Get Ready for Sixth Form

Over the summer, up until you enrol with us, you will experience a variety of activities that will help your transition from high school to college.

Watch our short video below to find out what you can expect:

get ready, get on the platform

Get On The Platform is part of our summer transition programme aimed to give you a taster of the subjects you are interested in and get to know college staff and other like-minded students.

We want you to be confident in your choices on this next stage of your educational journey and the Get On The Platform has been tailored specifically to help you achieve this.

On Get On The Platform, you can sample the subjects that you are interested in the most by having a go at some fun and exciting activities (more information about these activities is further down in this newsletter). These activities will give you a better understanding of each subject so that you know that you have made the right choices before you enrol.

Each subject has its own dedicated channel where college staff will:

Schedule live chats and Q&A’s with teachers.
Create spaces to chat with like-minded students.
Post fun and engaging tasks to complete.
Suggest resources from podcasts, books, videos, and more.

HOW TO LOGIN: GET ON THE PLATFORM

Get On The Platform has been created in Microsoft Teams which some of you may be familiar with. You will access the Platform via the Microsoft Teams here. You will need to log into the MySFC Hub using your college Microsoft login details which are:

Your username is your student email address, which is your student ID followed by @sfc.potteries.ac.uk. Your student ID will be included in your Get Ready for Sixth Form Pack which has been posted to your home address.
Your password is Sfc + your date of birth written in a six-digit format i.e. If you were born on the 3rd October 2007 your password would be Sfc031005.

If you are struggling with accessing or how to use the Platform do not worry, we have created two short step-by-step videos below:

Can’t attend Get Ready, Get Informed? Want to change the subjects you have chosen? Or if you have any questions about our Get Ready for Sixth Form programme then please get in touch with us, our friendly Admissions team will be happy to help you!

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get ready, get informed

If you have made an application with us, you will be invited to attend Get Ready, Get Informed. This is a one-day event where you will attend college and experience tasters of the subjects you have applied for.

Closer to the date of this event you should receive a postal invite including a booklet with further information.

Ben
Holland-Fricke

A Day In The life

Meet Ben, a current student studying A Level Music and BTEC Film and Television Production. Ben would like to share how he typically spends his day as a Sixth Form College student. Interested in finding out? Take a look below

Ben's day at College

9:00am My first lesson of the day is Music. Currently, we are revising the development of the symphony and trying some past paper questions to prepare for exams. This lesson lasts for an hour and a half.
10:30am After my music lesson I have a break. I like to spend this time hanging out with friends or playing violin in one of the practice rooms.
11:00am This is a free period for me, so I spend the time doing homework, revising, and completing coursework. I normally do this in the LRC, but sometimes I use the classroom S33, as the computers in there have the software that I need to complete some of my TV and Film work, such as Adobe Premiere Pro for editing.
12:30pm At this time I break for my lunch. I meet my friends and we often go down to the refectory or to Costa to get a snack or a drink.
13:00pm I have my first TV and Film lesson of the day. Today we are carrying on with our latest assignment, which is about sound editing.
2:30pm We have a short ten-minute break in between lessons here. Me and my friends usually stay in S33 during this time and just have a quick chat before the next lesson begins.
2:40pm This is my last lesson of the day, TV and Film again. TV and Film Production is a BTEC Diploma, meaning it is equivalent to 2 A-Levels and double the number of lessons! For this lesson we have a different teacher and study a different part of the course. In this case, it is stop motion, and we are making our own stop motion films!
4:10pm This is the end of the college day for second years, but I’m not finished! On this day I go to Kilnworx Climbing Centre with college (on the minibus!) to do indoor climbing, one of the many extracurricular activities they offer here.
6:20pm By this time I am back at college, and I make my way home.

Trudie Allen

A Week In The life

Meet Trudie, a current student studying A Level Biology, Chemistry & Maths. Trudie would like to share how she typically spends her week as a Sixth Form Student.

Monday

My lessons begin at 10:30, the perfect opportunity to get prepared for the week ahead at home or, more often than not, have a lie in! I have lessons for all 3 subjects, each lesson lasts for 90 minutes and often entail learning about content along with some exam questions or a worksheet for extra practice at home.
I attend MDV society: an hour-long session discussing ethics and skills for our chosen career path, discuss the application process or compare experiences with each other.
Tuesday

As part of the MDV Society, I have a special 3-day timetable where our free periods are condensed to allow me 2 whole days to do work experience placements and get the hours needed for university applications. Additionally, one of the main parts of being the Chemistry Course Representative means that I have a meeting once per half term with the science department for student feedback and ways to improve the course that is held on a Tuesday morning.
Wednesday

Aside from my 3 subjects, we also get some time off in the afternoon to engage in some of the college’s societies or sporting and extracurricular activities. Personally, I am completing my Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, having achieved both my bronze and silver awards at high school, so I attend an DofE session where we learn some of the practical skills needed for our expeditions such as bearings,
tent pitching and route planning.
Thursday

I do my weekly placement at Serenity Farm, an education centre and horse physiotherapist which gives children and young adults with special needs the chance to work with animals, learn how to look after them and carry out other farming tasks.
One of my favourite things about the MDV timetable is the balance between lessons and other academic interests as well as being out in the fresh air, gaining key animal handling skills and interacting with veterinary professionals.
Friday

To finish off the week, I have lessons in each of my 3 subjects, 2 of which being in the Staffordshire University Science Centre, meaning I often have practicals on those days. Around midday, I have 45 minutes of a free period where I get a drink from Costa Coffee with friends, speak to teachers or career support if I need it. After that break, I have tutorial for 45 minutes. In this time, we discuss college and world news and learn about future options. It is the dedicated time we have to write our personal statements and ask questions with our designated MDV progress coach. Finally, I have my last lesson of the week and head home at 16:00.