Sutton High Sixth Form – October Highlights

Fiercely Beyond the Classroom

At the beginning of October our Year 12s enjoyed a fantastic day in London as part of our Fiercely Beyond enrichment programme, visiting the V&A East Museum and V&A Storehouse. A particular highlight was The Music Is Black exhibition, which gave students the opportunity to explore the influence of Black music and culture through a thought-provoking and engaging collection of exhibits.

One of the key aims of our enrichment programme is to encourage students to look beyond traditional sources of research and discover the many different ways we can learn about the world around us. Museums, exhibitions and cultural spaces offer valuable perspectives that cannot always be found in books or articles, and it was wonderful to see students embracing these opportunities with curiosity and enthusiasm.

The day was not just educational; it was also a chance for students to spend time together outside school, enjoy lunch, and explore Westfield! These shared experiences are an important part of Sixth Form life, helping students build friendships, confidence and independence. It was a pleasure to take such a positive group of students on the trip, and we look forward to even more opportunities for them to broaden their horizons, and have fun, over the next two years.

Reesa has shared her thoughts on the trip:

Last week, us year 12s had the honour of visiting the V & A museum storehouse. We first visited the branch of the museum where a vast range of art is stored, it was not exactly an exhibition, but nevertheless it was rich in culture and inspiration. Personally, it highlighted that wherever and however art is displayed, it never lacks meaning and it reflected wider social and historical contexts. We came across pieces going as far back as the 16th century! 

We then moved to the V & A museum and explored the The Music is Black: A British Story: The Music is Black: A British Story – Exhibition at V&A East Museum · V&A.

We were greeted with an interactive exhibition, where we were given headphones with music that changed as we perused through the exhibition. There was a range of music and artefacts on display, guiding us through the story of Black music, all the way to the modern-day artists including Stormzy, Tems, and Olivia Dean. The link back to modern day really resonated with our year group, allowing us to relate and enjoy a makeshift listening party at the end!

Overall, this trip was very fulfilling and captivating, and showed us that research and history doesn’t always come from books, but from experience and practical means. 

Reesa, Year 12 VICCA 

Fiercely Prepared for the Future

In our Fiercely Beyond enrichment lessons this week we made the most of both our new Sixth Form building and our opportunities as part of the GDST!

Year 12 had a GDST CareerStart session led by Karen Kimura and supported by Issy Wennerlund, both from the GDST, on presentation skills. The session was fun and interactive while also imparting a raft of incredibly important skills, that Year 12 will increasingly need as they move on to further education and the world of work. These skills will also come in handy in January, when Year 12 are presenting the outcomes of the Wider Reading Project that they have just been set.

During the session Karen asked students to create a presentation with three points about their favourite place, and one student spoke about Café 1884 (our new Sixth Form Café) saying it was cheap, convenient and that Andrea is always kind. It is wonderful to hear how appreciative our students are of their new space!

While Year 12 were learning how to present, Year 13 were learning how to present themselves! Their session was also arranged by the GDST, as part of the CarreerStart programme that they offer all schools, and was led by Fiona Ingham. Fiona is a Gold Star Personal Stylist and Colour Analyst and has her own very successful business: @houseofcolourfionaingham.

Fiona’s interactive session gives practical advice to students on how to present yourself in the best possible way for interview, while maintaining your own sense of style and individuality. Two luck students even had a mini colour analysis! With university, apprenticeship and job interviews in the near future for most of our Year 13s, we hope this session has given them the confidence to be themselves while making an impact on any room they walk into!