Why SM6 at St Mary’s College?
St Mary's College has a thriving sixth form with increasing numbers taking advantage of our outstanding facilities. This has enabled us to develop our range of courses for students of all abilities and to build pastoral structures that allow students to achieve their full potential.
SM6 has been rated as an ‘Outstanding’ sixth form since our last inspection and remains consistently one of the leading post-16 providers in the region. We’re proud of the exceptional experience we offer young people from the City of Hull and across the Humber and East Riding and East Yorkshire communities. Our staff are committed to working hard to positively impact the lives of our students.
Furthermore, our performance measures place the college consistently well inside the top 10% of performers (which is the highest group) for A-Level, Applied General and Technical qualifications.
Our results are well above all national averages.
We strongly believe that our academic achievement is rooted in our curriculum which is unapologetically ‘distinctively ambitious’ for all, but our mission is also founded upon our Christian ethos which is grounded in tolerance, respect and the recognition of the unique dignity of every individual in our community. That said, this is purely invitational and is not a pre-requisite to join the sixth form. Nevertheless, our Christian ethos does inform our pastoral system, of which we are incredibly proud. We have invested heavily in a team of committed pastoral staff, who collectively offer an unrivalled system of ‘World Class Care’ meaning we are the sixth form of choice for learners with SEND, EHCPs and other learning support needs. We recognise that all students have different needs; our teachers and pastoral teams are highly skilled in supporting SM6 students to realise their full potential.
Our pioneering team of Grad Interns are a group of high-achieving recent graduates who provide support and guidance to students both academically and pastorally. As young scholars themselves, they have a greater degree of empathy with our sixth form students and as such are in a perfect position to offer advice on how to balance study commitments with paid work, extra-curricular interests, and of course, hectic social lives. Our Grads are a highly-valued part of the SM6 team, and students routinely tell us of the enormous impact on their performance and happiness the Grad team have had.
There is also an outstanding extra-curricular offer at St Mary’s; an offer described by OFSTED as ‘as good as it gets’. For example, we offer a range of exciting opportunities for our students including educational trips and visits, charity work, drama, music, youth leadership, work experience, and chaplaincy, to name but a few. Our Catholic ethos underpins the Personal Development and Core Enrichment programmes which are part of every student’s experience at SM6. These integral aspects of the curriculum help our young people to build and develop the confidence, resilience and independence which enables them to grow and develop, making their way towards building and becoming the future of our community and beyond.
Our full-time dedicated Director of Careers and Progression has a Level 6 qualification in careers guidance and can offer students personal and specialist advice on future careers, apprenticeships, HE and other study options, ensuring they are equipped to progress, succeed and increase the chance of employability at the end of their studies. We have also established highly successful Academies in Medical, Health & Social Care, in Performing Arts and in Sport, which give students the opportunity to access high quality mentoring, enrichment, work experience, coaching and performance alongside an outstanding educational offer.
These programmes are run in conjunction with our partners in the NHS, University of Hull, Hull FC and Hull City AFC, national Performing Arts colleges and other leading providers in the region.
