Dartford Grammar School for Girls

SIXTH FORM NEWS - OCTOBER 2025

Our Sixth Form motto is ‘Own Your Journey, Create your Future’ which really emphasises the importance of students making the most of every opportunity provided to them in order to open up more opportunities further down the line. Our bespoke curriculum and leadership opportunities allow students to own their journeys and create their future, wherever they choose their destination to be.

Sixth Form Open Evening - Thursday 27th November

A lot has changed in the Sixth Form over the last year or so, including the Elective Curriculum, Societies and Leadership opportunities, and you will hear more about this in the Sixth Form Open Evening on 27th November. This incredibly popular event is open to all our current Year 11 students and their parents and there are limited tickets available to those students currently studying elsewhere but tickets do go quickly. A letter about this will be going out in due course.

Year 13 2025 Results and Destinations

We are incredibly proud of our A Level results and we are particularly proud of our last Year 13 cohort. These students, who have just finished their A Levels here, have left a legacy which really demonstrates the academic excellence which can be achieved through hard work and dedication. 33% of grades were an A or an A*. We had record numbers of students gaining a place at Russell Group Universities including Oxford and Cambridge and our Raising Aspirations programmes ensured students entered courses in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

Students are studying other courses ranging from Economics and Games Design, to Computer Science, Engineering, Optometry, Neuroscience, Fashion Management and Law as well as high level Degree Apprenticeships.

Sixth Form Successes!

We would like to congratulate two Year 13 students on their recent successes in essay competitions.

Ishwa has won the KMPG Young Economist of the Year Award after submitting her winning essay on 'What are the economic consequences of a falling birth rate and what approaches can be taken to mitigate these?'. As a finalist she was invited to visit Downing Street and KPMG's Main Office, and as the winner, her essay will be published in the Financial Times.

Makayla is also celebrating after achieving a coveted Very High Commendation in the 2025 Global Essay Prize in Politics, awarded by the John Locke Institute, Princeton. This puts her in the top 2% of entrants.

Huge congratulations to both students for this recognition of all their

hard work.

Year 12 Induction and Working Together Evening

At the start of the year it was great to welcome both familiar faces and new students during the Year 12 induction program which combined both academic lessons and opportunities to make new friends and get to know the Sixth Form staff and students. Students had the opportunity to work as a team to compete for Housepoints and gain Form Group Awards.

Our Working Together Evening invited Year 12 students and their parents/carers to come into school and gain information about how best to support students throughout the next two years.

Academic Electives

In addition to our core curriculum of 3 A Levels, students in the Sixth Form have the opportunity to take an additional Level 3 qualification in Year 12. Students are settling into their additional studies of either:

Extended Project Qualification
Accreditation in Languages for Business (Spanish)
Sport Leadership
Gold Arts Award
AS Mathematics
AS Further Mathematics
Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate

UCAS (University Application)

Our Year 13 potential Oxbridge and Medics/Vets/Dentist students have been making appointments to send off their UCAS applications. Every time a student’s application is sent off, they ‘Ring the Bell’ in the Sixth Form to celebrate, which creates a real ‘buzz’ in the Sixth Form Centre.

Black History Month

Our Head Student Team and Diversity Leaders (current Year 13) have been planning a series of activities and assemblies for Black History Month which includes a poetry and spoken word competition, and a House Competition based on ‘Icons of Influence’ which will involve the all students from Years 7 - 13 but led by the Sixth Form students.

Join Our Mailing List

There is a Sixth Form mailing list of nearly 400 parents/carers and students who are already, currently studying at other schools who have asked for information on the Sixth Form here at DGGS. At least once a term I update this list with news and information about the Sixth Form and its students. Please sign up to the mailing list to keep up to date with information.

You do not need to apply for a place in our Sixth Form until Results Day on 22nd August

SIXTH FORM NEWS - DECEMBER 2025

Our Sixth Form motto is ‘Own Your Journey, Create your Future’ and our Sixth Form students have been incredibly busy this term.

Academic Electives

In addition to our core curriculum of 3 A Levels, students in the Sixth Form have the opportunity to take an additional Level 3 qualification in Year 12, each award UCAS points upon successful completion. Here is an overview of what the students opting to take these electives have been up to so far this year:

TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Our Year 12 students have enjoyed working through the course and have studied the history of TEFL and how people learn. They have also been introduced to lesson planning and how to deliver online lessons. They have been introduced to the concept of reflecting on their practice and the principles of understanding how to teach English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation and are now working on learning how to teach receptive and passive skills.

Sports Leadership

Our Sports Leaders are really excelling, building on key leadership skills. They have successfully led our Year 10 students in a range of team sports and received valuable feedback. They have demonstrated impressive planning skills and have adapted when working under pressure and in varied environments. They are currently organising a series of progressive sessions to lead to Years 9 and 10 students. We are excited to see further development and progress over the next units of the course.

Language for Business - Spanish

Students have been highly engaged in their Language for Business classes, exploring the structure of a company, learning how to apply for a job, and preparing for interviews. They have also been working on understanding key health and safety regulations in Spain. This combination of practical skills and cultural knowledge is helping them build confidence for real-world professional situations.

EPQ

The EPQ students have made a great start to the course this term. They have selected their independent research topics and there is a fantastic range of projects being planned. Their ideas include emotional connections to football, the relevance of Orwell’s writing to a modern audience, designing a sustainable hospital wing and LGBTQA+ representation in animation, to name but a few. Now their proposals have been approved, they are diving into the world of research and learning skills that will give them a significant head start when they get to university, including how to cite academic sources appropriately. It has been a privilege to watch their ideas take shape over the term and see them all finding a way to link their passions and interests with academic study.

Gold Arts Award

The Arts Award students are really excelling and exploring their passion within the Arts. They have been developing their skills in an existing art form as well as a new art form, whether this be song writing, henna design, photography, dance choreography or building their music reading skills. Students are all making progress in an area of their choice and documenting their journey in a portfolio. They have also researched an arts-related issue of their choice and are currently creating podcasts to present and discuss their findings with their peers. Next term students will begin developing their leadership skills and showcase this in a public event. They will also attend an arts event - either an art gallery exhibition or a musical theatre performance which they will critically review to add further evidence to their portfolios.

AS Level Maths

Our AS Level Mathematics students have been embracing the challenge of studying Mathematics alongside their A Level subjects and are making great progress. They have studied new topics such as calculus and applied these skills to practical problems like finding the optimum selling price of a product or fuel efficiency of a car. They have learnt to question their learning to deepen their understanding and are working well as a group to problem solve and explain their working. Their confidence is building and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Reflections from our students:

‘AS Maths has helped to develop my confidence in Maths and has also aided in my other STEM based A Levels (Chemistry & Biology)’

‘I really enjoy AS Maths as I previously enjoyed GCSE Maths. It is so nice to continue my learning in Maths for another year.’

AS Level Further Maths

AS Further Mathematics is a challenging subject which takes students Mathematical skill beyond those of the Mathematics A Level. Alongside pure mathematics students have been developing their understanding and skills of applied mathematics in Decision Mathematics and Mechanics. Our students have taken on this challenge and are progressing really well, working together to solve complex problems and put their mathematics into action.

‘Over the past two terms I have really enjoyed my AS Further Maths lessons because of the collaboration with my peers in the classroom. For example, in Miss Tanner’s Mechanics class we all work on a question together using whiteboard pens to write on the table which is very beneficial.’

Toys to the Tree

Each form group raised money or collected donations for a charity of their choice. Money has been donated to Centrepoint, Sickle Cell Society, War Child and gifts have been donated to the Bluewater Giving Tree. These were given in a special service during assemblies last week, led by the Head Student Team in Year 13.

UCAS

Our Year 13 students have been making appointments to send off their UCAS applications. Every time a student’s application is sent off, they ‘Ring the Bell’ in the Sixth Form to celebrate. There were 49 applications to either Medicine related courses, or Oxford and Cambridge, and other courses have ranged from Astronomy, Mechanical Engineering, Game Design, Fashion Management, Computer Science, Mathematics, Pharmacy and Law. Offers are already coming in and 14 students have been offered interviews for Oxford and Cambridge.

Sixth Form Open Evening

As you are aware, our Sixth Form Open Evening had to be postponed and will now take place on 5th March 2026. In the meantime, please have a look at our 2026 - 2028 Sixth Form Prospectus to give you an idea of what the Sixth Form here at Dartford Grammar School for Girls has to offer.

As we round up this term, the Year 13s have embarked on their study leave for the mock period, and the Year 12s are receiving the results of their summative assessments.

If you know of any external students/parents who would like to receive further information about the Sixth Form here at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, please encourage them to sign up to our mailing list on our website for future emails.

As a current Year 11 student, you do not need to complete an application form for a place in our Sixth Form. As long as you meet the entry criteria, and subject criteria, you can enrol on results day for a place in our Sixth Form on 22nd August.

Miss K Cooper

Assistant Headteacher - Head of Sixth Form

SIXTH FORM NEWS - JANUARY 2026

Our Sixth Form motto is ‘Own Your Journey, Create your Future’ and our Sixth Form students have been incredibly busy this term.

New Year, New Start
We started the new year in the Sixth Form with an assembly on Monday 5th January for Year 12 students on how to respond to feedback and how to best demonstrate their knowledge and understanding to their teachers in every lesson. This was followed by an Enrichment Elective Quiz Afternoon on Wednesday 7th January which was put together by the Form Captains from the eight form groups in Year 12; this provided an opportunity for teamwork and healthy competition between groups. On Thursday 8th January, Year 12 had an assembly introducing them to the leadership opportunities which have opened up for them on the Student Leadership Team.

Year 13 have been sitting their Mock exams and it has been great to see so many in school using the Sixth Form facilities for independent revision during this period. We look forward to welcoming them back into lessons next week for the final push before their A Level examinations. Both year groups had their Awards Assemblies this week which was an excellent opportunity to appreciate all the hard work and effort they have been putting in since September.

We are preparing for our Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 5th March which was postponed in November. This is an excellent opportunity for the Sixth Form students to shine and demonstrate the pride they have in their Sixth Form. We are looking forward to welcoming Year 11 students from both within and outside of DGGS during this evening.

Year 13 UCAS Update
Our Sixth Form Motto is ‘Own your journey, create your future,’ and Year 13 are one step closer to the next stage of their journeys. The UCAS deadline was Tuesday 14th January, and all students intending to go to university in September 2026 successfully submitted their applications. Some have already received conditional or unconditional offers for courses including:

Accounting and Finance	English	Politics
Aeronautical Engineering	History	Product Design
Animation Production	Law	Psychology
Architecture	Linguistics	Real Estate
Biomedical Engineering	Mathematics	Robotics engineering
Business and Management	Mechanical Engineering	Social Sciences
Chemical Engineering	Neuroscience	Urban Planning
Civil Engineering	Optometry	Sport Psychology
Computer Science	Pharmacy	Veterinary Nursing
Economics	Philosophy	Zoology

Two students have offers for Engineering and History from the University of Oxford and we are awaiting offers from the University of Cambridge later this month.
In addition to the above, three students have secured Degree Apprenticeships already for September. We are incredibly proud of everything our students have achieved so far and wish them all the best in their final months of preparation before their A Level examinations.

Head Student Team
The process to elect the new Head Student Team has begun with Year 12. This is an excellent opportunity for Year 12 to ‘Own Their Journey, Create Their Future’ and impact not only their futures but that of the wider school community. The job description for the highly regarded Head Student positions have been shared with the year group and applications are open to those who wish to take on this very important role. We are pleased to see some strong applications have already been made.

Applications for House Captains and the remaining positions on the Student Leadership Team will open after the Head Students have been selected, after the half term holiday. The recruitment process is rigorous with interviews and tasks for the shortlisted candidates. We look forward to sharing news of the new team later in the year.

Sixth Form Open Evening
You may be aware that our Sixth Form Open Evening had to be postponed. This will now be on Thursday 5th March and for those who had tickets, these will be transferred to this new date. In the meantime I have attached a link to our 2026 - 2028 Sixth Form Prospectus to give you an idea of what the Sixth Form here at Dartford Grammar School for Girls has to offer.

SIXTH FORM NEWS - MAY 2026

Dear Prospective Sixth Form Students and Parents/Carers

Thank you for joining our Sixth Form Mailing List.

At Dartford Grammar School for Girls, our Sixth Form Motto is ‘Own your journey, create your future’, and we are incredibly proud to be recognised as ‘exceptional’ for Post-16 by Ofsted.

Ofsted - Exceptional Rating

Please see our school website for the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection in March 2026. We are so proud of our ‘Exceptional’ grading for Post-16. One thing that makes our Sixth Form unique is the bespoke curriculum, with 3 A Levels at its core, but with opportunities for additional academic, enrichment and sporting electives. We are also incredibly proud not only of the student outcomes and destinations, but how they develop holistically, become role models to younger students, and take on additional roles and responsibilities within the school. The report also highlights other ‘exceptional’ areas, as well as how new students to the school are welcomed and ‘fully integrated into school life’. We are therefore looking forward to welcoming our new cohort of Year 12 in September, whether they be our own students or those from other schools.

Below is the section of the report on Post-16:

Post-16 - Exceptional

Post-16 provision is extremely well considered, with students' needs and leaders' high aspirations incorporated seamlessly. A carefully constructed study programme keeps learning really broad while enabling academic excellence. An impressive enrichment activity programme deliberately addresses gaps in life skills, such as learning to swim or driving awareness. Consequently, students' holistic needs are met extremely well.

The strengths in curriculum and teaching seen elsewhere in the school, including for those with additional needs, are even more prominent across the sixth form. This means that students achieve extremely high educational standards by the end of Year 13. The sophisticated programme of impartial careers education enables them to secure impressive onward destinations with prestigious employers and universities.

Students who join the school in Year 12 quickly become fully integrated into school life, seizing leadership opportunities that benefit younger pupils and the community as a whole. They value opportunities to participate in sport, recognising how it promotes leadership and team-building skills, as well as healthy future living. They model aspirational values proudly with younger pupils, such as through acting as mentors. The exceptional quality of the personal, social and health education provision is reflected in the highly reflective and thoughtful individuals that students become.

Ofsted March 2026

Student Leadership

As Year 13 has left for study leave, we have welcomed the new Head Student Team. Following an application, shortlisting, interviewing and selection process, we are pleased to announce the new team:

Head Student Team 2026-2027

Head

Students

Priscilla 12B

Dideoluwa 12A

House Captains and House Teams 2026-2027

	Chartwell	Hever	Ightham	Knole	Leeds	Penshurst
House Captain	Enoch 12B	Irebami 12B	Manna 12B	Divyansha 12H	Esther 12E	Jesica 12E
Deputy - Philanthropic	Precious 12B	Nicole 12B	Jessica 12C	Jeneba 12F	Chimdi 12G	Ares 12G
Deputy - Diversity	Manasi 12D	Aishwariya 12A	Udochukwu 12C	Hannah 12F	Tanya 12H	Nifemi 12E

This Year 12 group demonstrated a particularly high standard in both their written applications and in interviews, it was a really difficult decision as there were so many strong candidates. This was emphasised in their Celebration Assembly last week with so many students receiving academic, sporting, attendance, punctuality, attitude to learning and community awards.

The new House Captains ran philanthropic events last week to raise money as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, and impressive totals have been collected.

Year 13 Leavers

Two weeks ago, we bid farewell and good luck to our Year 13 students. They arrived in school for a celebratory breakfast and received their Yearbooks and Hoodies. The effort they put into their decorated shirts was a joy to see. The celebration assembly showcased videos from each form group, highlighting the bonds they have formed over the last two years and there were messages of encouragement from staff. The students signed each other's shirts on the lawn into the afternoon, which was a lovely send off for a wonderful year group.

Their A Level examinations are in full swing and so many are using the Sixth Form Centre as a revision space in between their exams.

Trips and Guest Speakers

This term, there have been many opportunities for students to attend trips and experience guest speakers coming into school.

There have been a number of curriculum trips including visits to theatres to see plays and musicals, restaurants, art galleries and universities, including a trip to Oxford University for those with aspirations for world class university destinations.

Year 12 spent our Curriculum Enhancement Day working as a team to solve a treasure hunt around London, and In the last two weeks, they have received talks from St Giles Trust about dangers in our society as part of their Learning for Life course, as well as an external speaker, Jay Crawford, aka Mr Focus, to launch Mental Health Awareness Week.

Before they left for study leave, Year 13 enjoyed a bowling trip, demonstrating their competitive side with a bowling and pool tournament, followed by a trip to Thorpe Park - a final opportunity for them to enjoy a day out together before the exam season. Now Year 12 have finished their End of Year Assessments, they too will be visiting the bowling alley, and it will be interesting to see which year group has the better skills.

Keep an eye on your inbox for further information on our Sixth Form and encourage any other potential students and parents/carers to sign up to our mailing list on our website for future emails.

Remember, you do not need to apply for a place in our Sixth Form until results day on 20th August.

Yours faithfully

Miss K Cooper

Assistant Headteacher - Head of Sixth Form