Developing their Sixth Sense: the Lower Sixth festival

Fresh from their end of year exams, this week saw the Lower Sixth start their transition to their final year at school with a series of focused sessions as part of the Sixth Sense Festival. 

Inspiring talks from war photographer Rick Findler and author/podcaster Shaun Attwood challenged the pupils to think about the choices they make and the possibilities that lie beyond the Moss Gates. These talks, part of the Sixth Form Personal and Social Development programme, were interspersed with various tutorials and workshops on taking the next steps, as well as preparation for their role as mentors to next year’s Third Form.

One of the UCAS sessions saw the Lower Sixth take on the role of Admissions Tutors, assessing three applications to identify what to avoid when writing the Personal Statement.  With the reformed statement coming in this year, it was an excellent chance to reverse the mirror and assess exactly what they need to convey – not least avoiding the word ‘passion’.  Equally, they were tasked with how to use AI effectively, to their benefit and within the rules of the game. This was then transferred into an extended tutorial with their tutor, where they used the lessons learnt to start the planning process, as getting something written down on paper is a key milestone in their journey.  Finally, we were delighted to welcome interview expert and ex-journalist Kate Chacksfield to run a workshop on the art of the interview, where she went through the key things to remember and some top tips to impress. 

As part of our mentoring programme, the Lower Sixth heard from OS Ed Johnson, who, having recently sold the business he set up focusing on mentoring in the workplace, has just started another business that looks at boosting productivity through social accountability. His status as an entrepreneur saw him included in Forbes’ 30 under 30.  They then moved into the nuts and bolts of how they will mentor the incoming Third Form next year, with specialist staff and their Housemasters and Housemistresses.

Post Shrewsbury planning will continue over the summer, as they identify the right options for them.  We look forward to supporting them on that journey as they morph into the Upper Sixth.  tempus fugit.

Toby Percival

Head of Sixth Form