Welcome to Ryburn Sixth

When Alex, Beth and I were offered the chance to help create this prospectus, knew the direction we wanted to take. How would we avoid something full of glossy marketing speak that looks great but could be describing anywhere? Sixth Form is about the facilities, the teachers, the courses and the grades of course, but it’s also about the people. We wanted our prospectus to be authentic and organic, so here is the story of Ryburn Sixth told entirely through the words of current students.

Ryburn is known for our Dance Academy, big stage productions, cool science experiments, lots of opportunities for volunteering and amazing trips all over the world. You’ll read examples here of the highlights for the students we interviewed. But, more importantly, they describe teachers who really do care about you as an individual and who will help you to reach your dreams.

Knowing that the students who have just left got the best ever set of exam results, there is a real sense of pride here. I hope that sense of possibility and that motivation is something tangible that you can feel as you look around Ryburn Sixth. I hope that you will seize the opportunities we have to offer, that you will come here to enjoy yourself, to be challenged, to be supported, to grow, and ultimately to succeed in whatever you want to do as you begin your adult life.

Name: Maia WorthingtonStudying: English Literature, Film Studies, History, Extended Project

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I’ve been at Ryburn since Year 7 and, having built up a good relationship with the teachers and the school, it was definitely the best decision for me to stay here. The support I get here means I am less stressed than I might be. Knowing the school and the teachers means I can go for help if I need it.

I chose to do my Extended Project on supermassive black holes. It allowed me to focus on something loved, something to run free with more like a university style project. It was fun and it pushed me further in my studies and matured me in how I approached my work. I want to go on to get a Physics degree, and I know that in studying at Ryburn I’ve made the best choice to help me do that.

This summer, I spent four weeks on the Ryburn expedition to Vietnam and Cambodia. We visited Ho Chi Minh City, trekked in the mountains and jungles, took a boat trip up the Mekong and saw some of the horrifying recent history at the Killing Fields. The highlight for me was a project building facilities in a small village near Siem Reap, which is a very poor province. It was great playing football with the local children and feeling like we were doing work to help them. The trip was so much fun. It’s definitely going to lead to me doing more travelling and volunteering work in the future.

Name: Calum GrieveStudying: Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Extended Project

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I came from another high school. I already knew quite a lot of people here: one friend did Media Studies at GCSE and he never shut up about it, he was always saying how brilliant it was. And it’s true, the facilities and teachers are great.

I like the more grown up style of teaching. In English we have debates about interpretations. It can get quite heated sometimes, but that’s encouraged. We learn each other’s opinions and we develop confidence in putting our own ideas forward and justifying them.

In the common room, there are vending machines and a café at breaktimes: it’s a social space. I often work in here, especially if I’m doing something with other people. There’s also the study room upstairs, which is a quiet space where you can concentrate on your work. Some people might be put off by being at a Sixth Form attached to a school rather than separate, but it’s not a problem. We feel very separate. We have our own space, we wear our own clothes, we can sign out when we want to. It’s not such a dramatic change as going to a big college, but you do feel like you’ve moved on.

Name: Rebecca NicholasStudying: English Literature, Film Studies, Media Studies

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I was new to Ryburn Sixth form, but I felt very welcome and supported from the start. The sixth form team have the students at heart. I have always felt like they cared about my wellbeing and encouraged my personal growth.

I did my work experience at a law firm in Halifax and plan to go on to do a higher level apprenticeship. I prefer to work in a practical, applied way rather than something separate and academic. It will enable me to get a degree, whilst earning money. It really makes a lot of sense to me to do that rather than going to university.

Something I like about my choice of courses is that I have a mix of BTECs and A-Levels. That means I have a mix of exams and coursework, and helps to balance out periods of intense work. If you choose only A-Levels, you have a lot of revision to do at the same time.

Name: Elisha BinghamStudying: Law, BTEC Childcare, BTEC Health and Social Care , Extended Project

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BTECs are mainly coursework based. On my Sports course we study theory, things like fitness testing and the science of sports. I’m hoping to go to uni to study PE, then do a teaching course and go on into coaching or sports teaching. I’ve also applied for a Sports Business course, which combines my other interest. There’s really a huge range of careers you can go into within sports. It’s a great thing to study.

The practical side of my courses has been the biggest highlight for me, like when my entire sports class got involved with the Sports Day. We helped out with all the different events and made sure it ran smoothly. It’s a really big event in a school this size, and I enjoyed working with the younger students.

My advice would be to really make sure that you understand what each course is about before picking it. Read up on it; speak to the teachers. I know a handful of people who chose a particular subject and then decided they didn’t like it. Don’t be that person.

Name: Lewis KilduffStudying: Business Studies, BTEC Sports, BTEC ICT

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I left Ryburn after Year 11 to go to a large college, but I found I didn’t like it there. The classes were too big. If you wanted to speak to a teacher you had to

book a meeting with them, you couldn’t just talk to them. I felt

like I needed more help and support, so I came back, and I’m so glad that I made that choice. 

I love studying Photography because it gives me chance to express my feelings. You get a

lot more creative freedom than at GCSE to choose your own

projects and focus. I’m doing a project on body image and

positivity as reflected through the media. My final piece will be a series of images showing just

how much you can change a photograph using Photoshop.

After Sixth Form, I want to do Child Nursing. To help me

towards that, I volunteer Year 7 and 8 Chemistry classes,

helping some students who struggle with reading or

understanding. I’m also a Senior Student, and enjoy volunteering

at school events like the Year 6 Open Evening and meeting all

the young students, some of them seem so little! We get to put our ideas forward as well, for example we are currently

organising a Year 13 Prom.

Name: Lillie BarstowStudying: Chemistry, Maths,

Photography

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There are a lot of advantages to studying at Ryburn Sixth. One is the small class sizes. Small classes mean we can give students a lot of one to one support. My office is always full of students who are working, who are asking me things. The other teachers are the same; students know they can pop in at any time. We know you, we know your strengths and weaknesses and we have a good relationship with your parents. You will feel cared for here.

Some colleges see their students more like university students - they expect them to just get on with it! Quite often, the adjustment to that after Year 11 is really hard. We’re a good halfway house between school and university, helping you to develop the independence you will need.

Ryburn is absolutely somewhere that the most able students can excel. The cohorts I’ve seen in my three years here are definitely getting more academic in their profile and got some fantastic exam results. And we have a great range of BTEC courses which suit students who learn best through a more practical or applied approach, including our brand new Science BTEC which I am so excited about launching.

Our aim is to ensure that everyone meets their potential, whether that’s an A* or a C, and whether you are highly motivated or need a bit more of a push to do well. We make sure that every single student gets to where they should be.

Name: Mrs Brenchley, Head of ScienceTeaching: A-Level Chemistry

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Ryburn was my first choice because Creative Arts are a real strength. The facilities are great: there are cameras, green screens, iPads, all the technology equipment you need, and the technicians are always really helpful.

I can express my own creativity through my choice of subjects. For example, in Media we did a stop motion animation project aimed at kids, and, as long as the message was positive, you could do anything you wanted - from Lego to Play Doh, stick figures, anything! There’s a lot of content to learn at A-Level, it can be full on.

I was a supporting artist in ‘Ackley Bridge’ on Channel 4, in all six episodes. I wouldn’t have had that chance if it wasn’t for my Drama teacher, who helped me to get the part. It was a really great opportunity and experience.

Moving from Year 11 into Sixth Form is good, because you have a lot more freedom. Overall, the teachers are more relaxed and friendly with you than they are in lower school. We’re becoming adults, so we need to take more responsibilty for ourselves.

Name: Jordan DarbyshireStudying: Drama, BTEC Media and Film Studies

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I chose to stay here because of the amazing support network. I have cerebral palsy, which means my writing skills have never been up to scratch and my fine motor skills are poor. Ryburn has one of the best and biggest SEND teams in Calderdale or even in West Yorkshire. They put so much work into making sure that the people who need support do get it. The courses and the workload are just as intense for me as for anyone, and the support team have enabled me to cope and to reach my potential.

Ryburn Sixth offer both Maths and English GCSE resits and, last year, I finally got the C grade in Maths that I needed - thank goodness! They are taught separately: you’re not in a class with Year 11s, but you do have to do plenty of work in your own time if you are serious about improving your grade.

I want to study Broadcasting at uni, covering both radio and TV. Alongside studying Film here, I have volunteered at Phoenix FM in Halifax for the past four years. I’m basically what they call a grizzled veteran now. As well as pushing me forward in the queue for a job or a university course, I get so much out of volunteering. There’s loads of opportunities both in and out of Ryburn. My advice would be to find something that you enjoy that’s related to what you do in the future and go for it.

Name: Charlie CrothersStudying: Film, BTEC Music,

Maths GCSE resit

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I love Dance at Ryburn. I loved it at GCSE, and I love it at A-Level. There’s a lot of work, but it is such a change from my other subjects. There are great opportunities as well, like our amazing trip to New York. Dancing on an aircraft carrier in Manhattan is something I’ll never forget! That was definitely the highlight of the year for me.

You get a lot of guidance from the teachers here. They are on the ball. If they know you want to do something like Medicine, they know when your UCAS needs to be in. They give you lots of opportunities and support your work experience. I’ve spent time with a General Surgeon, done physio with a Nurse and spent the summer in Poland on a medical placement where I got to see medicine in a very different light. School also gave me the opportunity to go to an Introduction to Medicine Day at the University of Oxford where I went to some lectures and made contacts with some current students.

My one and only plan is to study Medicine. My brother is disabled, and I’ve seen the difference that doctors have made for him. As cringey and clichéd as it may sound, I do want to make a difference and save lives. And there are so many options, you can be an oncologist, cardiologist, neurosurgeon, geneticist. Public Health could be an option for me. We studied medicine through time in History and I found that really interesting. It’s a lot of work to get there, but it will pay off. And coming to Ryburn Sixth has helped me to feel prepared for that.

Name: Emily WiggStudying: Chemistry,

Biology, Maths, BTEC Dance

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The facilities in the Sixth Form wing are great. There’s a choice of dedicated areas with the Lecture Theatre, the Study Room for when you need to get your head down and work quietly, and the Common Room where you can work in groups or have a break. I tend to spend a lot of time in there. I’m very sociable and I love having that space to chill out with my friends in between classes.

You’ll notice a big difference between lower school and Sixth Form. You are given a lot more freedom as well as the responsibility to manage your own time and do the work. It’s about your determination to succeed. My advice would be to do work as you get it, rather than leaving it to the last minute and letting it stack up and stress you out.

Some of the main highlights for me have been the amazing trips. It’s always fun to get out of the classroom, but it also helps you to understand your subject and apply real experiences and observations to what you learn in class. I’m excited about the Media trip to Prague which is coming up. We will be visiting a film studio and a TV studio and learning about the differences in European media business and culture.

Name: Sam AllenStudying: Law, Business Studies, BTEC Media Studies

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Find out more and apply nowwww.ryburnsixth.co.uk

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