Keep up to date with important announcements from the College.
17/03/23: A National Express West Midlands bus strike will start on Monday 20 March. Some bus routes (including the no. 4 and no. 6 routes) are running a limited service and the National Express West Midlands website as further details. Students should make every effort to get into College as face-to-face learning is the most impactful. For those that cannot, students can access contact with teachers in lesson time on Teams. Please look out for an email to students’ College email address with more information. Attendance will be taken for all students, whether on campus or learning from home.
15/03/23:As part of Young Carers Action Day, please take time to watch this powerful video from Carers Trust Solihull about what it is like to be a young carer.
10/03/23: The College is closed due to the inclement weather. Students should check Teams for work set.
06/03/23: Check out highlights from last week’s very successful Employability Fair for BTEC students and Year 13 employment seekers. Huge thanks to all the employers who attended to man a stand or deliver a talk.
27/02/23: Welcome back! We hope everyone had a great break over half-term. There’s five weeks of learning in this second half of the Spring Term – aim for 100% attendance to maximise your chances of success.
21/02/23: The Spring term resumes on Monday 27 February 2023.
16/02/23: Steven Joesbury, UK Student Recruitment Officer at the University of Leicester gave a presentation to parents/carers about Student Finance at Higher Education. For those that missed it, click the image below to download the presentation.
16/02/23: Learn more about the College’s Spring Talks & Tours event on 2 March and our application deadline at the end of March by reading the Birmingham Live article.
10/02/23: An Employability Fair for Year 12 BTEC Triple students and Year 13 employment seekers takes place on Thursday 2 March 2023 (1.30pm – 3.30pm). This is an opportunity for students to attend talks from employers from a variety of industries. Employers will give guidance on opportunities available and the best study routes. Student will be sent instruction about how to sign up for talks. All Year 12 BTEC Triple students are expected to attend (even if you do not normally have a lesson at that time). Among the talks you can attend are Performance Nutrition talk by BUPA, careers in Law by Gateley, careers in Television from the Producer on BBC Doctors, careers in construction by Tarmac and career opportunities within the NHS. Workpays will also be talking about apprenticeships, while Life Ready will be talking about skills for work, including CV-writing, making applications and how people present at interviews.
09/02/23: There’s an Employer Event taking place on Thursday 2 March at lunchtime in the Sports Hall. All students are invited to attend and it’s an opportunity for all students to speak to employers from a variety of industries. Among the firms attending are Solihull Council, Metro Bank, Ikon Gallery, Hilton, Glenn Howells Architects, Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Trust, the Armed Forces, Balfour Beatty HS2, Sydney Mitchell, SKANSKA and NHS Birmingham & Solihull.
30/01/23: Notice to applicants: The interview evening on 1 February has been postponed. If you had an interview booked for 1 February and you have not yet rearranged it, please login to your application portal and reschedule.
24/01/23: The University of Leeds is offering a Year 12 Futures programme, offering tasters in a range of subjects. The programmes start in February and March and the deadline to sign up is Sunday 5 February. Options available include:
Creative Arts Futures – https://artsoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/our-activities/online-events/creative-arts-futures
English Futures – https://artsoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/our-activities/online-events/english-futures
History Futures – https://artsoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/our-activities/online-events/history-futures
Music Futures – https://artsoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/our-activities/online-events/music-futures
Psychology Futures – https://www.healthsciences.leeds.ac.uk/student-hub/post-16/psychology-futures
Environment Futures – https://socialsciencesoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/events/environment-futures
Political Futures – https://socialsciencesoutreach.leeds.ac.uk/events/political-futures
20/01/23: Parents and Carers, are you ready for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW)? To get involved in having careers conversations with your child. Simply visit the Talking Futures website to access a parents’ toolkit.
20/01/23: It is National Apprenticeship Week from 6-12 February. See the list of events and links to sign up below:
Monday 6 February – Launch Day – sessions at 9am, 1pm, 4.30pm, 6pm and 7pm
Tuesday 7 February – Meet the Employers – 11am Derby Homes, 3pm Finning CAT, 4pm Unilever, 6pm Coventry Council, 6pm West Midlands Police, 6pm Doc Martens
Wednesday 8 February – Meet the Apprentices – 1pm Fragrance Supply Lead at Boots, 4.30pm Finn CAT Apprentice, 5pm Doc Martens Apprentice, 5.30pm Digital Marketing Apprentice, 6pm Mondelez International Apprentice
Thursday 9 February – T Levels – sessions at 12pm, 1pm and 6pm
Friday 10 February – Celebrations – 2pm Christa Bridges’ journey with PebblePad
Saturday 11 February – Parents/Carers Day – sessions at 9.30am, 10.30am and 11.30am
18/01/23: Mock exams take place from Monday 23 – Friday 27 January and the schedule is as follows:
Monday 23 January
09:00 – Psychology (120 mins)
09:00 – Theatre Studies (180 mins)
09:00 – Physics (120 mins)
13:30 – Law (120 mins)
13:30 – Computing (150 mins)
13:30 – Geography (135 mins)
Tuesday 24 January
09:00 – Sociology (120 mins)
09:00 – Film (120 mins)
09:00 – Music (130 mins)
13:30 – History (105 mins)
13:30 – French (120 mins)
13:30 – Spanish (120 mins)
13:30 – GCSE English (120 mins)
Wednesday 25 January
09:00 – Chemistry (120 mins)
09:00 – Politics (120 mins)
09:00 – Media (150 mins)
09:00 – Art (180 mins)
13:30 – Business (120 mins)
13:30 – Photography (180 mins)
13:30 – Religious Studies (120 mins)
13:30 – Geology (120 mins)
Thursday 26 January
09:00 – Biology (120 mins)
09:00 – Graphics (180 mins)
09:00 – Further Maths (120 mins)
09:00 – Accounting (180 mins)
13:30 – Maths & Further Maths (120 mins)
13:30 – English Language (135 mins)
13:30 – Statistics (120 mins)
Friday 27 January
09:00 – English Literature (110 mins)
09:00 – Physical Education (120 mins)
09:00 – Core Maths L3 (90 mins)
09:00 – GCSE Maths (90 mins)
13:30 – Economics (120 mins)
13:30 – Philosophy (180 mins)
13:30 – German (120 mins)
16/01/23: Team Gambia meetings are taking place on Tuesday 17 January (12.20-12.50pm) and Wednesday 18 January (12.50-1.20pm) in H201. Year 12 learners who are interested in fundraising for an impoverished school in The Gambia and visiting that school later this year are urged to turn up to one of the meetings to learn more.
11/01/23: The Summit Learning Trust are holding a Stargazing event via the OGDEN Trust for learners and their families on Monday 6 February. The presentation starts at 6.15pm and finishes at 7.00pm and explores the search for life in the universe, the James Webb Space Telescope and how astronomers search for new worlds beyond our own. This event is for the whole family and refreshments will be provided. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear and bring a torch with you if you have one. All learners must be accompanied by an adult. Book your tickets via Eventbrite.
09/01/23: Please note, there are no lessons for any learners on Monday 23 January to allow for an Interview Day and Open Evening to take place. The only learners in College should be those with mock examinations.
06/01/23: Mock examinations take place from Monday 23 January – Tuesday 31 January inclusive. During this period, Year 13 A level learners attend their exams, but have no lessons. This also applies to Year 13 Single BTEC, Criminology and Core Maths lessons. BTEC Double and Triple lessons for Year 13 go ahead as normal. Year 13 learners in pick up programmes should attend their Year 12 classes as normal (unless they have an exam at that time).
03/01/23: Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great Christmas/New Year break. Reminder that there are no lessons today, as it is a Staff Development Day. Students return to learning on Wednesday 4 January.
15/12/22: The British Sign Language Society have been learning how to wish people a Merry Christmas using the BSL skills they have learned.
14/12/22: Watch highlights from the Christmas Concert below:
13/12/22: If you gave money or food for this year’s A Caring Christmas food bank appeal – thank you! The Bethany Food Bank collected the food yesterday and were immensely grateful for the generosity of staff and learners.
07/12/22: The Autumn term ends at the earlier time of 3.30pm on Friday next week (16 December).
02/12/22: Please note that the Learning Resource Centre and Library will be closed for general use from 10.00am on Tuesday 6 December to the end of Wednesday 7 December to facilitate Criminology Assessments taking place under exam conditions. Thank you for your cooperation and apologies for any inconvenience.
29/11/22: There is a national strike by the National Education Union in sixth form colleges planned for tomorrow (Wednesday 30 November 2022). While inevitably some classes will be disrupted, we do not yet know which ones will be affected. However, the College will remain open and the classes of those teachers not on strike will continue as usual. Student attendance will be monitored in the usual way for these classes. The Refectory, Learning Resource Centre and Common Work Room will be open as usual throughout the day.
21/11/22: Wednesday’s Open Evening at the College is now “Sold Out”. If we get any cancellations, those tickets will automatically become available via Eventbrite, but we are not adding any more tickets for this event, because we believe we are at parking capacity now. Apologies to anyone who has been unable to book tickets for this event. However, there are p0lenty of tickets available for our Open Evening on Monday 23 January 2023. Click here to book tickets.
10/11/22: Exam boards set aside contingency days, which can be used if there is any national or local disruption to summer examinations. These dates this year are the afternoon of 8 June, the afternoon of 15 June and all day on 28 June 2023. Consequently, it is advised that candidates do not plan a holiday or be at any distance from College before 29 June 2023. Thank you for your co-operation.
03/11/22: Next Thursday (10 November) is Year 12 Parents Meeting in the afternoon and evening. This means lessons will finish early at 12.45pm that day.
02/11/22: Want to know why you should choose Solihull Sixth Form College? Here’s why our staff and learners think you should choose us.
31/10/22: Welcome back to staff and learners today following half-term.
21/10/22: Happy Half Term everyone! There are no lessons next week, but we’ll be back in learning on Monday 31 October.
20/10/22: Bookings are now being taken for Open Evenings on Wednesday 23 November and Monday 23 January. Book your place here.
13/10/22: Bookings for Saturday’s Open Day are open until 2.00pm on Friday 14 October. Book for Open Day here.
28/09/22: Twilight Taster sessions are running in several curriculum areas this term. These sessions run after school – usually for an hour – and involve a short taste of what it is like to study the subject. Find more information and book your place here.
28/09/22: Bookings are currently being taken for timed entry to our Open Day on 15 October. Book your place on our Open Days page.
22/09/22: Extra sessions have been added to the Parents’ Information Evenings on Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 November because of demand. Please refer to the email sent out or call 0121 704 2581 for more information.
20/09/22: An Eventbrite booking system is in place for Carers of Year 12 learners to book appointments for the Parents’ Information Evenings on Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 November. Please refer to the email sent out or call 0121 704 2581 for more information.
14/09/22: Please note, the College will be closed on Monday 19 September for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Lessons will resume on Tuesday 20 September.
14/09/22: Please note that Enrichments, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) classes and Supervised Study will begin week starting Monday 19 September.
13/09/22: ParentPay is the system we use for students/parents to pay for services at College (e.g. locker keys, fieldtrips, etc). Login details will shortly be enabled and sent out to parents. In the meantime, many services, including replacement ID cards, car park passes and items from the Refectory – can be paid by card payments – see staff in Student Reception. Deposits for lockers are only payable via ParentPay, so please wait for the email to get set up before applying for this.
12/09/22: Timetables are now being uploaded onto Arbor. If tomorrow morning you think there is a mistake or something missing from your timetable a Help Desk will be open from 8.30am in the Refectory.
08/09/22: We express our deepest sympathies for the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her dedication to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to our Commonwealth is unparalleled, and we thank her for her service.
06/09/22: Calling all Year 11 students with an interest in Performing Arts. If you are considering studying Music or Drama at A level, come along to a twilight taster session on Monday 3 October at 5.00pm to find out more! Book your place via Eventbrite.
06/09/22: Welcome back to all our Year 13 students today. A special one-day only timetable is in place for today and will see students attend one lesson for each of their subjects. Independent study will be set for the rest of the week while we complete Year 12 Induction. Timetables for the rest of the year will be published on Arbor on Sunday 11 September and Year 13 learning resumes on Tuesday 13 September.
05/09/22: Thank you to all those new Year 12 students who have enrolled so far. Late enrolment (by appointment only) takes place on Tuesday 6 September. New students are then in on either Wednesday 7 or Thursday 8 September for a half-day induction. Timetables will be available via Arbor on Sunday 11 September and lessons then start on Monday 12 September.
24/08/22: Good luck to all those waiting to get their GCSE results tomorrow. We hope you get the results you need for the next step in your education or training. For those with an offer to join us, check your email later today for instructions of how to upload your results and book an enrolment appointment.
18/08/22: Hear what two of our students have to say in reaction to Results Day. Congratulations to Haisim Siddiq and Kate Holmes.
18/08/22: Here is a message from the Principal Martin Sullivan for all Year 13 students on Results Day.
18/08/22: ITV News cameras were in College this morning talking to a selection of students about their results. Watch the bulletin on the ITV News this evening. Free Radio were also in College and you can hear news bulletins throughout the day. Thanks to all the students who came in.
18/08/22: Congratulations to all our students on a great set of results. The headlines this year are an impressive 98.2% pass rate across all courses. The pass rate at A level is 98.7%, with 54% of grades being A* – B.
17/08/22: Good luck to all our students getting A level, BTEC and CACHE results tomorrow. Remember they will be available from 8am via Arbor and the Student Portal. Senior staff will be available in the Learning Resource Centre from 8.30am for anyone who needs advice and guidance. Representatives from local universities will be in College from 9.30am – 1.30pm to help students with Clearing and may be able to make immediate offers of places.
16/08/22: College email accounts have been upgraded to a new server over the summer. All staff and students can access their email online. However, if you are using any apps on your phones or other devices, such as Outlook or Teams, you will need to logout and possibly uninstall and reinstall these apps in order for them to pick up your account using your usual login details. Anyone who needs a password reset can call the College on 0121 704 2581 between the hours of 9am – 4pm and staff on Reception will assist.
11/08/22: It’s one week until Results Day. Year 13 students were sent information at the end of term about arrangements for results, which will be available from 8.00am on Thursday 18 August via Arbor and the Student Portal. Students needing support or wanting to access computers in the Learning Resource Centre can do so from 8.30am on the day. Bobbie Pidgeon, the College’s Mental Health Lead, will be available for consultations and senior staff will be available for anyone who needs advice. Careers staff will also be on hand and we will have representative from local universities in College to offer help with Clearing to anyone wanting to use this service. Good luck everyone!
19/07/22: Students moving into Year 13 in September are asked to check their email! Information has been sent about their progression next year, about re-applying for a bursary and about the start of teaching in September.