“We build a platform for our pupils’ future”

Assistant Head (Sixth Form) Rob Marston explains what is unique about the School’s 16+ offer

What is the most important feature of a sixth-form education? Academic success? A varied co-curricular programme? The opportunity to socialise with a mix of girls and boys while maintaining focus in the classroom?

Encouragement and empowerment to pursue your ambitions, to become the person you long to be?

For Rob Marston, Sherborne’s newly arrived Assistant Head (Sixth Form), the answer is “all of these things”. He believes a 16+ education is about building foundations for a successful future. So his focus is on preparing the boys at Sherborne for whatever they feel is their perfect next step.

“You could say we reverse engineer our offer to pupils, depending on their hopes and aspirations upon leaving School,” says Rob. “We help boys discern what they want to achieve, then ensure the building blocks are in place for them to get there. With a number of bursaries and scholarships available, we’re attentive to the particular needs of every pupil.”

There is no one-size-fits-all approach at Sherborne. Rob and his colleagues recognise that every boy is different, that a successful education is one that prepares them for a future only they will pursue, because it is their future, their life.

“A number of our boys go onto Oxbridge or Russell Group universities, and our academic standards reflect that aspiration,” he reports. “But that is by no means the only route they follow. Some go to prestigious art colleges, others enter industry with top-flight employers, and others choose to pursue creative careers as writers, actors, musicians and entrepreneurs.”

Even the briefest survey of Sherborne’s alumni shows the diversity of vocations to which they are called. Perhaps it is inevitable in a school that prizes uniqueness, that celebrates everyone’s talents and encourages each boy to make the most of his gifts.

Even so, Rob points to common features of the Sherborne experience that help boys to grow. “Alongside our academic prowess, we have an extraordinarily varied co-curricular offer,” he says. “This encompasses sport, music and drama, art, and a variety of societies and clubs. A sixth-form boy could be fly-fishing one day then representing the School on the fives court the next day. In between, he may well have sung in the chapel choir, practised for a House Play or enjoyed a social gathering with pupils from Sherborne Girls.”

This sums up the range on offer at Sherborne and speaks of an important feature of the sixth-form experience. The School enjoys a close partnership with Sherborne Girls, bringing the social opportunities of a co-educational setting along with the benefits of single-sex teaching. It is, as Rob says, “the best of both worlds.”

Of course, the focus on next steps is a key part of life in the Sixth Form. Sherborne’s HE and Careers Department plays an important role in helping pupils work out what they want to do after School, and supporting with UCAS or job applications, or year-out arrangements.

“Our Sixth Formers know that they are being prepared for their lives beyond School,” says Rob. “At the same time, we expect them to set an example for their younger peers and take leadership responsibility within Sherborne’s structures, ensuring they have a fitting ending to their time with us. It can be a busy and occasionally challenging period, so our pastoral care system ensures boys are given all the support they need to thrive.”

All of which answers the question of what Sherborne regards as a good sixth-form experience: a world of opportunity and responsibility, held together by a genuine commitment to every pupil’s success.

Our Sixth Form Tour Morning is taking place on 12 October 2019. Contact [email protected] or call 01935 810 403 for more information.