We were absolutely delighted with the conclusions of the OFSTED inspectors who visited us in Jan 2011. In summary KDHS 6th Form was assessed as Outstanding in all areas and Outstanding overall. The last time KDHS was rated 'Good Overall'; we were relatively pleased with this judgement. Please read the report in full because it highlights so many positive aspects about KDHS 6th Form. At the heart of the school is the strong, positive and purposeful atmosphere which is the result of a committed and enthusiastic staff and delightful and engaging pupils.

Mission Statement

The King David High School Sixth Form combines academic excellence with a warm and supportive Jewish atmosphere.  This enables students to maximise their potential and prepares them to face the demands of life after the Sixth Form with confidence.

Pastoral Care

At King David Sixth Form we consistently have some of the best A-Level results in the country and were rated the fourth best performing comprehensive school in the country by the Sunday Times in 2010. The vast majority of our students go on to the higher education institution of their choice, including several to top universities including Oxford and Cambridge every year. 

This is in large part due to the academic excellence and hard work of the students that we are privileged to have in the Sixth Form, but is also the result of careful monitoring of students and their work and the setting of the very highest standards. Students are encouraged to develop independence and take responsibility for their own learning at Sixth Form level with a new state-of-the-art Sixth Form library dedicated to private study.

In addition to reports and parents’ evenings effort grades are collected from subject teachers and communicated to parents every half term in order to monitor progress. Students also review the grades with their form tutor who will act as their guide and first point of contact for the two years of sixth form. Students are encouraged to have an adult-to-adult dialogue with teachers and are placed at the heart of the self-review and target-setting process.

We pride ourselves on our positive relationships with students in the sixth form and students who are performing well are recognised through meetings with students to discuss their excellent efforts, letters of commendation to parents, a possible late start awarded one morning a week or even the much coveted sixth former of the month award.

Where there are problems we are also proactive in intervening early and meeting with parents and students to discuss any significant areas of concern.   In addition, we are able to offer extra time after school to those students who might have fallen behind with work or missed coursework deadlines so that students may maintain the highest of standards.

To complement this process we also offer an extensive mentoring programme where a member of staff is specifically assigned to individuals in need of that little bit of extra care-and-attention. Mentors meet with students every week to offer support, discuss their progress and set targets. Many students have benefited from the system, testifying that it has helped them to become more organised and meet deadlines as well as minimising stress and improving their results.  Mentoring is supported when necessary by further professional care such as the school nurse and other external organisations.

The Sixth Form pastoral team keeps parents informed at all stages and encourages them to communicate problems or issues affecting the progress of their child to the school by ‘phone, email or in writing.

One of the best ways parents can support the school and their children is by ensuring full attendance whenever possible.  We understand that the ages of 16-18 are busy with University open days and driving lessons a particular drain on school attendance, but would urge parents to have an overview of this and ensure that absence is kept to a minimum.  Driving lessons and tests should be arranged when students do not have lessons and University open days are restricted to a maximum of 3 school days over the academic year as regular absences have a huge effect on pupils’ progress. 

We particularly draw parents’ attention to the period from mid-June to the end of the school year when year 12 students are expected to return to school after their study leave to begin their A2 courses.  Any absences during this time can have a significant effect on progress through A2s as time missed at the beginning is often very difficult to make up.

We welcome applications to Sixth Form from students at other schools and take particular care to ensure a smooth transition both socially and academically. Further information is available from the school office, but the process includes:

• One or more interviews
• Good predicted grades or GCSE results
• A good reference or report from the previous school