Moorlands Sixth Form College is a unique collaboration of three local high schools; creating a high achieving joint Sixth Form with a fantastic choice of A level and vocational course combinations. The College is the Sixth Form for Painsley Catholic College, The Cheadle Academy and Moorside High School, and it also welcomes many students from other high schools. Based on its own site in Cheadle, the College has a number of excellent specialist College based staff and draws on an unrivalled pool of excellent A level and post 16 staff from the partnership schools. The College is managed and run by a Management Committee made up of the headteachers of the three partnership high schools plus the Director of Sixth Form. This unique arrangement brings together the best of three very successful high schools for the benefit of students in the Moorlands area. As a College with a reputation for academic success and student engagement, we have very clear aims and expectations for ourselves and our students.

We aim to:

• provide the best possible choice for our students
• achieve the highest academic standards through excellent teaching and positive relationships
• provide support to enable students of all abilities to make a successful transition to post 16 advanced study
• develop positive attitudes, individual talents, interests and social skills And for Painsley students to:
• maintain the Catholic ethos based on Gospel values

Providing the best possible choice for our students

The Moorlands Sixth Form College offers a wide range of learning programmes which are suited to individual needs. The choice of A level courses is exceptionally wide and it is possible to combine academic A level study with a number of applied or vocational choices. These are available in different combinations to suit the interests of students.

Your Learning Programme is put together after discussion between you and our experienced course advisors who will ensure that you have a combination of subjects suited to your individual needs and aspirations. A unique feature of our successful partnership is that courses can be offered in a wide variety of combinations to provide our students with maximum choice and flexibility.

Our learning environment provides excellent facilities for post 16 studies, with a wide range of specialist rooms and equipment specifically customised for post 16 subjects including modern laboratories in all sciences, a contemporary vocational suite, drama studio, purposely fitted Music Technology and Media rooms, dedicated Art, Textiles and Photography studios and a plethora of ICT suites for a wide variety of subjects plus access to sports facilities for both curricular and extra-curricular use.

We want our students to achieve the highest academic standards

Students who join the Moorlands Sixth Form College can expect excellent teaching which engages and challenges them to think for themselves, develop informed opinions and enjoy articulate debate. The College is, for many of our students, the first step towards an academic career at university. It is essential that our students develop the enjoyment of their chosen field of study as well as the ability to work independently and with sustained focus. This will lead to each student achieving challenging target grades.

Our teaching staff are drawn from the most experienced A level teachers from the three schools in the Partnership as well as some who specialise in post 16 teaching and learning who are based solely at the College. This unique provision means that students from the three schools have some continuity with staff who know them well and, in addition, meet a wide range of other students and new teachers. Students who join us from other schools soon integrate into this stimulating learning environment.

In addition to the skilled teaching staff the Moorlands Sixth Form College also has a team of specialist support staff who are available to assist you in areas such as examinations, sciences, IT, finance and administration issues as you progress through your post 16 education.

We want our students to achieve the highest academic standards

Teachers and students work together with an emphasis on mutual respect and positive relationships. Students are expected to work within the College guidelines on behaviour, dress and work completion but also to develop responsibility for their own learning and success through engaging in private study and personal research. Our expectation is that students are in College to study and work hard to achieve the best possible grades. Our Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator provides support for students who need to aim for the highest possible academic standards including ensuring that these students aim for the Russell Group universities and the most challenging Higher Education courses. We have an experienced Careers Adviser in College regularly to provide additional information to aid future choices.

We aim to enable students of all abilities to make a successful transition to post 16 advanced studies

Students at the Moorlands Sixth Form College are expected to organise themselves and take responsibility for their own learning to prepare them for lifelong learning. This transition from a school pupil to an independent learner can be a daunting experience for some young adults. The College therefore provides support in the form of individual guidance, structure and careful tracking of progress to aid the transition from GCSE to post 16. Students at the Moorlands Sixth Form College:

• will have a Personal Tutor who meets the student every day and can provide support on a daily basis. The tutor will monitor overall progress on the learning programme that the student has embarked on and can refer the student for more specialist support, for example from the Careers Adviser. The Personal Tutor will also help all students to integrate and feel part of a varied College community
• will have a Head of Year [who is part of the College Inclusion Team] who can provide additional support to a student experiencing particular or more complex difficulties. Heads of Year get to know their students well and liaise with feeder schools to provide continuity of support where necessary
• will have access to more specialist support from the Co-ordinator for Students with Additional Needs, for example, Gifted and Talented students or students with dyslexia or other barriers to learning We aim to enable students of all abilities to make a successful transition to post 16 advanced studies Students at the Moorlands Sixth Form College:
• will be expected to attend some timetabled private study time in College. This will help all students to develop good independent study habits
• will have progress on every course tracked carefully and consistently by subject teachers who will provide verbal and written feedback throughout the year to enable students to succeed
• will work collaboratively with teachers to ensure that they are working towards reaching their target grades through regular formative assessment and tracking. Through one to one tutor sessions plus employment and university workshops, visits and presentations, we seek to broaden students’ horizons and prospects and to support them in achieving their aspirations.