Life at WMSF

At WMSF our ethos of Learn, Achieve, Empower means that we want the young people who join our sixth form to leave us as well-educated, well-rounded individuals who feel empowered to make a difference in the world, and who are armed with the skills and knowledge to fulfill both their potential and goals. 

At WMSF we want our young people to get the most out of their sixth form experience, academically, socially and in terms of their personal development. We want to prepare our young people for higher education (80% of our students have gone on to university in the last 3 years) or the world of work, and so we provide them with an environment in which they are trusted, on equal footing with adults (we are all on first name basis at the sixth form) and feel comfortable to be themselves (there is no uniform). We have structures in place for support and celebration, clear rewards and sanctions.

Our Pathways ensure that each individual student picks the right courses for their future plans and academic ability; students can visit our Careers Hub where the team can provide information, advice and guidance about all pathways. The Careers Hub is also a dedicated space for employer and university presentations and bespoke employability and application workshops for our students.

Each student at WMSF receives their own Chromebook during academic induction and WMSF as an institution has fully embraced Google Classroom to facilitate online learning as well as to enable our students to build their independent learning skills and have access to their work 24/7. Some of our departments such as Media (BTEC Digital Film and Video Production, A Level Media and Film Studies) are proudly paper free. Others such as Visual Arts (BTEC Art and Design, A’ Level Art and Photography) have their own google site, a bespoke web resource for WMSF students exclusively.

The Library is our hub for learning and research; in the library our students have access to librarians who are not only experts in a variety of subjects but also research specialists, there are over 25,000 resources available and both quiet and more ‘buzzy’ areas to study.

William Morris Days are full days of activities that happen once a term on a whole sixth form basis, which enable students to take learning outside of the classroom, build interpersonal skills by mixing with peers not necessarily in their classes or friendship groups, and take part in fun and educational activities – all centred around a theme. Similarly, Enrichment at WMSF endeavours to widen our students’ experience and perspective by offering a range of opportunities, some focused on careers, others on personal growth and fun activities. Students fill out an enrichment passport to keep track of all the various activities they’ve taken part in. In addition, there are various Events throughout the academic year for students to organise and enjoy, including A1/V1 Enterprise Market, a talent show, a fun run, Multicultural Day, Leavers’ Party or Prom, reunion events for alumni led by an active Student Union.

Life at WMSF is about learning to the best of our abilities, achieving ambitious goals we set for ourselves and being empowered to go out into the world as confident young people.