Pupils in the Sixth Form at St George's are able to choose from a wide range of subjects benefiting from tutorial-style small classes and the close relationships with their teachers that such a context provides. These final years at St George’s provide invaluable opportunity for these young women to gain leadership experience, shoulder an appropriate burden of responsibility and influence school life and the girls lower down the school in a profound way thus preparing them superbly for life beyond school walls. As this Spring Term starts, it is a pleasure to welcome fresh, yet vastly experienced, faces to the Sixth Form leadership team at the school. Head of History and Politics, Debbie Kratt has taken up the position of Head of Sixth Form with Head of Psychology, Emma Shingles in support as Deputy.
In the first of two news articles, Mrs Kratt shares her thoughts on the SGA Sixth Form, her sense of the girls in her care and her ambitions for Sixth Form at St George’s in the year ahead.
'Sixth Form pupils at St George’s are just wonderful! They are very well balanced in that they want to do really well academically and yet they also want to be fully involved in the breadth of life at the school. There is certainly lots on offer for the girls in this stage of their education from running the new school newspaper to playing a starring role in the whole school musical, from representing St George’s on a sports team to standing in court at a mock bar trial, from reading with local primary school children to taking a lead on the Environmental Council. St George’s girls are confident to take the opportunities they are afforded.
They are incredibly kind and considerate, traits that are developed within the close-knit community of the school and yet they also make me laugh a lot. They have a great sense of humour and a marked sense of self-awareness and humility about themselves and their achievements. It will be both exciting and energising for me to work with them to reach their evident potential.
I want our Sixth Form pupils to dream big! I am looking forward to working with our fantastic staff and collaborating with the girls themselves to make sure that our Sixth Form provision meets all our pupils' individual needs, offers the opportunities they want, and the support required to achieve their ambitions. I also want to develop a stronger Enrichment programme. It's great that we have one period a week to talk about, amongst other topics, future careers, study skills, the university experience, well being or current UK culture, but I want to take some time to find out what our girls want to hear about and what they feel they need to prepare for life beyond St George's and ensure our programme reflects their views. I want to establish patterns of collaboration moving forward and make the Sixth Form experience more cohesive. Above all, I would like to ensure that when they leave, the girls are kind and compassionate citizens who are inclusive and responsible as much as they are ambitious.'