A thriving, academically excellent sixth form was central to the founding parents of Shimna. Our first A level results, with 100% pass rate, were achieved by a parents’ evening class studying A level English Literature.
Shimna’s foundation students, the first intake from September 1994, built on theses beginnings and exceeded all expectations when their GCSE results topped the SEELB performance tables for the number of students achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C. Those same students founded our sixth form, studying Advanced Level courses across the range of academic subjects.
Those foundation students, and those who have followed in their footsteps, have been graduating from universities across the British Isles, progressing to Masters level study, PhD, qualifying with PGCE as teachers, travelling to Australia, joining the RAF, launching careers in law, medicine, art history, anthropology, adventure management, computer programming, architecture, teaching, setting up their own businesses and those are only the ones we have caught up with.
We are committed to offering the full range of academic subjects:
- English literature
- media studies
- mathematics
- physics
- chemistry
- biology
- technology
- computer science
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Irish
- Italian
- history
- geography
- politics
- psychology
- theatre studies
- art
- music
- religious studies;
and, in line with the new Entitlement Curriculum, offering a range of applied subjects:
- business studies
- travel and tourism
- sports studies
- ICT
- moving image arts
Of course, students expect a lot more from the sixth form experience and our enrichment programme includes:
- MindOut (a programme for emotional and mental health);
- Listening Ear;
- International Award;
- first aid;
- additional languages;
- study centre;
- sixth form centre;
- interview skills;
- UCAS careers convention;
- Duke of Edinburgh/President’s Award;
- formal committee;
- events management for younger students;
- outdoor teambuilding;
- Widening Horizons;
- Young enterprise;
- British/Irish sign language;
- Volunteer Bureau;
- driver safety;
- finance talks;
- Odyssey/Pathfinger careers programme;
- Amnesty International;