HISTORY:
Cardiff Sixth Form College was founded in 2004. As a small, private tutorial college it was dedicated to pioneering a new approach.
Combining small class sizes, excellent teaching and individual attention for each student, Cardiff wanted to nurture potential and strive for excellence in every area. The results have been first class.
Growing slowly by word of mouth, the College’s reputation allowed it to expand until it moved to the current site at Trinity Court in the heart of the vibrant capital city of Cardiff. The modern, spacious campus is an excellent site for Cardiff’s growing ambitions and a first rate location.
In 2009, Cardiff Sixth Form College accepted its first international students. Since then it has expanded with more and more top academic students from all over the world, investing in state-of-the-art boarding facilities and first-rate pastoral care. Cardiff Sixth Form College is a thoroughly multi-cultural environment. Proud of its diversity and global outlook, Cardiff now has students from more than 40 countries including local Welsh and wider UK students looking for an academic focus and pathway to top universities.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR:
There are many opportunities for students to participate in sport, art, music and drama clubs, some of which take place all year and some change every term.
Very student is a member of one of six Houses at Cardiff Sixth Form College – Franklin, Morgan, Wallace, Atkins, Seacole and Parry. A variety of house events and inter-house competitions run each term with points awarded for the winning house, leading to the presentation of the House Cup for the winning House during the Cultural Event.
The House events give students a chance to mix with other students in their house, get involved with community events, develop new skills and have lots of fun.
ENGLISH SUPPORT:
The college offers two-year A Level programmes, two year and one year IGCSEs and Summer Schools (Oxbridge Preparation, Medical School Preparation, Academic). The average class size is 15 students. All courses include intensive English language support and IELTS classes are provided for all international students. There is excellent careers support in terms of work placement, careers-based societies, extra academic courses and extended projects and extensive work on university preparation is undertaken for each individual student.
For A Level, entrance requirements international students take four entrance tests in the subjects they would like to study at A Level and are required to have an IELTS score of 6.5+ (academic UKVI module). For GCSE, students take entrance papers in English and Maths and IELTS requirements are 5.0 for two year GCSE and 5.5 for one year GCSE.
All applicants will also be assessed via a college interview (via Skype/Zoom if necessary) GL online reasoning assessment, application form, school reports and previous exam transcripts.
POST-16 QUALIFICATIONS:
Students receive between 24-30 hours a week of scheduled class time and in addition can attend one to one tutorials on a daily basis. Our teacher:student ratio is 1:7 – far above the national average – so that every student receives individual attention and mentorship.
ACCOMMODATION:
Around 85% of students full board at Cardiff Sixth Form College and live in three, purpose-built, modern boarding houses – Shand, Adam Street Gardens and The Neighbourhood – all of which are a short walk from the main academic buildings.
There are three different room types: cluster rooms, apartments and studio flats. Cluster room are shared by four to six students with single bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms in addition to a shared kitchen and lounge. Apartments feature two single bedrooms and have a shared bathroom, kitchen and lounge whilst studio flats feature a single room with an ensuite bathroom and a kitchen but do not include a lounge and are allocated on a first come first served basis.
PASTORAL:
All Heads of Houses have a great many years’ experience of working in the education sector and are responsible for the delivery of PSE (Personal, Social Education), educating pupils in areas outside of their curricular studies such as E-safety, healthy relationships and the importance of maintaining positive mental health.
The Deputy Head, Pastoral founded the CREATE© Portfolio, the college’s pastoral programme which has at its core the aim of creating’ learners who, whilst attaining academic excellence are independent, self-sufficient young adults with a genuine care and interest in others in the world. Each pupil individually picks three distinct wellbeing pathways working through activities and tasks in order to positively improve resilience, self-care and confidence.
Cardiff Sixth Form College also employs a dedicated Wellbeing Officers, who are experienced in many areas of mental health and have worked with children and young people throughout their careers. Pupils can make individual appointments to see them and can attend bespoke workshops based on a variety of wellbeing topics throughout the course of the year.
SEN:
It is a co-educational, independent boarding college for pupils aged from 14-19. It has been the top school in the UK over the past 11 years and has exceptional academic results. In 2021, 98% of all students gained grades A*-A and 89% won places at QS top 100 universities worldwide. The college currently teaches 380 students, around 85% of whom are full boarders, from over 45 different countries around the world and has two campuses - one in Cardiff and one in Cambridge.