Student Life

Student Life at Highgate Wood Sixth Form

Sixth Form students make an extremely important contribution to the wider life of school. They are role models for younger students and help set the tone for the high aspirations we have for all at Highgate Wood School. We have a Student Leadership Programme offering over thirty volunteering opportunities, including academic pastoral mentoring of students in Key Stage 3 and 4, running lunchtime clubs, providing classroom support and paid duties around the school. These activities not only help our younger students and the wider community, they also provide the evidence of social contribution and working experience that is so useful for Sixth Form applications for employment and higher education.

Please click here for the current Sixth Form student handbook

Enrichment Opportunities

Whilst there is a strong academic focus in the sixth form, we also offer a range of enrichment opportunities to ensure that our students develop themselves as fully rounded individuals. Students have, for example:

• Participated in a “cooking for university” survival programme
• Achieved a DoE Silver Award
• Taken part in World Challenge
• Enjoyed a residential activity weekend
• Formed the audience for TV programmes
• Investigated the law court procedures
• Earned a recognised RCN award for hospital volunteering
• Successfully completed a First Aid qualification
• Supported a charity’s fundraising event
• Visited the Cabinet Office in Whitehall
• Completed a challenge for the Mark Evison Charity
• Contributed to the 6th form magazine
• Took part in a business enterprise project

We have an established the Sixth form Enrichment and Leadership Programme which provides a wide range of opportunities for students to gain experiences, understanding and also enjoyment whilst they are at Highgate Wood School.

Social Activities

Throughout the year there are numerous social events which allow you and all the staff to mix freely in a more relaxed and less formal environment including:

• Charity sponsored events – for once you can do something for nothing
• Social gatherings – parties, a trip on the Thames, camping
• Trips

Careers Progression

All of you will have continuous support and guidance. Students have access to Unifrog – a careers guidance programme.
There is also the chance to attend:

• Summer schools • Day conferences • Preparation for Higher Education at linked Universities
• An evening with tutors and parents to prepare your UCAS application
• A number of sessions run by University tutors to guide you in making UCAS choices
• University and College open days

Tutorial and Mentoring

In Years 12 – 13 you will have a tutor or mentor who will be available to help, guide and advise you throughout Years 12/13. Your tutor or mentor will assist you with completing the forms when applying for college or university places and with other general matters.

Work Experience and Volunteering

Students are encouraged to participate in volunteering projects both inside and outside school and are supported to find work experience placements when appropriate. All Year 12 students have a week work experience.

We have very active links with the Royal College of Nursing and the local Whittington Hospital as well as links with charities and youth programmes.

The Mark Evison Project

The charity Mark Evison work with students who wish to undertake a personal project and will offer a grant to support them; we have students planning to make furniture, clean beaches in Cornwall, walking in France, as well as last year students making a wind turbine and climbing to the top of Mount Snowdon to use.

World Challenge

Our students have travelled to Morocco, Malaysia and Swaziland and have trips planned to India and Belize as part of the World Challenge initiative.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

6th Form students at Highgate Wood are all invited to participate in a Duke of Edinburgh Award as part of our extra-curricular programme. Students undertake a Bronze award unless they have already completed this and need to progress to a Silver award. For the Bronze award students complete a series of activities to show commitment to community service, building non-academic skills and being active in physically in a sport or hobby. At the end of Year 12 students take part in a two day expedition where they undertake two 10 mile treks and camp overnight.

Completion of a Duke of Edinburgh award offers students a great chance to broaden their skills and experiences. It is well received by UK universities as an indication that students have the range of skills needed to be successful at undergraduate level. Students who complete the award find it to be enormously rewarding as they work in the community and develop their understanding of the wider world.

For more information, visit the DofE site.

Model United Nations

One way that Highgate Wood School has been developing its international agenda over the last few years has been the growth of its Model United Nations activities.

MUN is a simulation or role play of the work of the United Nations. Students take on the role of delegates from countries who are members of the UN, and usually this involves the group role playing the functions of a particular UN body – for example UNICEF or the Security Council. Highgate Wood has competed very successfully in Model UN, winning the ‘Best Delegation’ award in the London Conference at their first attempt (and many times since). We have competed internationally, and have helped develop a sister programme in Poland through a Comenius Regio grant. So popular is the programme with our students that we have held our own North London conferences at Highgate Wood School with around 15 other schools involved and 250 – 300 students participating.

A Model UN conference involves debating a serious issue that affects all countries and deciding collectively on ‘resolutions’ – and reaching agreement on the best ways to take action to address the issue. MUN participants learn how the international community acts on its concerns about peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger, economic development, globalization, and more. MUN gives students the chance to experience, practice and experiment with planning, debating, public speaking, listening, strategic thinking, conflict resolution, negotiation and decision making. A guiding motivation behind model UN activity is that skills of conflict resolution and negotiation need to be experienced rather than just observed. HWS sees the development of this participation in the Sixth Form as an important component in the development of our students and their engagement with the broader world.

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