The skills that you will develop will enable you to work with others, take on board your social responsibility towards the school and wider community and work out for yourself how to find out the things that you need to know in order to be able to thrive in the future. 

There are a wide range of opportunities, some compulsory and some optional, all of which will be focused on developing different skills. The most urgent skill that will need to be developed is working independently.  Our study group programme enables you to become more independent whilst at the same time working with others. Other compulsory elements of the co-curriculum include:

• Post-18 Preparation
• Mentoring
• PSHE
• Sport and Recreation (SPREC)
• Supervised Study Sessions
• Work Experience overview
• How to use study periods effectively
• Co-curricular opportunities across the school including the Science Journal (see links below).

In addition, you will be required to undertake two extracurricular activities for both Year 12 and Year 13.  Work experience is important so that you can build your employability skills as well as gain vital experience that could help you in your progression to competitive university courses or employment.

The extracurricular opportunities offer something for everyone.  Our “elite” programmes in sports, music, dance and drama enable top performers to develop under the guidance of expert tutors and coaches as well as to perform in the highest level of national competitions or regularly on the local/ national stage.  For example, in the last few years, NSB Sixth Formers have played in a national final at Twickenham and performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

You do not have to be a top performer to join any of our sports or performing arts groups though. Whether it is a recreational activity or support for younger boys, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved .  

We run the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme throughout the school.  This is extremely popular and if you wish to take the award you will need to sign up quickly at the start of the year!

We run a highly successful Peer Mentoring programme where you will be trained to mentor students in the lower school, who may find it difficult to settle. You will help them make the most of their time at school.  This is a very popular scheme for our Sixth Form, and it is also very rewarding.  You will see yourself grow as a person as well as being able to help someone else.  The younger students look up to the Sixth Form and really value the time that they spend with you.

Curriculum teams also offer opportunities for Sixth Formers to help younger students. You can work with individual students or small groups to support them in their studies.  It is not unusual to see Sixth Form students sitting with boys from the lower school in the library, listening to them read, helping them with their homework and also working in classrooms to support boys during lessons.

Sixth Form students are role models for the rest of the school.  Within the House System there are positions of responsibility where you can make a real difference to the life of the school. This will develop essential skills that are useful both for Higher Education and Employment such as organisation, communication, leadership and working with others.