We are delighted to announce that we have a new Head of Sixth Form, Mr Ellmers. You can read his introduction below:

‘Reflecting on my own days as a Sixth Former at Sutton Valence, the supportive ethos that characterises all that we do at SVS stands out as one of the defining features of my own Sixth Form experience. Over a decade later, I can say with confidence that this community spirit has only strengthened. It is with this in mind that I now look forward to working with the Housemasters and Housemistresses in supporting all members of our Sixth Form throughout this important phase of their education.

In spite of the obvious challenges of this term, there has been a great opportunity for us to kick-start the Higher Education application process with the Lower Sixth, whilst continuing to cater to the individual needs and plans of our students. Having taught many of our Lower Sixth at least one language since the Third Form, I look forward to continuing to guide them through this crucial process as they begin their Upper Sixth year in September.

Looking beyond the short-term, there are exciting times ahead for the Sixth Form. As featured in the Newsletter last week, the integration of Miss Burden’s ‘Next Steps’ course will serve as a central component to our Sixth Form offering. As a firm believer in an enrichment provision that will increase the employability of our students in the Twenty-First Century, I am excited by how the ‘Next Steps’ course will complement the development of our already successful Upper Sixth programme, which we hope to shape around the themes of ‘real-life’, ‘inspiration’ and ‘aspiration’.

The Sixth Form is an exciting and daunting time: it represents a pivotal point in any student’s education and comes with an expectation of self-leadership, independence and responsibility. It is around these tenets that I look forward to leading our well-established Sixth Form from September.’