Longley Park Sixth Form College opened in September 2004 with purpose built facilities and an excellent staff team drawn from across the country. We are the only dedicated sixth form college in Sheffield.
We offer a fantastic range of A Level and vocational courses.
We have grown from 650 students in 2004 to over 1,100 full-time 16-18 year old students at the start of 2013-2014 academic year.
A key aim of the College from its opening has been to provide excellent routes into Higher Education from the North East of Sheffield, an area which historically had very poor progression.
We are proud of the fact that over 2500 young people have now gone on to University from Longley Park. Our students have gone on to some of the most prestigious HE institutions in the country, and have gained places in some of the most competitive areas, including Oxbridge, medicine and dentistry.
Our aim is to ensure that students have the best possible teaching, support and environment to reach their potential. Specialist areas of the curriculum are well resourced with facilities such as a drama studio, fitness laboratory, multi-media and science suites.
We are also very proud of our internal progression, and the opportunity this gives to young people to achieve their potential. A significant number of young people who came to us on Level 1 courses progress through Level 2 and Level 3 and many have gone on to university.
Facilities
As a new build Longley Park has the advantage of excellent buildings and facilities, including interactive whiteboards in every teaching room.
There are specialist facilities for subject areas, including a suite of Science labs, art studios including a workshop and darkroom, a fitness suite, performance and dance spaces, a recording studio and music suite and multi-media suite. Sports provision is delivered at the nearby Concord Sports Centre.
Curriculum
The College curriculum was designed to offer entry points for young people at all levels, so in addition to a strong A Level offer (25 subjects) we also offer BTEC, CACHE and UAL Diplomas at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. We also offer ESOL courses, which students can study full time or alongside their main study programme.
Entry requirements have been set to ensure that our courses are accessible to a broad range of students. Students can take English and Maths GCSEs alongside their other subjects if they did not achieve grade C or above at school.
There is also a strong focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills, with Functional Skills qualifications offered from Entry upwards.
Ethos
We devote a lot of time and energy to developing a positive student ethos and helping young people meet the demands of post-16 study. College managers are expected to take a lead on engaging students and ensuring that expectations of behaviour are met. We have clear policies in place to monitor student progress and make interventions to get things back on track when students experience difficulty.
We place a great deal of emphasis on supporting our students and encouraging them to become more independent. The College is divided into four Directorates, each responsible for the pastoral and academic progress of a group of students.
Our commitment to widening participation means that we have sought to keep our entry requirements as accessible as possible. This means that classroom practice and support structures at Longley Park have to be innovative, creative and in line with best practice in post-16 education. Staff have a genuine commitment to helping students achieve their very best and there is a culture of sharing and collaboration within teams.
The College is a diverse community and there is a clear focus on meeting the needs of each individual and creating an environment in which everyone can thrive and feel valued.
Partner Schools
We work very closely with our partner schools, and have formal arrangements in place with each of them to help with transition issues. An extensive programme of central liaison activities takes place through the year, including work with tutor groups in schools, tailored projects for each school and large scale events in the College.