated!
March 17th 2023
The deadline to apply for our Sixth Form is the 31st March! After this date we will be accepting applications however we cannot guarantee that you will accepted on to your chosen courses.
First priority will be given to those students who apply before the deadline!
Make your application here today: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=XpAgFnFOpkG8JnZVFr7otc2ItlRFWRFKmKcaOK7hfp5UNUJNWkgxWVk4MUo5NlkwQ0VNMUU2RUo0SC4u
March 10th 2023
As part of our enrichment programme here at The King's Sixth Form we actively encourage our students to get involved with our local community and fundraising. Students this Easter want to collect as many Easter Eggs and chocolatey goodies as they can for our local Foodbank. Students have been working hard promoting this campaign, designing a poster and visiting classrooms to raise awareness!
There is still time to donate! Our students would love to get as many eggs as possible, please drop off any Easter Egg donations to our School Reception or the Sixth Form Hub!
February 16th 2023
This week a selection of Y11 students got involved in a T Level Engineering Taster Session, giving them an insight to what it would be like to study a T-Level subject at our Sixth Form.
This was a fantastic session that has helped support the decision process of those students who weren't sure about their next steps after leaving school.
We hope they all join us at our Sixth Form in September!
You can find out more about T Levels here: https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
T Level Engineering: https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/students/subjects/design-development-engineering
Interested in applying for our Sixth Form? You can make your application here:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=XpAgFnFOpkG8JnZVFr7otc2ItlRFWRFKmKcaOK7hfp5UNUJNWkgxWVk4MUo5NlkwQ0VNMUU2RUo0SC4u
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 31st MARCH
February 13th 2023
The King's Sixth Form are now involved in a fantastic NEW partnership with "Max's Masterclass Driving School".
On Friday 10th February our Sixth Form students took part in a "Driving Experience" day giving them a head start with learning to drive. Max delivered a Driving Myth Busters session to the students, along with giving them an insight into what to expect when learning for their theory.
Students then all had the chance to get behind the steering wheel! Giving each student a quick basic lesson on how to drive a car. This was an excellent experience for all those involved, and everyone came away really enthusiastic about learning to drive - getting rid of those first lesson nerves and fears!
A BIG thank you to Max and well done to everyone involved!
January 31st 2023
Here at The King’s Sixth Form we are really proud to work alongside Career Ready.
Career Ready build networks of employers, educators and volunteers across the UK to give young people the career support, experiences, and insights they need to kick-start their futures. By connecting students to workplace networks and opportunities, they help to support students with their journey from education to employment. Empowering them to become more confident, learn new skills and reach new heights. You can find out more about the Career Ready programme here: https://careerready.org.uk/
Yesterday Year 12 students who are taking part in the Career Ready programme met their mentors for the first time! This is an excellent opportunity for all the students involved and really makes them stand out from their peers.
We have a real Career Ready success story with one of our current Year 13 students, Alec, who after completing an internship during the summer with AMB Insurance has now been offered a permanent position within the company, the chance to study for a degree and earn a salary after completing his studies in the Sixth Form this May! This is an amazing outcome for one of our students and we wish him every success for the future!
https://www.ambinsurance.co.uk/
January 17th 2023
On Friday, our first Football and Education taster session took place! This was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 11 students to find out more about what this excellent programme will involve.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Football and Education is the new enrichment programme available at The King’s Sixth Form, which will begin in September 2023. As part of the unique programme, students will study at The King’s Sixth Form whilst receiving UEFA standard coaching throughout the week and have the opportunity to represent Port Vale FC in the EFL CEFA League or ECFA Women’s League against other professional clubs.
Full training kit and match day tracksuit will be available to every student, along with work placement opportunities within the football club and tickets to every home game.
During the programme, students will gain FA coaching and referee qualifications, opening up the prospect of developing a career within the football industry. Students will also encounter additional sessions such as strength and conditioning and match analysis (looking back at the squad’s games filmed previously).
This enrichment programme is perfect to run alongside BTEC Sport but can also run alongside ANY qualifications taken at The King’s Sixth Form. Giving you the freedom and opportunity to broaden your horizons in a multitude of directions as well as adding an excellent accreditation on to your CV and UCAS applications.
The next taster session will be taking place on Monday 27th February! This is open to ALL year 11 students, if you wish to take part please contact Miss Degg or Mrs Hinchcliffe.
December 14th 2022
“¼ of young people aged 17-19 are now experiencing a mental health problem, up from 1 in 6 in 2021 and 1 in 10 in 2017.
Rates are staying consistently high with 1 in 6 facing a mental health problem since the onset of the pandemic – suggesting that an entire cohort have remained in heightened starts of distress for years following the education, social and economic upheaval of Covid-19. We are also seeing the toll of the cost of living crisis on young adults with mental health problems who were 7 times more likely than their peers without mental health problems to have used food banks or experienced food insecurity in the last year.” – MIND 2022
To help support our students this term we wanted to raise awareness around mental health and wellbeing. This Monday (12th December) we had the MACCAS Project visit our Sixth Form students to deliver some mental health and anxiety workshops.
Alongside this, our Year 12 students have also had the opportunity to undertake a VTQ in Mental Health in the Workplace and our Year 13 students have spent their enrichment time fundraising for the MACCAS Project.
Can you guess the name of our cheeky Sixth Form Elf?
November 28th 2022
On Friday, some of our Sixth Form students took a visit to Chester Zoo.
Here they participated in some educational workshops, explored the zoo and took charge of their own learning! This trip was also a well-deserved trip for our hard-working students.
Everyone had an excellent time!
November 22th 2022
Last week students in Year 9 and 10 took part in a Keep the Cash day. Some of our Sixth Form students helped to support by taking on the role of employers and bankers for the day. This was an excellent opportunity for our Sixth Formers to develop their communication skills whilst engaging and building relationships with younger members of the school.
Well done to all the Sixth Formers that were involved!
November 15th 2022
Last Monday some of our Catering Sixth Form students along with Richard, our Academy Chaplain, took a visit to Hillswood House Care home to deliver some delicious cakes that had been freshly baked that morning.
The Manager and one of the senior staff accepted the cakes on behalf of the residents and were very appreciative.
Well done to all of the students involved!
November 7th 2022
As part of our Sixth Form enrichment programme every week our Sixth Form students volunteer their time to help support students in Year 7 with their reading - developing their fluency and comprehension of books.
Students are fully trained by the SENCO in school and shown how to effectively structure a reading session so that their reading buddy makes progress. They are taught how to monitor their progress and decide what to teach them next.
This role is an important one and can make a massive difference to the life chances of the students they are working with. Last year, sixth formers helped younger students improve their reading ages by an amazing 10 months in 10 weeks!
October 13th 2022
In Year 12, students have the chance to complete three accredited training courses which will prepare them, practically, for the workplace.
This half term, students were given the opportunity to complete a Level 2 VQT in First Aid and to supplement the theoretical aspect of the course, they were taken off timetable for the day to engage with a range of practical activities.
Students learnt how to examine a casualty, how to control bleeding and trauma along with how to treat burns and scalds and assisting a choking individual.
October 7th 2022
Yesterday, PE students in Year 13 had the opportunity to visit Loughborough University. Students were welcomed to the University by two of Loughborough University’s Student Ambassadors, who gave them a tour of all the fantastic facilities on the campus and answered all of our student’s questions about university life. Students got to view all of the excellent sporting facilities as well as the engineering department.
In the afternoon they all took part in multiple 15-minute sport sessions, this was a brilliant experience for our students and really gave them an insight into what studying sport at university would be like!
June 28th 2022
On Monday 27th June, Year 12 Sixth Form students visited the University of Derby – Kedleston Road Campus to take part in an experience day. This was an excellent opportunity for our students to experience higher education first-hand. While there, students had a campus tour, including the clinical skills suite and were amazed at the facilities that were available for them to use.
Throughout the day students found out more about pathways relating to education and the potential careers they could go into. They experienced a taster of two different sessions, the first session looked at Education, Childhood, and Inclusion and the second covered Teacher Training and PGCE options.
Overall, the visit was a huge success; students got involved in all the activities and left feeling enthusiastic about their experience and attending university in the future.
8th June 2022
This week (Wednesday 8th June) our Head Boy and Girl, Alec and Ebony, who are also PVFC ambassadors, went to Vale Park to support with the NCS Graduation for Kemball SEN School. Here they gave speeches to the students about the NCS and how it has had an amazing impact on them.
This follows on from Friday 4th March when they both helped to support with an NCS Takeover day for Kemball SEN School.
"Alec and Ebony were an amazing support again today at the graduation, they were both exceptional when they gave their speeches about the NCS!" Jorgie Wallace - NCS Project Lead
After the event they got to take some pictures with the trophy!
8th June 2022
This week some of our Sixth Formers who are studying BTEC Sport spent a fantastic day at 4FITT gym in Newcastle with James and Mark, the owners, and personal trainers.
They spent time talking through the role of a personal trainer, what client consultations look like, the purpose of them and the information gathering process required to set up a successful program for a client.
Students then went through some fitness tests that would usually be used pre-program to get an idea of baseline fitness which would then be repeated at the end to measure success. Pupils also got to try out several various body weight exercises, free weight exercises and cardio machines.
Completing the 500m row in the fastest time possible was definitely their favourite, with Josh achieving 500m in 1.59minutes.
Well done, Josh!
12th May 2022
For Mental Health Awareness Week this year, the theme is raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it.
One in four of us feel lonely some or all of the time. There’s no single cause and there’s no one solution. After all, we’re all different! ​But the longer we feel lonely, the more we are at risk of mental health problems. Some people are also at higher risk of feeling lonely than others.
This term as part of our enrichment programme within the Sixth Form we are taking a focus on Mental Health. It’s always important to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health but with exams approaching it’s easy for students to become overwhelmed. Students will be undertaking a Level 2 VTQ in Mental Health in the Workplace throughout the course of this term. On Monday 20th June we also have the Maccas Project visiting the Sixth Form to deliver an Emotional Resilience workshop. The Maccas Project is part of North Staffs Mind and is specifically aimed at supporting young people’s mental health in the North Staffs area.
Alongside all of this, on Thursday (12.05.22) some of our Sixth Form students, Charlotte, Megan, and Connor, did an excellent job raising funds and awareness for Young Minds by dressing as Super Mario characters and selling mental health awareness ribbons within the Academy – all proceeds will go to Young Minds. They also promoted our Academy safeguarding team so that students are aware where they can access help when they need it.
Well done, Charlotte, Megan, and Connor!
www.kooth.com – get help, advice & support with anything that’s causing you stress, hardship or embarrassment
www.visyon.org.uk – Cheshire charity, based in Congleton, dedicated to improving the health, in particular the mental health, of young people.
www.youngminds.org.uk – promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people.
www.samaritans.org.uk – helpline number 08457 909090
www.supportline.org.uk Helpline no 01708 765200 emotional support & info on exam stress"
14th March 2022
Today our Year 12 'Career Ready' students have taken part in a masterclass with Catherine Franklin from Eurostar Global and Caroline Emery from Career Ready.
The students have been developing their understanding of how to be successful at interviews, including how to prepare for an interview and how to carry out the job interview successfully. They discovered the different types of interviews, how to effectively research an employer in advance of the interview and how to analyse a job description.
This has been a fantastic experience for our Sixth Form students who will be undertaking interviews over the next two years for university, apprenticeships, part time and full-time employment!
8th March 2022
On Friday 4th March two of our Y12 Sixth Form Students, Ebony and Alec, who are also PVFC ambassadors, helped to support with an NCS Takeover day at Port Vale FC.
Kemball SEN School were struggling to gain work experience for their students so the team at NCS offered for them to shadow different job roles at the Port Vale grounds for the day. Ebony and Alec provided essential support to the students, helping them to apply for the job roles they were interested in, preparing for a mock interview and then effectively ‘working’ with them in that field for a few hours.
Ebony and Alec helped to support with the whole event from start to finish giving them the chance to gain independence, meet new people and to develop essential skills for the future. As well as gaining voluntary service which they can add to their CV to make them stand out from the crowd!
The whole day is just another amazing insight into the outstanding enrichment programme provided here at The Kings Sixth Form alongside the amazing partnership we have with Jorgie and the team at NCS.
“Ebony and Alec were amazing on Friday, they got involved straight away and supported the young people throughout the day with their different job roles. They should be very proud of themselves!”
Feedback provided by Jorgie Wallace – NCS Project Lead
February 26th 2022
On Saturday 26th February our Year 12 Sixth Form students were invited to Vale Park to graduate from the NCS programme which they completed in the Autumn Term.
The NCS (National Citizen Service) Autumn Programme is a fantastic opportunity for our students and specifically designed for sixth form students in their first year of higher education. The programme provides a chance to gain independence, meet new people and develop essential skills for the future. Students are prepared for the world of work and university, through exciting outdoor activities, creative workshops and volunteering with local charities.
Our sixth form students had an excellent time supporting in the fan zone prior to the Port Vale Vs Stevenage match, participating in various activities to help. Before kick-off the students were then invited to the pitchside to be presented with their graduation certificates from Mrs Hinchcliffe, Jorgie (NCS Lead) and Sarah (EFL Trust). Universities and employers actively seek candidates who have taken part in the NCS programme as they will be able to demonstrate skills which are essential in the modern world, such as public speaking, teamwork and leadership.
Students then stayed to watch Port Vale go on to win the match 2-0!
A big well done to all Sixth Form Students who got involved in NCS!
February 15th 2022
“Cooking on a budget” Day
Yesterday our Year 12 Sixth Form students participated in "Cooking on a Budget" day.
Students learnt all about healthy eating and how to be economical with their ingredients and leftovers. They also researched how to plan a healthy and nutritious menu for the week with a restricted budget.
For their main course students prepared and cooked a delicious roasted vegetable lasagne using a recipe card to guide them (the cooking room smelt amazing!). For dessert again using a recipe card and their own initiative students prepared an incredible apple crumble!
Using the meals that they had prepared today and from the research they had done in the morning, students then designed some "Easy to Make" recipe cards with step by step instructions on how to prepare low budget meals. These will then be used for the NCS Changemakers "Feeding Burslem" Project.
Prior to this as part of the Sixth Forms robust enrichment program all students completed their VTQ in Food Safety.
Well done to all those involved!
February 9th 2022
The Sixth Form enrichment and personal development programme is designed to help our Sixth Form students stand out from the rest of the crowd and become fully equipped for life after Sixth Form. This term as part of the programme, our Year 12 students have been able to get involved with The King’s Academy Primary Links Programme. This involves local primary schools who are given the opportunity to experience high school taster days at The King’s Academy to help with their transition to high school in the future.
These taster days help to enrich the experiences of children currently in Primary School and give them a positive outlook on high school life. At the same time by working with the local primary schools, our year 12 students have the opportunity to experience what life in the world of work is like and add valuable work experience to their CV.
Three of our students had amazing feedback from a recent primary links day with St Saviour’s Academy. Ebony Birks, Alec Henderson and Rhys Campbell all helped to support and made an outstanding impression on all teachers and supporting staff!
“They were absolutely amazing, not only did they support the session, they interacted with the students really well and even sat down and had a chat with them all at lunchtime making them feel really comfortable and part of the school. The visiting teacher was really impressed with them!”
Mrs Berrisford
January 20th 2022
Now, more than ever, teamwork makes the dream work. And as the community starts to find a new kind of normal after COVID, everyone needs a little extra help, whether that’s physical, mental, emotional, online or offline.
With this in mind, a number of our sixth form students attended their first Changemakers meeting today which was hosted by our partners Port Vale. Within the meeting, the students agreed that they wanted to make a 'change' to an issue close to their hearts, food poverty.
Over the course of 12 weeks, the students will gain a better understanding of how their community works and what it needs; creating a more positive and sustainable future for everyone. Continuing the work from the NCS programme they completed in November, students have set a challenge to raise as much money as possible in order to create food hampers to 'feed Burslam'.
Already, the group have some excellent ideas and have started to plan charity events to raise funds. In order to support and educate the community, students will also be creating 'cooking on a budget' recipe cards which will nest in the hampers they provide.
WORDS FROM OUR CHANGEMAKERS
"The Changemaker Project has changed me into a new person, someone who is even more passionate about issues regarding our community. It has made me a better team-player, a better listener and a better friend"
Rachel Salt
December 13th 2022
On Monday, students from year 12 and year 13 were given the chance to experience university life in Stafford.
Seminars were set up to introduce them to higher education; understand the standard fees and most importantly, get a flavour of university life.
The day involved a tour of the facilities and students taking part in a number of workshops including nursing, criminology, psychology and biomedical science.
November 14th-28th 2021
Enterprising students at The King’s Sixth Form College have raised hundreds of pounds for good causes in Stoke after taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS).
One of the many volunteering opportunities on offer through our Enrichment Programme, the NCS is an initiative to help young people build skills for work and 
life, while taking on new challenges and developing new skills. Run regionally by Port Vale Foundation FC, NCS brings together young people and helps them develop greater confidence, self-awareness and responsibility. It encourages personal and social development by working on skills like leadership, teamwork and communication.
As well as engaging in a number of outdoor, team building activities including archery, raft building and canoeing, students also worked together to develop a social action project which aimed to deal with a local issue close to their hearts. This year, students were keen to support two charities, Number 11 and Swan Food Bank.
Representing the NCS in their visit to the school, Jorgie , said: “The young people have all been a pleasure to work with and are a real asset to the school. They have really come together over the week and supported one another in more ways than one!”
Head of the Sixt
h Form, Aimee Williams, said that the school has been actively encouraging all of their students to take part in the scheme, due to the nature of the NCS’s work:
“Sixth Form in The King’s places great focus on enrichment and leadership alongside academic achievements. The National Citizen Service programme combines all of these attributes and we are delighted that our students are keen to participate in it.”
Team 1 NCS Video.mp4
November 4th 2021
KEEP THE CASH
This week, year 9 and 10 students have had a wonderful opportunity to learn about money and improve their financial skills in order to make the most of their future. This was supported by a number of sixth form volunteers who, as part of their 'Giving back' programme, worked with and supported the students through the session.
We all need to earn money and then manage our finances.
This day has given all of our students the chance to learn a plethora of key, personal, financial life skills that they will be able to put to use in their day to day lives. It was a fun and interactive session which allowed students to make decisions on all sorts of important matters, in exactly the same way they will do once they leave school and start to build their own life - 'I can't believe how much numeracy can be found in our everyday lives' Oscar R Y9
The key learning takeaways for the students were:
- how to manage money
- what the impact might be in relation to the financial choices they make
- applying key learning to real world scenarios
Sixth formers played a fundamental role in the day, serving as employers and bankers. This was a brilliant opportunity for sixth formers to develop their communicative and interpersonal skills whilst simultaneously engaging and building relationships with younger members of the school
‘I’ve really enjoyed working with the year 9 students today – watching them has made me realise how important activities like these are!’ Collin K Y13
October 18th 2021
First Aid practical
As part of our robust Sixth Form programme, students at The King’s have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of enrichment activities. These are provided to ensure that we leave our school with more than just an excellent grade profile. The enrichment programme is designed to help us stand out from the crowd and become fully equipped for life after Sixth Form.
In year 12, students are given the opportunity to complete three accredited training courses which will prepare us, practically, for the work place. This half term, we have completed a Level 2 VQT in First Aid and to supplement the theoretical aspect of the course, we were taken off timetable for the day to engage with a whole host of practical activities.
Throughout the day, we learnt how to examine a casualty and how to control bleeding and trauma – “I feel so much better equipped now to address a potentially threatening situation long enough for medically trained individuals to arrive on scene.” Leena H
Other essential first aid skills included learning how to treat burns and scalds as well as assisting a choking individual. Rather than sit an exam, we were assessed throughout the day by a qualified First Aider and because all of the demonstrations we carried out were successful, every one of us were awarded with a certification which is valid for three years.
Ebony Birks
Head girl – Y12
