History of the School
Cardiff Sixth Form College was founded in 2004 and is dedicated to pioneering new approaches to learning. Results have been first class. In 2009 the college accepted its first international students and since then has expanded investing in state of the art boarding and academic facilities. The school is proud of its multi-cultural environment and now has students from over 40 different nationalities. Since 2011 it has topped the league tables and has won numerous awards. It was acquired by Dukes Education in 2017 and in 2022 opened its second campus in Cambridge to cater for top quality students.
Pre-16 qualifications
Cardiff Sixth Form College offers Two year GCSEs One year GCSEs Subjects offered for the two year course include English Lang and Lit, Maths, additional maths, the three sciences, French and a choice of subjects from art, business studies, geography, history or psychology. On the one year course students study 6 subjects including Maths, English, the three sciences and an option of French, Economics, Art, History or Geography. In addition students have a supporting curriculum of PE, PSHE, politics, philosophy and ethics, communication skills, critical thinking, English for academic purposes, leadership and teamwork, uni prep and enrichment.
Post 16 qualifications
Cardiff Sixth Form College offers two year A levels and also a fast-track 18 month A level course at its Cambridge campus. A wide range of subjects are offered including: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, English Literature, French, Further Mathematics, Geography, Government and Politics, History, Maths, Physics and Psychology. Students also can undertake an Extended Project Qualification on a subject of their choice. Alongside the academic as substantial university preparation, careers and work experience, academic enrichment programmes, development of skills, critical thinking, trips, lectures, careers based societies, competitions and presentations.
Academic performance
Cardiff Sixth Form College has been the top school in the UK for 13 years. In 2004 92% of students gained A*-A grades and 97% A*-B. 83% went onto the QS top 100 universities worldwide with 14 students gaining Oxbridge offers. 35 students went onto study medicine, 16 to economics, finance and management, 21 to natural science, 17 to engineering and architecture, 9 to computer science and maths, 5 to vet/psychology and 7 to law. At GCSE grades as just as impressive with 90% of students gaining A*-B grades in all nine or ten subjects and 81% A*-A grades.
Boarding accommodation
Every student at Cardiff Sixth Form College has a single ensuite bedroom. The rooms are light and bright, university-style with large common rooms, art and music practice rooms on site as well as a Medical Centre staff by full qualified nurses. There is a full programme of boarding activities and clubs that take place after school and at weekends and external trips for boarders are organised on a regular basis to theme parks, places of interest, attractions and other cities. There are houseparents and assistant houseparents on site at all times and the college has won major pastoral care awards.
Pastoral care
Cardiff Sixth Form College is independent school of the year 2024. It has won major awards for student experience, wellbeing, Sunday Times best school in Wales and was awarded third best school in the world 2023 for pastoral care. We have designed our own pastoral care system called CREATE (community, respect, enrich, active, thrive and engage) and have a full team of staff to ensure individual students are well cared for. All staff are trained bi-annually in safeguarding and child protection and there is a full programme of personal and social education for students outside their curricular studies.
Extra-curricular activities
Students at Cardiff are never bored! There is an enormous range of extra curricular activities on offer including sports, music, art, drama, clubs, House activities, annual celebrations, social events and whole school get togethers. Some of the activities are staff led, others are led by our students. At the beginning of term we run an extra-curricular fair where students sign up to the activities they would like to be involved with and everyone is welcome to join an existing club or start a new one if they have a particular passion or interest.
General school facilities
At our Cardiff campus the school comprises classrooms, labs, study areas, library, computer science areas, school canteen, common rooms and two modern boarding houses with ensuite single bedrooms, common rooms, art rooms, music practice areas and Medical Centre. At our Cambridge campus the academic area includes classrooms, admin rooms and common rooms, science labs and preparation rooms, Medical Centre and school canteen and the boarding houses have single, ensuite bedrooms, small kitchens and common room areas and mixed common rooms as well as outdoor areas for table tennis, volleyball, BBQs and picnics.
