A key advantage of attending a Sixth Form within a school, rather than at a separate college, is the leadership opportunities that this presents.

Within the Sixth Form there is an officer team, however this does not just consist solely of the traditional Head Girls, House Captains and prefects. Other roles include the Buddies (a pastoral support system for the younger students), Charity, Marketing and Eco prefects as well as DofE and Debating Prefects. In fact the school officer system within The Abbey provides the chance for sixth formers to create and apply for roles that don’t yet exist, but which they feel passionate about – allowing the team to change and evolve alongside the Sixth Form.

The application process, in the form of a formal letter and an interview, provides students with an excellent experience for the future. The job descriptions for each officer role are made available and the current officer team in the year above offer advice to the LVI about the actual day to day nature of the role.

Once these roles have been assigned, this team, led by the Head Girls, take on a range of responsibilities through the whole school. For example, the Drama captains produce the UIII pantomime and the Head Girls run assemblies at the Junior School.

Leadership roles don’t just lie in the Sixth Form. Many older girls within the rest of the school take on other responsibilities such as running clubs or choreographing a piece for the Gym and Dance Display which gives them transferable skills, which potentially could lead to them taking a Sixth Form officer position.