Well done to all of our year 13 students who have been taking their mock exams over the last couple of weeks. Exams can be very stressful and if you need support in how to handle revision or exam pressure, please do ask for help from your tutor, teacher or study support tutor. Here are some links that you may also find useful:

Tips on preparing for exams
What to do when stressed for exams

Last week S6C celebrated World Book Day with a book tree of recommended reads, blind date with a book, pictures of people reading in unusual places, a QR code book hunt and of course, everyone was invited to dress as a character from a book. The day was organised by Emma McAndrew, Teacher of English, and she curated a really brilliant day which was loads of fun. Huge thanks to Emma and to everyone who took part and highlighted the importance of all things reading related.

On Friday, we recognised International Women’s Day. In lessons, teachers and students talked about inspirational women, whether they think the curriculum is inclusive and inspiring, discussed historical or current inequalities and the movement towards equality in subject areas relevant to them. Rebecca Anderson, Teacher of English and Pastoral Lead, has created this thoughtful presentation which is well worth seeing.

International Women’s Day 2024

Easter Revision Sessions
We are opening the college for a few revision sessions during the Easter break. The staff members who will be running these sessions are noted below. We would highly recommend students attend these sessions to get the most out of their time with us and help to prepare for their exams in the summer, which are fast approaching.
Tuesday 02 April
9.00am-12.00pm
Viv White, Kirsty White, Steve Price, Sally Tye, Lainey Hughes
1.00pm-4.00pm
Kirsty White, Sally Tye, Lainey Hughes, Steve Barrington
Thursday 04 April
9.00am-12.00pm
Viv White, Nigel Roper, Ben Hillier, Nicky Miller
1.00pm-4.00pm
Nigel Roper, Ben Hillier, Steve Barrington, Jon Usherwood

Don’t forget, you can still see the work of our art and photography students at the Young Gallery (above Salisbury Library), where they are exhibiting as part of the Salisbury Schools Art Exhibition. And this week we are celebrating British Science Week with animals in the foyer and brains in the dance studio. This is very possibly my favourite part of the academic year! 

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead
University and Apprenticeships
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.
Careers
Polly Wiggins is our external careers advisor and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.
Work Experience
There is a support session on Tuesday 19 March at 10.45am in the study centre. We can help students find a placement, access UniFrog and provide more information on length of placement and deadlines.
Funding 
– You have just under a month to get your Wiltshire Community Foundation grant applications in! £1600 a year for every year of university. Let Rebecca know if you need help completing the form. 
– There is also a one off grant of £1000 to help you with the costs of starting an apprenticeship.
– You are likely to qualify if you are on our college bursary scheme – but if you feel you need the support, then please do take a close look and contact them to ask.  
– If your home circumstances have changed and you think you might need a bursary, then it is never too late to apply: S6C Bursary Support

S6C Football Academy
Community and Education Football Alliance League

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 11 March
British Science Week – Meet the Animals
Tuesday 12 March
British Science Week – Brain Day
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 Assessment Week
Wednesday 20 March
Year 13 Parents Evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Thursday 21 March
Year 13 Parents Evening
Wednesday 27 March
Interview Evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
S6C Rugby Academy – rematch 15s v BWS 1s
Thursday 28 March
Terms Ends
Friday 29 March
Easter Break
Monday 15 April
Term Begins
Year 13 DC9 Assessment Week
Thursday 18 April
Year 12 UCAS Discovery Fair Winchester
Monday 22 April
Summer Exam Season Begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club
Monday 06 May
Bank Holiday
Monday 27 May
Half Term
Monday 03 June
Term Begins
Friday 07 June 
MLP Pupil Parliament Meeting
Monday 10 June
Year 12 DC7 Assessment Week
Tuesday 25 June
UCAS and Apprenticeships Information Evening
Friday 28 June
Year 13 Prom
Tuesday 02 July
Psychology Trip to Marwell Zoo
Year 5 Primary School Careers Fair at S6C
Wednesday 03 July
Pembroke Park Science Day at S6C
SEND Open Afternoon 3pm to 5pm

Well done to all of our year 13 students who have taken their mocks this week but there are more next week (see timetable in Dates For Your Diary) so good luck to those who still have exams to take. Exams can be very stressful and if you need support in how to handle revision or exam pressure, please do ask for help from your tutor, teacher or study support tutor. Here are some links that you may also find useful:
Tips on preparing for exams
What to do when stressed for exams

Our focus this term continues to be attendance and punctuality plus the teaching staff CPD focus is ‘checking for understanding’.

Yesterday S6C hosted MLP interviews and at the end of the day Ian Tucker, MLP CEO, made a point of saying how wonderfully polite he had found all of our students and how mature they were when saying ‘hello’. Huge thanks to everyone who met Ian Tucker and demonstrated how brilliant you all are. I really am incredibly proud of our college and our students are what make it such a fabulous place!  

Don’t forget, you can still see the work of our art and photography students at the Young Gallery (above Salisbury Library), where they are exhibiting as part of the Salisbury Schools Art Exhibition.

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead
University and Apprenticeships
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.
Careers
Polly Wiggins is our external careers advisor and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.

Sport Update
S6C Rugby Academy 
On Tuesday S6C played Rugby 7s matches against the mighty Bryanston School. There were lots of important lessons and takeaways for the lads. We were slow to find our stride in the contact matches and gave Bryanston too much respect and lacked self-belief and intensity in our own game. We brought it in the final two games and showed what we are capable of and beat them in the last game which was a pleasing note to finish on. We lost 3 games to 1.

Going forward and similar to a nightmare five minutes vs Warminster School in a previous 7s match we need to learn, start quick and be switched on from the get go. Also back ourselves and really go for it!

Things I took away from Bryanston:
– They kept their width really well and backed their catch pass skills.
– They were very physical and backed themselves both in A & D.
– They fought for everything!

For me performance is more important than the result but the latter will come if we perform like we can. Anyway, a useful learning experience and one we can build from. Moving forward – we have an exciting March for the whole squad. Let’s really kick on and have a class finish to what has been a really successful first year of S6C Rugby Academy.
JK (Head of S6C Rugby Academy)

S6C Football Academy
On Wednesday 21 February we played Swindon Town who are top of the league and looking for another win. They faced a good attacking side and we were forced to defend early. The boys defended and kept their shape very well and were not letting anything through. With good determination we held them off and went in at half time at 0-0.

After the half time team talk the boys were looking to attack them early. The second half started and the boys were looking for a lead in the game. After the first ten minutes we had a good counter attack and our striker, Aaron, knocked it in past the keeper to make it 0-1 to S6C. Shortly after, Swindon had a free kick on the right-hand side which was drilled in which then became scrappy. Unfortunately, our center half cleared it towards the keeper and it looped over him to make it 1-1. Ten minutes after Swindon’s winger was running down the line and went into the box, our right back clipped him and he went down leading to a penalty. The penalty was coolly taken which went to the left of the keeper to make it 2-1.

The boy’s heads dropped, meaning we had to just sit deep and defend. This led to a mistake and a corner to Swindon. The ball came in and a free man on the edge of the box slotted it into the bottom right corner to make it 3-1. Swindon were all over us at this point meaning they had attack after attack that then led to a through ball and their left winger shooting it past our keeper to finish the game off to make it 4-1. Ten minutes left to go now and Swindon were just seeing the game through. We then had one last opportunity to get a consolation goal but unfortunately was saved by the keeper. This then ended the game and the ref blew the whistle.

The game finished 4-1 to Swindon in tough conditions, and a very depleted S6C side were defeated. Shout out to Mica (Rugby player) for helping the squad in today’s game!
Ben Cooper (Head of S6C Football Academy)

Community and Education Football Alliance League

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Tuesday 05 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 06 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
S6C Rugby Academy – Dorset & Wiltshire State School 7s
Interview Evening
Thursday 07 March
World Book Day
Monday 11 March
British Science Week – Meet the Animals
Tuesday 12 March
British Science Week – Brain Day
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 Assessment Week
Wednesday 20 March
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Wednesday 27 March
Interview Evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
S6C Rugby Academy – rematch 15s v BWS 1s
Thursday 28 March
Terms Ends
Friday 29 March
Easter Break
Monday 15 April
Term Begins
Year 13 DC9 Assessment Week
Thursday 18 April
Year 12 UCAS Discovery Fair Winchester
Monday 22 April
Summer Exam Season Begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club
Monday 06 May
Bank Holiday
Monday 27 May
Half Term
Monday 03 June
Term Begins
Friday 07 June 
MLP Pupil Parliament Meeting
Monday 10 June
Year 12 DC7 Assessment Week
Tuesday 25 June
UCAS and Apprenticeships Information Evening
Friday 28 June
Year 13 Prom
Tuesday 02 July
Psychology Trip to Marwell Zoo
Year 5 Primary School Careers Fair at S6C
Wednesday 03 July
Pembroke Park Science Day at S6C
SEND Open Afternoon 3pm to 5pm

I hope that everyone had a restful half term break and you are now ready for what is looking to be a very busy term! Next week Year 13 will be sitting their mock exams. I have attached the timetable and wish all of our students the best of luck. Students are expected to attend lessons when they aren’t in an exam so that their teachers can help with revision and exam preparation.  

February Mock Exam Timetable

Our focus this term continues to be attendance and punctuality plus the teaching staff CPD focus has been ‘checking for understanding’.

Thank you to Dom Simmons, S6C Governor, for visiting us yesterday and spending a number of hours observing lessons and meeting staff and students. Dom’s role is to focus on Behaviour and Attitudes and he also spent some time with Rebecca Anderson to discuss UCAS. I look forward to seeing his report and his suggestions on how we can make improvements.

Thank you also to WSE Governor Sarah Botwright and James Lawton, S6C Vice-Chair, for coming in today to discuss our safeguarding measures and ensure that we are doing all we can to keep our students safe. Our Governors, throughout the MLP, devote so much of their time to our schools and we are hugely grateful to them for everything they do to help us and ensure we are the very best that we can be.

Until 16 March you can see the work of our art and photography students at the Young Gallery (above Salisbury Library), where they are exhibiting as part of the Salisbury Schools Exhibition.

And finally, I am really pleased that we have been able to install an outdoor learning space. This was finished during half term to avoid any disruption, and will be hugely useful as a space for students to gather in their breaks. We are also hoping that when the weather improves, some lessons can take place outside.

Fine Art and Photography  
Laurence Rushby – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography
In the dark room with year 12 photography students, layering two images as analogue process, resulted in some spooky, funny and disastrous images. Learning from mistakes was great fun and full of surprises!

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead
LGBTQ Month
February is LGBTQ History Month and we have been marking this in life skills, tutor sessions, on the plasma screen and in all subjects.

University and Apprenticeships
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.
Careers
Polly Wiggins is our external careers advisor and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.

Community and Education Football Alliance League

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 26 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 27 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 28 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 05 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Monday 04 March
National Careers Week
Wednesday 06 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Interview evening
Thursday 07 March
World Book Day
Monday 11 March
British Science Week – Meet the Animals
Tuesday 12 March
Brain Day
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 assessment week
Wednesday 20 March
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Wednesday 27 March
Interview evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
Thursday 28 March
Terms ends
Friday 29 March
Easter break
Monday 15 April
Term begins
Year 13 DC9 assessment week
Thursday 18 April
UCAS Discovery Fair
Monday 22 April
Summer exam season begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club

As we head into half term I have the tremendous news that this year we have received a record number of applications for September 2024 entry. This really has been the culmination of a lot of hard work from staff, who work tirelessly to make S6C the first choice for so many students and my thanks go to everyone who makes S6C such a unique and special place.  

On Friday we were raising money for Children’s Chance in an MLP wide Charity Fundraising Day. We had a cake sale, tombola and cakes were entered into the S6C Bake Off competition, which was won by Sophie Houghton for her Caramel Cupcakes. We have been delighted to support such a worthy cause. Children’s Chance is a Salisbury charity that aims to give children and young people whose families are going through hard times, or who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunity to do things that would otherwise be denied them, and which can so often be taken for granted. Thank you to Emma McAndrew for arranging the day’s events and for helping to judge the S6C Bake Off.

I have been sent the link to a fantastically helpful site for parents of young people struggling with a variety of mental health issues. Please go to https://thismayhelp.me/ to find out more.

Last Friday, WSE hosted the second MLP Pupil Parliament meeting. Mrs Anthony, MLP Director of Finance and Business, spoke to the students about the MLP Trust wide strategy for reducing carbon in our academies. Mr Wells, Chair of Environment & Climate Committee at Salisbury City Council, spoke about idling cars near academies as well as the work taking place around Breathe London with Dyson.
Idling Action
Breathe London (dyson.co.uk)
Students presented the progress made by each academy since the last meeting in November and worked in pairs to further investigate opportunities for improving sustainability across the Trust.

This week has been National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) and has been an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy. The theme has been ‘Skills For Life’ and we have been busy promoting apprenticeships and ‘skills for life’ during the week. To find out more about apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeships.gov.uk.

Laurence Rushby – Teacher of Art and Photography
Year 12 Art and Photography students are currently exhibiting their work at The Young Gallery in Salisbury. Please do try to visit the exhibition if you can – the standard of work this year is exceptional.

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead
University and Apprenticeships
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.
Careers
Polly Wiggins is our external careers advisor and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.

S6C Netball Academy
Match report: Pippa Alford – S6C Teacher of Sport
Our S6C netballers played against BWS recently and although we were without two A team players we did really well. A nervous S6C took to court which may have impacted on the score in our first quarter, losing 7-12 but only 5 goals in it. S6C dug in and every player gave it their all, settled and played some super strong netball but could not creep that score line back. Lois and Rio shooting against a strong physical defence, Jess, Izzy, Agnes, Tally and Arianna worked so hard in the C court, Sereana, Imogen and Izzy awesome defence once we settled. Jess outstanding with turnover on their C pass. Rio well deserved player of the match, movement in and shooting accuracy excellent. Great team performance!
Q1: 12-7; Q2: 8-7; Q3: 7-5; Q4: 5-1. Overall it was 32-20 to BWS.

S6C Bournemouth Football Academy 
Match report: Ben Cooper – Football Coach
We played Newport at home with the lads looking to pick up three points after their disappointing result against Plymouth a couple of weeks ago. We started strong and kept the ball very well. The first real chance fell to Dickins. A great touch by Max to slip him in and a cool composed finish to put S6C 1-0 up. We continued to dominate in the first half with Newport having a couple of shots testing Owen in goal. It was 1-0 at half time. In the second half, the boys didn’t start as strong as the first half, however we grew into the second half and our second goal went in with a great finish from Aaron. Carrying the ball from out wide, beating his man for pace and slotting it past the keeper. 2-0. Unfortunately, Newport would get a goal back with half an hour to go making it 2-1. S6C still continues to win individual battles as well as sticking to the game plan and refusing to panic. We were always going to score more and Ben Shering scored a header from an Olly King corner. He was on the back post to make it 3-1. At the end of the game we had one final chance. Max won the ball back and Aaron then put Max through from his darting run. He slotted it away to finish the game off. 4-1 to S6C. Great performance all round. 

Community and Education Football Alliance League

S6C Rugby Academy 
Bournemouth School 7s
The first 7s event of the year and the boys put in a great shift. Played some class 7s, showed a lot of fight and character and walked away as plate winners.
P5 W4 L1
Player of the tournament: Malachai Rabuli
Win against Bishops in the plate final capped off a brilliant day. Looking forward to the next one after half term. A lot of potential with this group!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 12 February
Half term
Monday 19 February
Term begins
Wednesday 21 February
S6C Football Academy v. Swindon Town (away)
Monday 26 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 27 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 28 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 05 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 06 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Interview evening
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 assessment week
Wednesday 20 March
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Wednesday 27 March
Interview evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
Thursday 28 March
Terms ends
Friday 29 March
Easter break
Monday 15 April
Term begins
Year 13 DC9 assessment week
Thursday 18 April
UCAS Discovery Fair
Monday 22 April
Summer exam season begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club)

This week we hosted the Salisbury Apprenticeships Fair, the second time we have collaborated with The Salisbury Education & Business Partnership on this event. It was a brilliant opportunity for our students to network with local employers and it was also really great to see so many children from local schools taking an interest in their next steps. Evening sessions for parents and carers proved incredibly popular and we hope that the event helped to answer questions regarding apprenticeships along with highlighting the many local opportunities there are for young people.

The Apprenticeships Fair kicks off National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which takes place between 5 to 11 February and is an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy. The theme is ‘Skills For Life’ and S6C will be busy promoting apprenticeships and ‘skills for life’ during the week. To find out more about apprenticeships, visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk.

Don’t forget that the deadline for applications for 2024 entry is fast approaching (Wednesday 31 January). If you or anyone you know is thinking of applying, there is less than one week to go!

This week we have been visited by two representatives from Challenge Partners, an education charity led by practitioners with a focus on quality assurance and sharing the collective wisdom in schools. It has been an intense and busy couple of days and I am delighted with how impressed our visitors were when meeting members of the S6C faculty and students. A large number of lessons were observed and although this puts pressure on our teaching staff, our observers were able to gain an insight into how inspiring and impressive our lessons are and how much work our teachers put into the college’s pedagogy. I am confident that we are doing a lot right and I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the scrutiny and working towards making improvements of real value to the college.

Laurence Rushby – Teacher of Art and Photography
This week art and photography students visited Tate Modern and it was awe inspiring to see the students engage both intellectually and physically with real artworks. A first hand experience is so important and cannot be replaced by an online visit. It was great mixing year 12 and year 13 from both subjects so that they could discuss their respective viewpoints. Students said they found reading the information alongside artworks really useful as they revealed a new dimension in the artwork that may otherwise remain unnoticed. There are many ways of understanding an artwork as it remains open to interpretation of the viewer over time. Each student selected their preferred work to discuss with their peers back in class and research further its context. For example the ‘Babel’ by Cildo Meireles (2001) presented a large tower made of hundreds of small radios all tuned to different languages. Students were surprised by and interested in this powerful work. On their return to class they researched the biblical meanings attached to the piece, thus gaining a new understanding of the work.

Lelli Butler – Year 12 Photography Student
On Tuesday, year 12 and 13 photography and art students took a trip to the Tate Modern in London. Our day started at Wyvern St Edmunds with their year 11s. We had an early start at 7:15, eventually arriving at 11:30. Year 12 focussed on ‘identity’, where we were able to find many artists and inspirational artworks to help us with our project. Our day was very exciting, seeing all the different artworks and each finding our favourites. We ended the day with a lovely walk around the Southbank where we were able to take in the scenery of the Thames and take pictures of all the different architectural structures along the river.

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead
University and Apprenticeships
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.

Life Skills
Last week in Life Skills, tutors and students looked at some potentially life saving resources, making sure that everyone knows the signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis. These links are well worth a look:
Meningitis Symptoms in Adults
Sepsis Symptoms
This is part of the next stage in the Year 12 Life Skills Pathway; Community and Values. Year 13 are now Looking Ahead to skills they will need as they move beyond college, they are doing a series on finance, using resources from Barclays Bank.

Careers
Polly Wiggins is our external careers advisor and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.

Adam Jones – Director of Sport
This week the S6C Football Academy played Plymouth Argyle. We had a tough task ahead of us and with only 11 players available due to injuries and illness we knew we had to put in a massive effort to compete. Plymouth are top of the league and unbeaten all season.

The game started off well with the lads keeping their structure and stopping Plymouth from playing through us. Plymouth however went 1-0 up from a ball over the top and a header for the finish. The lads kept frustrating the opposition and eventually more chances were being created. The ball found the back of the net from Max as he slotted it past the keeper with his left foot to make it 1-1. The boys handled the attacking threat from Plymouth really well and went into halftime level. In the second half Plymouth were awarded a penalty which was scored (poor refereeing). The lads continued to frustrate Plymouth from scoring more as well as having chances of their own. As the game was getting close to an end, the boys put on the high press and created more chances to try and equalise. The ref made a few more poor decisions before finally blowing the whistle for full time. 2-1 loss but a very good performance against a strong opposition.

Community and Education Football Alliance League

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 31 January
Applications close for September 2024 entry
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (away)
Thursday 01 February
Year 12 cause for concern parents evening
Monday 05 February
National Apprenticeship Week
Tuesday 06 February
Interview evening
Wednesday 07 February
S6C Football Academy v. Newport County (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Friday 09 February
Term ends
Monday 12 February
Half term
Monday 19 February
Term begins
Wednesday 21 February
S6C Football Academy v. Swindon Town (away)
Monday 26 February
Year 13 Assessment Schedule
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 27 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 28 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 05 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 06 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Interview evening
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 assessment week
Wednesday 20 March
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Wednesday 27 March
Interview evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
Thursday 28 March
Terms ends
Friday 29 March
Easter break
Monday 15 April
Term begins
Year 13 DC9 assessment week
Thursday 18 April
UCAS Discovery Fair
Monday 22 April
Summer exam season begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club)

Last week we invited students from St Joseph’s School to attend a science day at S6C. We absolutely loved giving them a taste of what a STEM lesson may be like if they came to study with us and looking at their feedback they thoroughly enjoyed the day as well. In the Biology session, the students looked at how caffeine affects the heart rate of Daphnia, a tiny planktonic crustacean. In Physics, Steve Barrington discussed centripetal force and demonstrated how it can be used to make a vacuum cleaner (with varying success). In an Environmental Science session, owl pellets were dissected and the contents identified and even the most squeamish students got involved. The Chemistry session went with a bang, literally, when the students created a methane rocket.  

“Fun practical sessions” “I liked all the practicals done today! Everyone was so nice!” “Liked chemistry – explosion cool” “I liked the teachers interaction with us” “Liked biology – cool little creatures and their affect when having caffeine” “I liked everything and it taught me more about the A-levels I am going to be doing.” “Best part of the day was definitely when the bottle flew across the room” “The teachers and staff were really friendly and the activities and practicals were fun.” “Environmental science was the best as we searched for bones in owl pellets.”

Thank you to the teachers and students at St Joseph’s for coming to visit us – we hope the day has inspired you all to come and learn more. 

Our students have been working really hard in their vocational exams. Well done to everyone and don’t forget your teachers and tutors are always there for you if you need any support.

In the Year 13 assembly last week we stressed the importance of early preparation for the summer exams. The phrase ‘Don’t wish for it – work for it’ was offered as the mantra for students to follow and all staff will be encouraging and supporting students to work really hard for the grades they want to achieve. 

We’re extremely excited to be hosting once again the Salisbury Apprenticeships Fair. This is the second time we have collaborated with The Salisbury Education & Business Partnership on this event and it is a brilliant opportunity for our students to network with local employers. This year, sessions for parents and carers have also been made available at 4.30pm and 5.30pm and these have proved incredibly popular. Please click on the link to reserve your place: Apprenticeships In Salisbury. 

The Apprenticeships Fair kicks off National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which takes place between 5 to 11 February and is an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy. The theme is ‘Skills For Life’ and S6C will be busy promoting apprenticeships and ‘skills for life’ during the week. To find out more about apprenticeships, visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk.

And finally, the deadline for applications for 2024 entry is Wednesday 31 January. If you or anyone you know is thinking of applying, there is just one week to go!

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

University and Apprenticeships
– This is the absolute final call for UCAS applications if students want a chance of meeting the external deadline at the end of January. Our internal deadline was 8th Dec but we do try to give any latecomers the best possible chance of turning their plans into action;
– Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice;
– Any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in;
– Year 13 had a talk from an apprenticeship expert, Mike from ASK, last week – who gave an excellent presentation on how to search and secure apprenticeships at various levels – including making a successful application and producing a targeted CV. We offer a full support service for those applying for apprenticeships, but it has to be responsive to the job market, so there are no set dates for the different stages. This means that students need to show a high level of initiative and independence, but we are here to help and we expect to be involved – we can help search, check applications, and prepare for interviews.

Life Skills
Last week in Life Skills, tutors and students looked at some potentially life saving resources, making sure that everyone knows the signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis. These links are well worth a look:
Meningitis Symptoms in Adults
Sepsis Symptoms
This is part of the next stage in the Year 12 Life Skills Pathway; Community and Values. Year 13 are now Looking Ahead to skills they will need as they move beyond college, they are doing a series on finance, using resources from Barclays Bank.

Careers
Polly Wiggins, our external careers advisor, is available next week and students wanting to book an appointment should message Rachel Cooke.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 31 January
Applications close for September 2024 entry
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (away)
Thursday 01 February
Year 12 cause for concern parents evening 
Monday 05 February
National Apprenticeship Week
Tuesday 06 February
Interview evening
Wednesday 07 February
S6C Football Academy v. Newport County (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Friday 09 February
Term ends
Monday 12 February
Half term
Monday 19 February
Term begins
Wednesday 21 February
S6C Football Academy v. Swindon Town (away)
Monday 26 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 27 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 28 February
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Tuesday 05 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Wednesday 06 March
Year 13 DC7 Mocks Assessments TIMETABLE
Interview evening
Wednesday 13 March
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Monday 18 March
Year 12 DC4 assessment week
Wednesday 20 March
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Wednesday 27 March
Interview evening
S6C Football Academy v. Bristol Rovers (away)
Thursday 28 March
Terms ends
Friday 29 March
Easter break
Monday 15 April
Term begins
Year 13 DC9 assessment week
Thursday 18 April
UCAS Discovery Fair
Monday 22 April
Summer exam season begins
Wednesday 24 April
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club)

Community and Education Football Alliance League

Friday 12 January 2024 

Welcome back to the new term! I hope that all of our students managed to have a rest over the Christmas break because the start of term is already very busy with vocational exams and year 12 assessments. Before Christmas, several students took their Maths and English resit exams and I’d like to congratulate everyone who passed.

Also before Christmas, our year 13 students took their mock exams and now we have their results, we will be working hard to prepare for final exams in the summer. If any student feels they require additional support, our teaching staff are ready to offer any help that is needed. 

Click here for the Year 13 Assessment Schedule 2023-2024

Apprenticeships Fair hosted by S6C – Wednesday 24 January 2024
All parents and carers (from all Salisbury schools/colleges) are invited to find out more about local apprenticeship options. You can book to attend 16:30-17:30 or 17:30-18:30. There will be a short talk about apprenticeships and an exhibition of local employers to speak to about their opportunities. You can find out more about the event, download the preview directory and book to attend using this link: Apprenticeships In Salisbury

Tickets are free of charge but you must book tickets in order to attend. The exhibition will be open to our students to explore during the college day. A final edition of the directory will be published, printed and distributed at the event. If you work for an organisation that has opportunities for school leavers, and would like to advertise in the directory, please get in touch with the organisers: info@apprenticeshipsinsalisbury.co.uk

The Big Ambition
The link below has been sent by Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, and is a national survey for children aged 0-18 to have their say ahead of the General Election. The survey is a great opportunity to teach children about politics and why it is important for them to use their voice! The deadline for responses is Friday 19 January. Complete the survey here: The Big Ambition

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Wednesday 10 January
Vocational exams begin
S6C Football Academy v. Cheltenham Town (away)
Monday 15 January
Year 12 DC3 Assessment Week
Wednesday 17 January
St Joseph’s School Science Day at S6C
S6C Football Academy v. Exeter City (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Thursday 18 January
Interview evening 4.15pm to 7pm
Monday 22 January
Vocational exams end
Tuesday 23 January
Art and Photography trip to Tate Modern
Environmental Science trip to Passive House
Wednesday 24 January
S6C Football Academy v. Plymouth Argyle (home @ Ringwood Football Club)
Salisbury Apprenticeships Fair hosted by S6C
Wednesday 31 January
Applications for September 2024 entry close
Thursday 01 February
Year 12 cause for concern parents evening 
Tuesday 06 February
Interview evening 4.15pm to 7pm
Wednesday 07 February
S6C Football Academy v. Newport County (home @ Ringwood Football Club)

S6C Sport Academies Report
S6C Netball Academy
In December we took a squad of 10 players to SWGS to play their A team. It was a well matched game in very chilly conditions and resulted in a very respectable score.
– Q1 was a 6-6 draw – we really surprised SWGS with our speed and structure on court
– Q2 we went 15-8 down after a change of players and some rushing 
– Q3 was a much better quarter, we slowed the game down and had more success turning the ball over and brought the score up to 20-18
– Q4 both teams scored a further 3 goals with the final score being 23-21 to SWGS
Player of the Match was Rio for her excellent accuracy with shooting and her movement and communication around the attacking third. She also did a great job of leading the warm up and motivational messages to the squad! Well done to Issy for covering her player and progress as WD. Talei developed her defence and showed bravery during a slip. Lois had a great stint as GK with Flo moving and shooting beautifully. Libby and Jess shared C and were an effective duo during the centre passes. Imogen was very strong in defence and used the width of the court well. Tryfena played with enthusiasm and overall did a great job. Coach Helen Glasgow is delighted with how well the netball team are playing.
Match report by Pippa Alford.

S6C Football Academy
S6C Football Academy 2 vs 2 Cheltenham FC 
The S6C team played Cheltenham at the Ringwood Hub just before Christmas. The group was in good spirits after a win against the same opponents two weeks before and started the game brightly, building attacks with good tempo. A giveaway in midfield led perfectly into the opponent’s game plan, who countered and scored. The S6C group then started to find success in wide areas, but lacked an end product in the final third and came in at half time frustrated. The group came out firing in the second half and after an excellent dribble from Tobet, squared the ball to Elshaw to score his 10th for the season. After a period of dominating the game, the team suffered from not taking enough chances and poor marking from a corner led to Cheltenham scoring a second. However, the group responded positively, and after some continuous pressing, they earned an indirect free kick, in which Cooper drove a low strike into the goal to equalise. 

Wednesday 10 January
New year, new win! Cheltenham 1 vs 5 S6C  
The boys hit the ground running into the new year and started the game well by playing at a high intensity and being comfortable in possession. They pressed well and got lots of joy from winning the ball inside of Cheltenham’s half and creating early chances. The scoring opened with great hard work from Aaron down the right wing to cut inside and find the back of the net. With consistency, the second goal came just before half time to solidify S6C’s lead. After half time nothing changed from the boys and they continued to find gaps in the opposition and kept moving the ball quickly. With this, two more goals came from Max and Ben. After this S6C continued to switch the play and search for more goals. Cheltenham pulled one back by pressing high and lacking concentration from the GK. However, S6C fought back again to make it 5 when JB’s penalty was saved but followed up by Ben to finish off the match and complete an all-round good performance. We march on and continue to climb the table. 
Match report by Ben Cooper (Head Coach)

Community & Education Football Alliance League

S6C Rugby Academy
S6C Rugby Academy 38 vs 12 Poole Grammar 
The Rugby Academy’s last game of 2023 was a tight contest, with the score 12-7 at half time. The team showed really impressive passion, fight and togetherness and defence set the platform and provided the foundation to win the game. In the second half, improved support and an increase in physicality on both sides of the ball allowed S6C to play their style of rugby with some well worked tries and excellent defence capping off a great win against another grammar school – great achievement! We’re really proud of the journey the team has made in just four months and we are all excited with the potential S6C has as a team. 2024 sees us playing against Bishops 1st Team, Peter Symonds and Beauchamp.

Bursary Support
If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link: Bursary Support

Online Payments on IRIS ParentMail
We are now using Online Payments on IRIS ParentMail – an online payment service which allows you to pay for college items quickly and easily on your smartphone, tablet or computer. We will inform you about items you need to pay through IRIS ParentMail, and you will be able to pay electronically, using credit or debit cards as well as PayPal and PayPoint. If you have an Android or Apple smartphone, we would highly recommend you download the free IRIS ParentMail App so that you can make easy, online payments on the go. To do this, simply search for ParentMail in your App store. If you do not wish to make payments online, you can of course, continue to make cash, cheque and voucher payments. Please note, your bank statement will display either Salisbury 6th Form College or IRISPAY, depending on your payment method. If you need any additional information or assistance, please use the help site www.parentmail.co.uk/help/parenthelp/ or contact someone in our office. 

UCAS
I would like to thank S6C Governor Dom Simmons, who has offered his expertise to give our student’s UCAS application forms and personal statements a final check. Dom is a highly experienced teacher and UCAS coordinator who now works as a university entrance coach so is well placed to offer this support as a friend of the college. Dom will also be able to offer some advice on improvements to our system and quality of references as we navigate the new system, all of which is hugely welcome.

ELF DAY
Last Wednesday we observed Elf Day in support of The Alzheimer’s Society and students and staff dressed as elves or wore elf related clothes. The Student Union sold cakes and treats during breaks and I am delighted to say the total amount raised on the day was £284! I’d like to thank Emma McAndrew, Teacher of English, for organising what turned out to be a really fun day. Emma is already thinking about our next fundraising activity so watch this space.

DEVELOPMENT DAY
On Thursday we held our Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Development Day. Our students spent the day exploring this important area of personal development and safety and there are loads of online resources for them to refer to in their own time. Thanks must go to Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead, for her work in curating our Development Days throughout the year and for making them interesting, informative and entertaining in equal measure!

ABSENCE
Every year, at this time, we expect there to be a small amount of staff absence due to illness and this year is no exception. In the event that a teacher is unwell, work will always be set for students on Google Classroom. There is a significant amount of work for students to work through on Google Classroom and there should never be a time that a student has nothing to do. Part of the college ethos is to teach students to manage their own learning and study independently and the absence of a teacher over a short period of time should not significantly impact a student’s progress. Please get in touch with me by email if you have any further questions or concerns.

THE BIG AMBITION
The link below has been sent by Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England. This national campaign is a survey for all children aged 0-18 and provides an opportunity for the children of England to tell political decision makers what is important to them ahead of the General Election. Dame Rachel De Souza will be sharing the responses with the Government to ensure that children’s voices are heard. This is a great opportunity to teach children about politics and why it is important for them to use their voice! Complete the survey here: THE BIG AMBITION – HAVE YOUR SAY!

MEMOTO
Memoto is a company that has been created by two S6C students and is a brand dedicated to subtle LGBTQ+ clothing which features a hug logo. The students pitched their idea to me and I have been hugely impressed with their products and the company ethos. Please support this brilliant enterprise by going to memoto.co.uk.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday 14 December
Year 13 University Mock Interviews
Friday 15 December
Term ends – Students will be expected to attend their lessons in Period 1 then there will be a staff v student quiz. College will close at 12.15pm.
Thursday 04 January/Friday 05 January
Staff training
Monday 08 January
Term begins
Wednesday 10 January
Exams begin
Thursday 11 January
Cause for concern parents evening
Wednesday 17 January
St Joseph’s School Science Day at S6C
Thursday 18 January
Interview evening 5pm to 8pm
Monday 22 January
Exams end