SIXTH FORM NEWS - OCTOBER 2025
Our Sixth Form motto is ‘Own Your Journey, Create your Future’ which really emphasises the importance of students making the most of every opportunity provided to them in order to open up more opportunities further down the line. Our bespoke curriculum and leadership opportunities allow students to own their journeys and create their future, wherever they choose their destination to be.
Sixth Form Open Evening - Thursday 27th November
A lot has changed in the Sixth Form over the last year or so, including the Elective Curriculum, Societies and Leadership opportunities, and you will hear more about this in the Sixth Form Open Evening on 27th November. This incredibly popular event is open to all our current Year 11 students and their parents and there are limited tickets available to those students currently studying elsewhere but tickets do go quickly. A letter about this will be going out in due course.
Year 13 2025 Results and Destinations
We are incredibly proud of our A Level results and we are particularly proud of our last Year 13 cohort. These students, who have just finished their A Levels here, have left a legacy which really demonstrates the academic excellence which can be achieved through hard work and dedication. 33% of grades were an A or an A*. We had record numbers of students gaining a place at Russell Group Universities including Oxford and Cambridge and our Raising Aspirations programmes ensured students entered courses in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.
Students are studying other courses ranging from Economics and Games Design, to Computer Science, Engineering, Optometry, Neuroscience, Fashion Management and Law as well as high level Degree Apprenticeships.
Sixth Form Successes!
We would like to congratulate two Year 13 students on their recent successes in essay competitions.
Ishwa has won the KMPG Young Economist of the Year Award after submitting her winning essay on 'What are the economic consequences of a falling birth rate and what approaches can be taken to mitigate these?'. As a finalist she was invited to visit Downing Street and KPMG's Main Office, and as the winner, her essay will be published in the Financial Times.
Makayla is also celebrating after achieving a coveted Very High Commendation in the 2025 Global Essay Prize in Politics, awarded by the John Locke Institute, Princeton. This puts her in the top 2% of entrants.
Huge congratulations to both students for this recognition of all their
hard work.
Year 12 Induction and Working Together Evening
At the start of the year it was great to welcome both familiar faces and new students during the Year 12 induction program which combined both academic lessons and opportunities to make new friends and get to know the Sixth Form staff and students. Students had the opportunity to work as a team to compete for Housepoints and gain Form Group Awards.
Our Working Together Evening invited Year 12 students and their parents/carers to come into school and gain information about how best to support students throughout the next two years.
Academic Electives
In addition to our core curriculum of 3 A Levels, students in the Sixth Form have the opportunity to take an additional Level 3 qualification in Year 12. Students are settling into their additional studies of either:
- Extended Project Qualification
- Accreditation in Languages for Business (Spanish)
- Sport Leadership
- Gold Arts Award
- AS Mathematics
- AS Further Mathematics
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate
UCAS (University Application)
Our Year 13 potential Oxbridge and Medics/Vets/Dentist students have been making appointments to send off their UCAS applications. Every time a student’s application is sent off, they ‘Ring the Bell’ in the Sixth Form to celebrate, which creates a real ‘buzz’ in the Sixth Form Centre.
Black History Month
Our Head Student Team and Diversity Leaders (current Year 13) have been planning a series of activities and assemblies for Black History Month which includes a poetry and spoken word competition, and a House Competition based on ‘Icons of Influence’ which will involve the all students from Years 7 - 13 but led by the Sixth Form students.
Join Our Mailing List
There is a Sixth Form mailing list of nearly 400 parents/carers and students who are already, currently studying at other schools who have asked for information on the Sixth Form here at DGGS. At least once a term I update this list with news and information about the Sixth Form and its students. Please sign up to the mailing list to keep up to date with information.
You do not need to apply for a place in our Sixth Form until Results Day on 22nd August
SIXTH FORM NEWS - DECEMBER 2025
Our Sixth Form motto is ‘Own Your Journey, Create your Future’ and our Sixth Form students have been incredibly busy this term.
Academic Electives
In addition to our core curriculum of 3 A Levels, students in the Sixth Form have the opportunity to take an additional Level 3 qualification in Year 12, each award UCAS points upon successful completion. Here is an overview of what the students opting to take these electives have been up to so far this year:
TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Our Year 12 students have enjoyed working through the course and have studied the history of TEFL and how people learn. They have also been introduced to lesson planning and how to deliver online lessons. They have been introduced to the concept of reflecting on their practice and the principles of understanding how to teach English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation and are now working on learning how to teach receptive and passive skills.
Sports Leadership
Our Sports Leaders are really excelling, building on key leadership skills. They have successfully led our Year 10 students in a range of team sports and received valuable feedback. They have demonstrated impressive planning skills and have adapted when working under pressure and in varied environments. They are currently organising a series of progressive sessions to lead to Years 9 and 10 students. We are excited to see further development and progress over the next units of the course.
Language for Business - Spanish
Students have been highly engaged in their Language for Business classes, exploring the structure of a company, learning how to apply for a job, and preparing for interviews. They have also been working on understanding key health and safety regulations in Spain. This combination of practical skills and cultural knowledge is helping them build confidence for real-world professional situations.
EPQ
The EPQ students have made a great start to the course this term. They have selected their independent research topics and there is a fantastic range of projects being planned. Their ideas include emotional connections to football, the relevance of Orwell’s writing to a modern audience, designing a sustainable hospital wing and LGBTQA+ representation in animation, to name but a few. Now their proposals have been approved, they are diving into the world of research and learning skills that will give them a significant head start when they get to university, including how to cite academic sources appropriately. It has been a privilege to watch their ideas take shape over the term and see them all finding a way to link their passions and interests with academic study.
Gold Arts Award
The Arts Award students are really excelling and exploring their passion within the Arts. They have been developing their skills in an existing art form as well as a new art form, whether this be song writing, henna design, photography, dance choreography or building their music reading skills. Students are all making progress in an area of their choice and documenting their journey in a portfolio. They have also researched an arts-related issue of their choice and are currently creating podcasts to present and discuss their findings with their peers. Next term students will begin developing their leadership skills and showcase this in a public event. They will also attend an arts event - either an art gallery exhibition or a musical theatre performance which they will critically review to add further evidence to their portfolios.
AS Level Maths
Our AS Level Mathematics students have been embracing the challenge of studying Mathematics alongside their A Level subjects and are making great progress. They have studied new topics such as calculus and applied these skills to practical problems like finding the optimum selling price of a product or fuel efficiency of a car. They have learnt to question their learning to deepen their understanding and are working well as a group to problem solve and explain their working. Their confidence is building and it is a pleasure to work with them.
Reflections from our students:
‘AS Maths has helped to develop my confidence in Maths and has also aided in my other STEM based A Levels (Chemistry & Biology)’
‘I really enjoy AS Maths as I previously enjoyed GCSE Maths. It is so nice to continue my learning in Maths for another year.’
AS Level Further Maths
AS Further Mathematics is a challenging subject which takes students Mathematical skill beyond those of the Mathematics A Level. Alongside pure mathematics students have been developing their understanding and skills of applied mathematics in Decision Mathematics and Mechanics. Our students have taken on this challenge and are progressing really well, working together to solve complex problems and put their mathematics into action.
‘Over the past two terms I have really enjoyed my AS Further Maths lessons because of the collaboration with my peers in the classroom. For example, in Miss Tanner’s Mechanics class we all work on a question together using whiteboard pens to write on the table which is very beneficial.’
Toys to the Tree
Each form group raised money or collected donations for a charity of their choice. Money has been donated to Centrepoint, Sickle Cell Society, War Child and gifts have been donated to the Bluewater Giving Tree. These were given in a special service during assemblies last week, led by the Head Student Team in Year 13.
UCAS
Our Year 13 students have been making appointments to send off their UCAS applications. Every time a student’s application is sent off, they ‘Ring the Bell’ in the Sixth Form to celebrate. There were 49 applications to either Medicine related courses, or Oxford and Cambridge, and other courses have ranged from Astronomy, Mechanical Engineering, Game Design, Fashion Management, Computer Science, Mathematics, Pharmacy and Law. Offers are already coming in and 14 students have been offered interviews for Oxford and Cambridge.
Sixth Form Open Evening
As you are aware, our Sixth Form Open Evening had to be postponed and will now take place on 5th March 2026. In the meantime, please have a look at our 2026 - 2028 Sixth Form Prospectus to give you an idea of what the Sixth Form here at Dartford Grammar School for Girls has to offer.
As we round up this term, the Year 13s have embarked on their study leave for the mock period, and the Year 12s are receiving the results of their summative assessments.
If you know of any external students/parents who would like to receive further information about the Sixth Form here at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, please encourage them to sign up to our mailing list on our website for future emails.
As a current Year 11 student, you do not need to complete an application form for a place in our Sixth Form. As long as you meet the entry criteria, and subject criteria, you can enrol on results day for a place in our Sixth Form on 22nd August.
Miss K Cooper
Assistant Headteacher - Head of Sixth Form