Supporting Students to Succeed

The transition from school to Sixth Form andthen beyond is an exciting time, but it can also bring some challenges. We aim to support and guide students every step of the way to bridge the divide between school, university and employment. 

 

Who Supports our Students?

Sixth Form Leadership Team

The Sixth Form Leadership Team are on hand to ensure the right support is put in place if and when a student needs it. Mrs Sarah Thomas, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, oversees support and wellbeing provision at Comberton, working closely with academic tutors, the SEND team and the wider support team. 

 

Academic Tutor Team

When students join us they will be allocated an academic tutor who will have dedicated time both to get to know and to support students during their time at Comberton. Students will have regular one-to-one meetings with their tutor to discuss progress, help solve any problems that arise and agree targets to maximise their potential.

Each tutor group is linked with one of our Deputy Heads of Sixth Form who are there to provide additional support if needed. Tutors will liaise with students, parents and subject teachers to make sure that everyone is working together to  provide support and overcome any issues.

 

Student Support Team

The Sixth Form’s student support provision is coordinated by Mrs Thomas and consists of experienced counsellors and youth workers. Students can be referred for weekly mentoring, study support or counselling sessions, after discussion with Mrs Thomas about which type of support would be more appropriate. If necessary, students may also be signposted or referred to external agencies who can provide specialist support.  

 

How are Students Supported?

Wellbeing and Mental Health Support

Sixth form can be a difficult time for some students and we offer a range of emotional support options, both short term and long term, according to individual need. In the first instance students should contact their tutor, who has an overview of the student’s academic life and their wellbeing. Tutors are able to provide some excellent general support regarding issues such as exam induced stress and workload management.

All requests for more intensive, individual support need to be made by contacting Mrs Thomas, who will work with students to put the right support arrangements in place, either through in college support (as detailed below) or through a range of external agencies. Mrs Thomas can be contacted on sthomas@combertonvc.org.

We are lucky to have dedicated time in the sixth form for one-to-one support from the college’s Sixth Form Counsellor, who sees students weekly or bi-weekly for a defined period, usually six weeks. Referral to the counsellor is via Mrs Thomas.

Youth workers linked to WCCYM (West Cambridge Christian Youth Ministries), led by Susie Thomson, run a lunchtime drop-in session where students can discuss any concerns they have and individual weekly mentoring support can also be arranged through Mrs Thomas.

 

Study Support

Our TA teams are able to offer a limited amount of study support sessions to students where a need is identified. Students can refer themselves for support and tutors and subject teachers also have the option of referring students they feel would benefit . Study support can include help with prioritising work, managing deadlines and organising revision.

 

Exam Support

If students had special exam access arrangements at GCSE, or feel they may qualify for them, this will be coordinated by Mrs Harvey in the SEND Team. Access arrangements such as extra time, the use of a laptop, supervised rest breaks, or the use of a smaller venue are given only for a specific and evidenced need at the discretion of the exam boards. Students need to be proactive in collecting evidence during the year that they are using their access arrangements as their usual way of working.

 

Financial Support

Free School Meals are available to sixth form students who qualify for them – application is online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

Both the discretionary and vulnerable student bursaries are overseen by Mrs Carli Callander. Details and the application form can be found here and will also be emailed to all students once they enrol at the start of September.

Mrs Callander can be contacted on ccallander@combertonvc.org or students can see her at the sixth form admin office on the ground floor.

 

Useful Information and Resources

For more infomration about student wellbeing and mental health support please see our dedicated page: Wellbeing and Mental Health Information