Leadership Opportunities
At King’s we offer considerable leadership and development opportunities, we expect our Sixth Formers to serve as role models to younger pupils in terms of their learning, values and attitudes.
During Sixth Form there are opportunities for many students, nominated by their peers and by staff, to take on additional responsibilities as Heads of School, Senior Prefects, Heads of House and Cathedral Servers. There are further opportunities to represent fellow students on school councils and committees.
Our Heads of School are high calibre pupils who lead and represent the student body. Our Head Boy and Head Girl who are supported by Senior Prefects, are appointed in the summer term before taking up their duties each September. Students apply for Head of School posts and are interviewed by the Headmaster and Head of Sixth Form with the views of staff and their peer group also considered.
House Captains are elected at the end of the summer term, before starting their duties in September. Two students from the Upper Sixth are elected from each of the school’s three houses. The job of the House Captains is to take responsibility for the leadership and organisation of their house throughout the forthcoming academic year. Their roles and responsibilities include: chairing regular House Meetings, organising teams for all events and liaising with staff and other students.
The Peer Mentoring Programme encourages our Sixth Form students to play a responsible role in the school community and ensures that pupils lower down the school are secure in the knowledge that there are always older students available and willing to help them.
In Upper Sixth, all students take part in the Personal Development Programme. The PDP aims to develop student’s skills and experiences, to help prepare them for the world outside of school. Students have the option to take part in one of the following options;
Extended Project Qualification
The EPQ encourages independent learning and helps to prepare students for higher education. The qualification is equivalent to half an A Level. It is a single piece of work and can be undertaken on a topic of their own choosing, which may or may not be linked to their other A level subjects. For further information, visit the A Level Subjects page.
Certificate in Financial Studies
This Level 3 qualification provides a comprehensive introduction to personal finance. It develops the knowledge and skills required for young people to make informed financial decisions by introducing them to risks and challenges involved in personal finance and the tools for effective planning. For further information, visit the A Level Subjects page.
Higher Sports Leadership Award
This course develops coaching and leadership skills through sport, and is a nationally recognised qualification that contributes towards UCAS points. For further information, visit the A Level Subjects page.
Community Engagement
Sixth Formers at King’s are fortunate in the number of engagement links and opportunities which the School has, and supremely lucky to work in the environs of Gloucester Cathedral. Engaging with the local community is a central part of what is offered at King’s, and allows the students the opportunity to give something back. All students are encouraged to volunteer for at least one hour per week. The key focus is on service and engagement, helping our Sixth Form students to become active members of the community local to the School.
There are a number of options available, which include:
Gloucester Cathedral
Students volunteering help to keep the areas around the Cathedral clean and free from waste and litter. The School has close links with the Cathedral, and it is right that students here play a part in helping to keep this historical monument and its grounds tidy.
The Cavern Club, Gloucester
The Cavern Club is based in Westgate Street. It is a coffee shop and live music venue which is open throughout the week as a safe place for vulnerable people to meet friends, play board games and see a friendly face. They host mental wellbeing drop-in sessions, as well as an art space and performing arts centre. Students volunteering here are able to do housekeeping, serving in the café, and contribute towards the art and wellbeing workshops.
The Chamwell Centre
The Chamwell Centre caters for children and adults with significant mental or physical disabilities. Their purpose-built centre provides therapy, including hydrotherapy, and opportunities for recuperation and rejuvenation. It also offers a range of inclusive sport and athletics, including mixed-ability rugby and race running. Students are able to volunteer to do fundraising, 1:1 support, general volunteering at the Centre, or more specific volunteering roles related to sport and coaching, art, and design.
Heart Heroes
Run by a parent of a student in the current Lower Sixth, Heart Heroes is a charity which supports families of children living with debilitating heart conditions. It provides subsidised social events for children with heart conditions and their families. Students volunteering with Heart Heroes can apply for a number of roles, from fundraising and general volunteering, to specific roles relating to photography, art, and design.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army runs two shops in Gloucester. Students are able to undertake any aspect of volunteering work, from stock taking to sales and marketing.
School readers
Students are able to volunteer to work with a number of local primary schools, including St James Junior School and Kingsholm, as well as our own Junior School.
Engaging with the elderly
Re-Engage is a charity which supports older people who live alone and find it hard to get out. Our students volunteer, both to help out in local residential homes, and in communicating with older people who may be isolated or alone through Re-Engage, using letter, telephone, and virtual platforms. During the current pandemic, older people who are feeling alone can receive a regular friendly phone call from volunteers, and our students are excited to be part of this network.
