Newcastle School for Boys launch new sixth form

Oct 28 2009 ny Nicola Juncar, The Journal

A PRIVATE school on Tyneside has launched a new sixth form in the hope that its long- standing GCSE success can now be repeated at A-level.

The new department at Newcastle School for Boys, in Gosforth, has also led to seven new additions to the staffroom.

Teaching boys from the age of three, the school now offers AS and A-level courses, which have been up and running since the start of the academic year.

The school hopes the sixth form will be an inspiration for the younger students, and will give them a clear path to aim for when considering further and higher education.

The head of sixth form, Graham Hallam, is one of the school’s new teachers who was given the task of setting up the sixth form and introducing the new curriculum.

He said: “The biggest challenge I face in my new role is establishing a sixth form in a school that has never had one.

“The boys have never seen older boys in their school before or the work they do so there has been no ethos to aspire to and they don’t know what to expect.

“I am going to really enjoy my new role and the opportunity to put my own stamp on the sixth form.”

Graham will be responsible for implementing the new core curriculum for AS and A-level.

He will also be working closely with staff from the girls’ school, Newcastle Church High, in Jesmond, where some of the boys will study their AS courses.