Why choose the Sixth Form?
Introduction
St Catherine’s is a fabulous place to study, to have fun and to start building the rest of your life.
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If you are considering coming to St Catherine’s for your Sixth Form education, you will appreciate the sense of purpose, the friendliness of staff and girls and the myriad opportunities to make the best of the next two important years. And with the added attraction of The 6 – our vibrant new accommodation for day girls and boarders alike with its Common Room and kitchen for all and 44 study bedrooms for our boarders from across 19 countries - there has never been a better time to join us.
Our location is another plus-factor too: near to the historic town of Guildford, with its shops, cinema and railway station where trains to London leave frequently, and within 45 minutes of Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. In London you can take advantage of all the capital has to offer. St Catherine’s is situated in Bramley village, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounded by some of the loveliest countryside in the south of England: the Surrey Hills.
Hear from the Sixth Form
Georgina-b-the6
"I love that each term there is a different House activity as it has enabled me to be introduced to other younger members of the House and our Prefect roles mean that we can create a strong support network with them." Georgina, Boarder
Siqi-the6
"St Cat’s offers many great opportunities such as offering students to attend public lectures, organising London Network events (careers events with alumnae and parents) and supporting us in super-curricular activities." Siqi, Boarder
Una-The6
"I love how supportive all of the staff are with helping to get the best out of us! They genuinely want the best for you and will go above and beyond to help you reach your potential." Una, Boarder
SarahJane-b-the6
"The support and encouragement girls provide for each other throughout Sixth Form and the breadth of extra-curricular offered for large groups of people is really special." Sarah-Jane, Day girl
Georgina-the6
"I love how supportive all of the staff are with helping to get the best out of us! They genuinely want the best for you and will go above and beyond to help you reach your potential." Georgina, Boarder
Deborah-c-the6
"The facilities in The 6 are all very new and the bathrooms are much cleaner than I expected. There is lots of storage space and it's really easy to keep the room warm in winter, and I really enjoy watching movies in the Common Room and Snugs." Deborah, Boarder
Hailey-the6
"The music department is amazing and includes both contemporary and classical music for everyone to enjoy. The music rooms are great fun to practise in with friends." Hailey, Boarder
Olivia-the6
"I love the feeling of independence and freedom in The 6, with support from teachers." Olivia, Boarder
Alison-the6
"The amount of freedom we get as Sixth Formers is just right to prepare us for university." Alison, Boarder
Sophie-The6
"The A-level classes are small. The lessons are therefore heavily discussion based and I am able to obtain individual time with teachers very easily." Sophie, Boarder
Phoebe-c-the6
"The 6 gives you opportunities to improve on yourself and gain confidence through experiences like the Sixth Form Musical Annie (which we produced ourselves) and the house competitions." Phoebe, Day girl
Deborah-The6
"Uni visits made me realise how comfortable and clean and nice The 6 is!" Deborah, Boarder
Sofya-The6
"Sixth Form at St Cat’s is by far the best part of the school and I am so happy I stayed." Sofya, Day girl
Georgia-b-the6
"I value the support the school gives through adversity you are trying to overcome and I would also shout about the sports St Cat’s offers, we have the best sports staff." Georgia, Boarder
Grace-The6
"I really like how many opportunities there are in Sixth Form to take on roles of responsibility. Everyone gets some kind of leadership/prefect role and there are further opportunities within the house and boarding. Everyone really comes into their own and it is such a good way to develop and grow as a person." Grace, Boarder
Emma-The6
"I really enjoy the extra independence that boarding in The 6 has given me. I have far more time in the evenings, meaning I can do homework and relax with friends." Emma, Boarder
Annabel-the6
"I love the sense of community, even long after leaving St. Cats and the communication between students and alumnae." Annabel, Day girl
Solange-The6
"I love the supportive environment in the The 6 and the boarding house staff and the people around me. Everyone is really nice and always ready to help. I feel safe and supported." Solange, Boarder
Georgina-c-the6
"I love the opportunity to attend subject clinics if there is a particular aspect of a course you are struggling with - they allow you to receive more focused support from your teachers." Georgina, Day girl
Thea-b-The6
"I love the friendly relaxed environment especially in The 6 between friends and also teachers." Thea, Boarder
Phoebe-The6
"I love the freedom and independence The 6 offers, how you always have a place to work at and how there are always places you can socialise as this allows you to make new friendships." Phoebe, Day girl
SarahJane-The6
"Sixth Form in The 6 is a really warm and friendly environment, where you can form friendships and socialise with girls across both year groups." Sarah-Jane, Day girl
Georgia-The6
"I love how teachers give us loads of opportunities to not only gain experience but also step out of our comfort zone." Georgia, Boarder
Annabelle-The6
"I love how nice the teacher-student dynamic becomes in Sixth Form. We become a lot closer and feel more free to speak out about things that matter in this nurturing environment." Annabelle, Day girl
Phoebe-b-the6
"I like having the independence in The 6 and also the sofas to sit down and relax on. Sometimes life gets hectic so The 6 is amazing to calm down and relax." Phoebe, Day girl
Ellen-The6
"I have really grown thanks to my leadership roles in Sixth Form, such as House Captain, lacrosse team captain and D of E mentor. It has helped me improve my confidence and public speaking and made me feel so much more involved with life at school." Ellen, Day girl
Emma-b-The6
"I have really enjoyed the school trips I have done this year, both to Berlin and to CERN. I think they have been really great opportunities to enhance what I've learned in class while also having a lot of fun." Emma, Boarder
Daniella-the6
"I appreciate the mental separation from work space and break space. e.g the SHLIB (Sixth Form Library) is for working and The 6 is for relaxing." Daniella, Day girl
Lucy-the6
"I appreciate the extensive alumnae network." Lucy, Day girl
Hear our Sixth Form girls talk about Sixth Form life at our recent Sixth Form Open Evening.
Head Girl, Carys, shared the following words in thanking Caroline Steel, alumnae of 2012, and our 2024 Speech Day presenter. Caroline left St Catherine’s to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge and began her career in Radio 4 after a Masters in Science Communication. She has since worked on science radio and TV programmes such as All in the Mind and The Naked Scientist, presenting alongside Jim Al-Khalili and Brian Cox. She has recently been awarded Best New Presenter at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards, 2024.
Carys is studying Chemistry, Biology and History.
Caroline, thank you so much for treating your audience to such an enriching and inspiring story. We are so grateful for all the careers talks that are provided to us at St Catherine’s but your personal journey from a passionate science student to successful science presenter has demonstrated the value of pursuing what you love.
We are all so fortunate to go to a school with such supportive staff, allowing us to develop our interests, no matter the area. Caroline, I particularly enjoyed hearing about the way you have combined cutting edge scientific research with the essential art of communication.
As someone who studies both sciences and humanities, like so many girls here, it is always valuable and reassuring to hear from someone who proves you do not have to fit in a certain box to succeed, a message that will resonate with everyone, whether finishing their school career or just embarking on it.
Thank you for demonstrating what makes St Catherine’s so special. When we met, you said that you were “average” at school but I think everyone in this room knows there is no such thing as a “average” St Cat’s girl. To quote the most famous person in the world, Taylor Swift: “everybody here wanted something more, searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before”.
Welcome to St Catherine’s: a that school fosters the power of academic study whilst also nurturing the part that makes us drivers of change and the ambitious young women we deserve to be.
We have been reminded that we are all so privileged to be able to spend the formative years of life in these buildings and with this community.
The world needs more St Cat’s girls and I believe the speech we have just heard shows why.
Facilities
Wellbeing
Pastoral Care
You will be assigned a personal tutor who will, most likely, be a specialist in one of your chosen subjects and so has the experience to guide you in your academic studies and oversee your progress in general. Your tutor will be your first port of call if you have any worries. In addition you can also talk to the Head of Sixth Form or your School House Mistress/Master and for boarders, the Sixth Form Boarding Housemistress, at any time.
For an overview of our approach to your wellbeing, click here.
Libraries
Libraries
In addition to the Speech Hall Library - a dedicated Sixth Form only study space - the Senior School Library also provides excellent support for pupils in the Sixth Form. The library takes a selection of national newspapers and magazines including The Economist, The Week and Spectator. We also subscribe to an impressive list of online services. The library also has a school membership to Surrey University Library for all Sixth Form students. The Librarian is always available during the School day to advise on the collection and research methodologies and make fiction recommendations.
