Why does sixth form education need a voice?

Leading a sixth form, whether in a school or a college, presents a particular set of challenges and opportunities, this year more than ever. The students are older and more engaged; they tend to have self-selected, based on their experiences of success as younger pupils. They are more suited to independent study and more ready to challenge the thinking of their teachers and their peers. Many experience the pressures of a life of study which can be at odds with their local network. Securing a place on the right course at the right university, or getting the right job at the right time, is difficult. Sixth form teachers have to help young people navigate a fiercely competitive and specialist transition.

There is no rule book. There are no universal answers. There is too little research and evidence. Sixth form education too often falls between the cracks – the Education Endowment Fund does not address the learning of sixth formers yet; the government too often treats sixth form education as an afterthought – even the funding rate is lower than for other age groups.

So, practitioners need to join together and share their ideas, solutions, resources, suggestions, hurdles, challenges, worries and requests. They need a platform where they can read the latest thinking, the latest research, the latest ideas – all focussed on sixth form education.

Sixth form colleges and school sixth forms have much in common – and some significant differences. They offer a broadly similar curriculum, though colleges tend (because they are focussed just on 16-18 year-olds, and because they benefit from economies of scale) to have a broader range of courses, delivered in an environment which is not very different from a university campus culture. 

But all sixth form educators, whether in schools or colleges, need a national network of peers, who can call on each other for ideas, information and support, and who can offer insights, advice and solutions. Blog 6 is designed to meet this need. 

Blog 6

The purpose of Blog 6 is to inform and support the development of good practice in, among other things, sixth form curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, and student services, with a view to improving study habits, performance, destinations and health.

Blog 6 is intended to make it easier for sixth form teachers and leaders to keep up to date with latest thinking and developments and to share their own ideas and insights in a community devoted to sixth form teaching and learning. It features thought leadership and case study content, addressing pedagogy, research and policy analysis. Blog 6 articles are written by teachers, leaders, academics and other experts. 

The blog is curated by the Sixth Form Colleges Association – the established voice of dedicated sixth form education and the hub of a national network of sixth form providers. The sixth form college sector is made up of over 100 colleges whose sole function is sixth form education, preparing young people for A levels and Applied General Qualifications, so that they can go on to university and/or professional employment. SFCA has accordingly been the home of specialist experts in sixth form teaching, learning and leadership for over 25 years and, at this time of change in public health, policy, curriculum and funding, is the influential voice of sixth form education. We invite any and all who are involved in sixth form education to make use of Blog 6 as a shared platform.

Bill Watkin is the Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, which hosts Blog 6.