Small class sizes mean each student can be addressed as an individual, and a strong professional relationship between teacher and pupil is formed. Many of our pupils stay on with us so that they can continue to be part of this inclusive community, with familiar and driven staff and do so not just for their own academic success or personal development but to afford this chance to their younger peers through different leadership responsibilities.
Sixth Form students actively participate in the extra-curricular life of the school, from arranging Charity tea dances to refereeing sports fixtures for the younger teams as well as providing advanced mindfulness and philosophy classes to our Year 12 pupils to help them balance the academic with their personal and emotional growth. We have strong links with our sister school and have social events with them throughout the year.
Our students pursue a range of disciplines and career paths beyond St James. Support begins in Year 12 and each student receives advice pertaining to their journey after secondary education. Every student is advised on applications to university, apprenticeships and employment and all afforded the same opportunities. In the autumn term of Year 13, Sixth Form Tutors advise applicants on how to improve their personal statements, check their UCAS applications and collate the UCAS reference; interview practice and writing workshops as meets the student’s needs work in tandem with this and the strong bond between tutor and pupil means that they are supported throughout the process.
The Pause
At St James, we feel it is important to introduce our pupils to stillness and allow them to discover how to be inwardly free and deeply at ease within themselves. A short period of 5-10 minutes at the beginning and middle of every day is allocated to quietude in which pupils may meditate, contemplate or simply be still – according to their own spiritual inclinations.
