Sixth Form Frequently Asked Questions

Boarders must arrive at school for the new term either the night before or before morning registration. If a boarder requires a taxi to school for the new term, either from their home, a guardian’s house or the airport, this can be arranged through the school. Please email taxis@culford.co.uk for more information.
 

After Saturday school boarders not participating in sports have free time and may go into the local town, transportation is provided. Organised activities are also offered. On Sunday there is usually a day trip or activity for boarders, day students are welcome to join should they wish.

All boarders are encouraged to contact home regularly. A House telephone is available, and mobile phones are allowed to be used at specific times during the day and evening. Parents and friends are asked not to contact students during the academic day between 08:30 and 17:00 and during prep time 18:50-20:45 Monday to Friday. 

If you wish to visit your child at school, please liaise with your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress. All visitors must first report to the person on duty within the House.
 

All major clothing items, sports kit, towels and casual wear are washed on site. They are cleaned, tumble-dried and ironed within two days. The matron washes underwear and socks. All clothing items apart from underwear and socks must be named.

Bed linen is provided, but students are also welcome to bring their own. Bed linen is washed weekly; students are expected to make their own beds.
 

The purpose-built Health Centre is available to all students. A nurse is on call 24 hours a day. Over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are available from your child’s House matron or the Health Centre, so it is unnecessary for students to bring such medication to school. The Health Centre offers additional services such as a school councillor and a physiotherapist. Local GP services and an emergency dental plan are also in place for all boarders. 

Boarders will require some pocket money for school activities and trips. We recommend approximately £50 per month. Parents are also encouraged to open a bank account in their child’s name. We recommend an account which has a cash limit. 

Students are advised not to bring valuable items to school. Any valuable items, such as electronic devices, should be insured.
 

Sixth Form day students can be dropped off as early as 07:30 in time for breakfast, which is served 07:30-08:00. Please get in touch with your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress if you would like your child to attend breakfast, the cost of which is included within the day fees.

We allow flexibility in the Sixth Form for pick-up times. Day students may stay after school to study in our library, which is open until 20:30. Included within the day fees, students can stay for supper in Ashby Dining Hall. Students must confirm with there Housemaster or Housemistress if they are going to stay late after school.

Parents of day students must notify Reception before 09:00 if their child is going to be absent for any reason. If your child is likely to be late, please also contact Reception.

Parents should notify the child’s tutor if they have a medical or dental appointment during the school day. The departure and return time should be stated. This is then also passed to Reception and recorded.

Please contact the Head of Sixth Form in writing if you require your child to take time off during the school term. Although we understand that it is not always possible to arrange holiday flights exactly when needed, it is not encouraged for students to take extended holidays and miss either the last few days of a term or the first few days of the next. Permission should be sought from the Head of Sixth Form on these occasions.
 

Bus route information can be found here. Alternatively, please contact our Transport Officer, Mr Collier on 01284 385370. Please note that students cannot travel on any of the buses without their parent’s permission. 

Sixth Form students are permitted to book driving lessons during the school day as long as they do not have a lesson during that period. Parents should contact Mr Rackowe to confirm the time of lessons. If a student is not fulfilling their academic commitments, permission may be withheld until they are back on track. 

Once students have passed their driving test, they may be permitted to use their own vehicle to drive to and from school. Students should apply for a permit to the School Office who will send parents a form to complete. Permission must also be sought from the parents of any other students who may be passengers in the vehicle. 

The purpose-built Health Centre is available to all students. A nurse is on call 24 hours a day. If a day student becomes unwell, they will be cared for by one of the nurses until collected by their parents. Over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are available from the Health Centre, so it is unnecessary for day students to bring such medication to school. The Health Centre offers additional services to boarding and day students, such as a school councillor and a physiotherapist.

Occasional boarding is available to allow flexibility and to support families. It is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please speak to your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress to arrange occasional boarding.

Teachers use constructive written and verbal motivational praise so that students of all abilities feel that their work is valued regularly. Sixth Form students are also awarded Commendations to recognise academic and pastoral success and achievement. 

The importance of academic success is celebrated at awards events on public occasions such as weekly, half-term and end of term House Assemblies; Head’s Assemblies; the annual Prize Giving Ceremony; subject-specific occasions such as the Sports Presentation. Rewards focus not just on achievement but also on learning behaviours and skills.

Culford is focused on supporting students to make the right choices, both personally and academically and the intervention policy reflects that. The framework when applied is designed to ensure that students take ownership of their studies and behaviour. There are four levels of intervention, for both academic and pastoral concerns. The first levels are coordinated by departments and tutors and may involve meetings and actions. Levels 3 and 4 are overseen by the Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Heads and could include longer term targets, meetings with parents and loss of Sixth Form privileges. All levels are fully communicated to parents and followed up by relevant members of staff. 

The Sixth Form have a flexible framework of approximately six to seven hours of guided independent study every week for each subject. We help all students through daily supervised prep sessions, supervised and non-supervised private study, subject clinics and learning development clinics, and a study skills programme that covers time management, organisation and the use of planners. Students are also supported through our pastoral systems.

Your child will receive an individual lesson and prep timetable at the beginning of term. Timetables will be accessible to both students and parents through the Parent Portal.

In addition to attainment levels or grades, students are also given CLC (Culford Learner Characteristic) levels based on set learning criteria. When appropriate, student reports will also include examination grades and relevant, detailed written prose. Reports are published at the following times:

Lower Sixth - Spring Term
Upper Sixth - Autumn Term

Reports are backed up by regular assessments (attainment levels or grades and CLC levels). Each student report includes: subject reports with attainment grades and effort numbers; extra-curricular reports; a Tutor report; a Housemasters’/mistresses’ report; an exam card, where relevant with exam grades for each subject; a feedback form for parents. 

After each set of assessments or reports, students write self-reflective comments and action plans with the help of their teachers and tutors and monitor these action plans over time.
 

Students are required to use their device in the classroom for various tasks, research and assignments. It is therefore important that your child uses a device that is suited to them. It is the student’s responsibility to look after their device. Please see the Bring Your Own Device policy here for more information on which devices are suitable for school use.

Your child’s tutor should be the first port of call if you or your child has any problems or worries about school and this can be done initially via email. The Head of Sixth Form will support the tutor with any significant academic issues or pastoral concerns for day students, with Housemasters and Housemistresses offering the same support for tutors of boarders. Click here to view the useful contacts page.

Students must register with their tutor by 08:30; lessons begin at 08:45 and finish at 15:30 with a 25-minute mid-morning break and an hour for lunch. After-school activities start at 15:50. The school day finishes following activities at 17:20.

Sixth Form students are required to dress smartly and professionally. Their clothing choices should reflect the work environment that they are in and should not be inappropriate or unusual. Girls should wear blouses with a collar, smart shirts or trousers and a blazer or smart jacket. Boys should also wear a shirt with a collar, an appropriate tie, smart trousers and a blazer. Shoes for both should be smart and must not include trainers or boots. All Sixth Form students are expected to have a full suit for formal school occasions.

Sports clothing can be found at the online shop SchoolBlazer, and all necessary items can be purchased on: schoolblazer.com. Please ensure that all clothing brought to school is named correctly. Further information and a complete clothing list can be found on the parent portal. 
 

On Saturday, students must register by 08:50 with their tutor. Saturday school finishes at 12:05, with sports matches taking place in the afternoon. Most matches begin around 14:00, with students required to leave earlier for away matches. Boarders not participating in sports have free time and may go into the local town, transportation is provided. Organised activities are also offered.

In the first instance please contact Reception on 01284 728615 or Mr Rackowe, Head of Sixth Form on MRackowe@culford.co.uk.

Other useful contacts can be found here.

You can view the school calendar here. The school calendar and sports fixtures are produced termly and are available to view on the school website. The calendar and sports fixtures may change, so please check them regularly for updates.  

Trips take place throughout the academic year and a full list can be viewed here.

At the beginning of each term, your child will be given a wide range of activities to choose from. Some are chargeable, but these are marked clearly on the list, and we will always seek parental approval before allowing a child to select chargeable options.

Culford sends out communications via Culford Post. This may include event invitations, details of parents’ meetings, school trips and examinations. All parents will have a password protected account set up for them when their child joins the school and will receive a notification to their preferred email address when there is a message. 

The school provides all meals and snacks. All students enjoy daily snacks which are available at break times and after school, which may consist of fruit, biscuits and homemade cakes. Breakfast, lunch and supper are freshly cooked daily and served in Ashby Dining Hall. There is a wide range of options, and all students are encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet. Click here to view the menus.

Sixth Form students may bring a mobile phone to school but they are expected to keep it out of sight from 08:30 until 17:00. The exceptions to this are if staff ask them to use their phone for academic purposes, or if students want to set up a playlist to listen to music whilst they study in the library. Mobile phones should not be visible at any other point of the working day. If students do not abide by this, they may be given an intervention action that involves locking their phone away in a pouch during the school day. 

My School Portal brings key information about your child together in one place. You will be able to see essential information such as timetables, school reports, the school calendar and sports results and fixtures.

Click here to find out more information, including details on how to sign up for My School Portal.

​​In September, formal school photographs are taken of each pupil. House photos are taken later in the year. Many other images are taken throughout the year at drama productions, sports events and various activities. To view these please visit: culfordschool.shootproof.com/. Please ensure that you complete the photograph consent form to indicate your preferences.