A key aspect of the Sixth Form at Woodford is our pastoral care and support for student wellbeing. This encompasses our tutorial system, PSHCE and RS provision and our wellbeing support offer.

Tutorial System

All students are allocated a personal tutor who will see them for a one-to-one tutorial every fortnight. The tutor team has specialist knowledge of pastoral and academic mentoring post-16 and tutors are responsible for monitoring academic progress and supporting progression. During the tutorial sessions students will have the opportunity to discuss their academic progress and extra-curricular activities, as well as any difficulties which might arise, be they academic, social, personal or financial.  Sixth Form tutors will also assist students when it comes to making applications to university or employment.

PSHCE Programme

The Sixth Form PSHCE programme aims to provide a well-rounded personal and social education, focusing on the three key areas of health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. The majority of the programme is delivered through weekly Meeting Times - presentations and workshops run by external speakers as well as school staff - and supported through individual and group tutorials. In line with Woodford's values and vision, we aim to develop our Sixth Form students into confident, resilient and independent young people who are ready to assume responsibility as members of multiple communities.

Some examples of Meeting Time presentations that contribute to our PSHE programme are as follows:

Health and Wellbeing

• Presentations from the RAP Project on body image and self-confidence 
• Workshops in Mindfulness as a stress management method
• Seminars from EWMHS on promoting good mental health

Relationships

• Presentations from Brook on healthy relationships and sexual health
• Seminars with Educate and Celebrate on LGBT+ awareness
• Workshops from Educational Equity Services on casual racism and micro-aggressions

Living in the wider world

• Presentations from the RAP Project on making the leap to independent living
• Workshops on financial awareness run by our Head of Economics
• Our wide-ranging Higher Education and Apprenticeships programme

Sixth Form RS programme

All Year 12 students receive statutory Religious Studies education as part of their weekly enrichment programme. This is delivered by our RS department, following the local Key Stage 5 RS curriculum, and aims to increase students' awareness of world religions, provide an introduction to philosophical thinking, and promote tolerance and respect through a focus on topics such as ethics, justice, colonialism and Britishness.

Wellbeing support in the Sixth Form

Students in the Sixth Form are supported in their wellbeing first and foremost by their personal tutor, with whom they have regular 1:1 meetings to discuss their pastoral and academic progress. Positive mental health and wellbeing also forms a key focus of our PSHCE programme, and opportunities such as Mindfulness workshops and Exam Stress and Resilience workshops provide further support for students to develop the skills they need to manage their own wellbeing. Students in need of further support are offered wellbeing check-ins with a trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), and counselling is available in school for students with more significant mental health needs.