At Birchwood, each form group is assigned to one of our four Houses: Dane, Hadham, Stort or Waytemore. You can find out more information about our House System and how the Houses got their names here.

By being a member of one of our Houses you will foster a sense of community spirit and a healthy dose of competition.

At Birchwood, we understand the importance of providing excellent resources to support student success, whether they are preparing for higher education or employment. Our comprehensive range of facilities ensures that all students have access to the best possible learning environment to support our students’ academic and personal development.

Study Areas
We offer a variety of dedicated study environments to meet different needs, including silent study rooms and group study areas. The Sixth Form Study Room, located upstairs in the Sixth Form block is designed to help students benefit from a dedicated quiet study space, with full access to computers and Wi-Fi, ensuring they have the right tools for both focused work and collaborative learning. The library is accessible throughout the day for students. We stock up-to-date text books for all the courses on offer in the Sixth Form and also display a wide range of further reading material to encourage and support student academic research. 

Sixth Form Common Room
The Sixth Form Common Room is a dedicated space for students to relax, socialise with friends, or study in a more informal setting, either individually or with groups. It includes a kitchen area, providing students with a comfortable environment to unwind between study sessions.

Café and Outdoor Spaces
Students have access to the school café throughout the day. Additionally, Birchwood offers beautiful outdoor spaces, including courtyards with picnic benches, perfect for relaxing or studying outdoors during warmer months.

At Birchwood Sixth Form, learning doesn't stop when lessons end. Every Wednesday afternoon is dedicated to enrichment, giving students the opportunity to explore new interests, develop practical skills and spend time doing something they genuinely enjoy.

Our enrichment programme changes each year and offers something for everyone. Recent activities have included Padel, Pickleball, Badminton, Yoga, Arts & Crafts, Music Technology, Esports, Emergency Cooking and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Whether you're looking to stay active, learn a new skill, pursue a hobby or simply try something different, enrichment is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons and make the most of your Sixth Form experience.

Some of the most rewarding parts of Sixth Form happen beyond the classroom. At Birchwood, students are encouraged to embrace opportunities, try new experiences and take an active role in school life. Whether that's leading a school event, representing student views, supporting younger students, raising money for charity or helping to shape the Sixth Form experience, getting involved is a fantastic way to build confidence, develop leadership skills and create lasting memories.

Service to the wider school is one of Birchwood’s Sixth Form’s great strengths. There are a variety of leadership roles and responsibilities that students are encouraged to take on. These include: the Sixth Form Leadership Team, Senior Prefects, House Captains, Mentor Prefects, Environment & Wellbeing Prefects. The hard work of all our students in leadership roles has a huge impact on making the school such a vibrant, inclusive and successful community.

More information on Sixth Form Leadership can be found here.

Sixth form trips and visits are many and varied and enrich the student experience at Birchwood.

There are a number of curriculum trips including Geography fieldwork visits and external workshops for Politics, Business and Economics. Drama and Dance students attend live performances which broaden students’ knowledge and interpretations. Our Modern Foreign Languages faculty encourage the use of the student’s chosen language and offer experience of the culture of those countries including film festivals, plays and Christmas markets.

This year, our Year 12s travelled to Norfolk Lakes to take part in a range of team-building activities designed to push them outside their comfort zone and get to know different students within the Sixth Form.

Birchwood also offers an annual ski trip. Last year, we took 50 Year 13 students to Wagrain in the Austrian Alps. We had a large pool of beginners as well as a group of experienced skiers.

We also ensure we offer students an opportunity to attend the UCAS Discovery Exhibition, which offers lots of relevant information about the way forward after Sixth Form.

We have a dedicated Sixth Form Instagram page with content created by our Sixth Form students.

Visit it here:  Instagram