Across the whole school, Forest’s goal is to produce well-rounded young men and women who become the very best versions of themselves. When they leave Forest, we want them to make a difference.
At Forest, success does not come in only one form – students are celebrated for their individual talents.
Although fun and exciting, Sixth Form life can present challenges. The pressures placed on young people are well-publicised and we have an extensive and well-equipped team to help support them.
The starting point for our pastoral provision is that all students are known, liked and valued. This starts with a Sixth Former’s form tutor who meets with the House tutor group every morning. Every Sixth Former has a one-to-one meeting every fortnight with their tutor to monitor all aspects of their development, academic and personal.
The House system plays a major role in the life of a Forest Sixth Former. As students in Year 12 and Year 13, they have many opportunities to lead their House. Their Head of House, alongside the tutor, has oversight of each Sixth Former’s development.
Within the Forest Diploma, there are many opportunities to undertake activities designed to relieve stress and provide a sense of balance. We believe that being engaged in activities other than academic work is an essential part of personal growth and care. There is also a lot of evidence that helping others can help students find perspective and community action provides an outlet for this. The eight-week course in Mindfulness that all Year 12 students undertake aims to give students a practical tool kit for managing stress.
Beyond the extensive pastoral support system within the school, students in the Sixth Form can self-refer to Place2Talk if they feel they want to talk to someone who is not a teacher. For students who have specific needs, Place2Be provides counselling to students, often working alongside families.