We are a very special Sixth Form that aims to serve the community, improve opportunity for our community and also reflect our community through our diverse and ambitious curriculum, as well as through our diverse staff and student bodies. We hope that you, too, feel that specialness when you visit us; a specialness that encompasses care and compassion, a genuine delight in young adults’ contributions and a drive towards “success for everyone”.

We have a long and proud history, having educated local students for over 100 years: we have been a technical school; reported as the most improved boy’s school in the country; a community school and now an academy; a single school and now the founding ‘brother’ to our sister school, Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls. We have year-on-year exam results at A Level and BTEC that make us, our students and their families rightly proud. Yet our relentless focus is upon the futures of our current students as we counsel them through their educational careers to be the most successful version of themselves. This is evident in year-on-year increases in students accessing courses at Oxbridge, in medicine and at prestigious Russell Group universities, as well as high-end apprenticeships in finance.

To support your son or daughter through their Sixth Form education, we have firm foundations in exemplary pastoral care and expert teaching. Safeguarding our students is the absolute priority that informs the behaviours we demonstrate in the staff and student bodies. Our pastoral care and personal development programme are student-centred, empathetic to individual young adults’ needs, recognising their challenges and assisting with overcoming them, supporting our students in becoming independently-minded, self-sustaining ambassadors of our Sixth Form motto, “tomorrow’s leaders”.

We care; we listen; we understand context, and we actively build meaningful relationships with every student, something that I have no doubt our current sixth formers would report should you wish to visit our open evening.

Our teaching is equally student-centred, offering support and challenge as required to ensure that all our students achieve the grades they need to pursue the courses and careers they aspire to with confidence. Our ambitious and academically rich curriculum offer is designed to stimulate a culture of curiosity and questioning so that all our students leave us as well-rounded, caring members of the community, ready to navigate the adult world safely, critically and knowledgeably, whether that be the world of work or higher education.

We also recognise that student development is enhanced through pleasure, and we therefore cater for their personal interests with an extensive enrichment programme, including wellbeing days, year 12 work experience, curriculum and university trips and a variety of clubs. There are always opportunities for your son or daughter to have their voice heard, whether through the Student Council or more informal feedback to tutors, teachers and head of year or our dedicated student voice co-ordinator.

We are looking forward in 2024 to welcoming as many Woolwich Poly girls as boys: it is my ambition that the Poly girls see our sixth form as much as their own natural destination as our boys. Yet, at the same time, we wish to embrace our wider community as we expand in numbers over the next few years. This mix of different experiences enriches the experience for all.

Mr Lawrence - Head of School

Welcome to our Sixth Form!  

It feels me with great pride to state that I have worked at Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form for well over a decade now. Year on year, our Sixth Form continues to grow, not just in size but in the achievements and successes that we celebrate within our community, one that I am honoured to be part of. In the years that I have worked at Woolwich Poly, I have witnessed the cohort increase by 200% and I am now excited to announce that we will be building a new Sixth Form block, for the next academic cohort, as we welcome our Woolwich Poly girls.  

Some of you reading this will have been at Woolwich Poly since you were eleven years old, therefore you may already have some preconceptions of what life is like at Poly Sixth Form. Some will be completely new to The Poly and eager to find out what we offer. All of you, I hope, will recognise the importance of post-16 education. It is an exciting time for students as they transition towards increasing independence in their education, alongside the ample opportunities that we offer for our students and the relationships that we foster. That is what makes Woolwich Poly unique. I hope our website will give you a sense of what life in the Sixth Form involves and the holistic approach we take in the leadership of our school. I want you to consider your decision to apply or transition to the Sixth Form carefully, be sure that we are a good fit for you and your aspirations, understanding what we do and why we do it.   

Being in Woolwich Poly Sixth Form is about developing the whole person. As leaders in the school, our Sixth Form students play a crucial role in the life of the school thus there is a huge emphasis of professional conduct which is in keeping with our commitment to preparing “Tomorrow’s Leaders”, our Sixth Form motto. We are extremely lucky to have such a large and experienced team and are passionate about providing our students with a world-class education to prepare our students for life beyond the Poly. 

We offer a wide range of subjects at A Level and cater our pathways to meet the individual needs of our students. Our large, dedicated team meet regularly with the Sixth Form Raising Standard Lead to ensure that they are on the right course, right from the start. This rigorous approach is key to our continuous success as evidenced by our incredible destinations and our “Outstanding” status, awarded by Ofsted. 

At the heart of everything we do here is student and staff well-being: we strive to create an environment to be a place that they feel safe, happy and one that they want to attend. I am also the Senior Mental Health Lead for the whole-school so this underpins everything I do here in Sixth Form as a leader. The outstanding pastoral care and support also comes from experienced Sixth Form Heads of Year, Mentors, Raising Standard Leads, Top Achiever Coordinators and Tutors who care.  We want you to leave exceptionally well qualified, with a strong sense of who you are, carrying values which enable you to be kind and fair-minded. 

I can unreservedly recommend our Sixth Form and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us – we are always happy to discuss our provision with students and their families. 

Ms H Elliott

Head of Sixth Form

Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form

“Tomorrow’s Leaders”

The Student Leadership Team is an integral part of the school’s daily life. They have committed to taking on responsibility and authority within the school, working directly with the Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form. 

The Student Leadership Team genuinely shapes the future of the school and leaves a lasting legacy.