Annual Shopping Day!

It always comes around so fast - today is our annual 'shopping day' off in lieu of efforts put in earlier in the year at Prize Night. Not only is today a welcome 'surprise' before Christmas, but it also allows us to reflect on the year so far and how things are going. For some, this will mean an honest evaluation of where they're at - some of us need to simply put more effort in and work harder to see results. For others, especially our UVI, it will mean consolidating positions and doing as much as possible to secure those offers. Well done to each and every one of our Sixth Formers who have had offers, Oxbridge interviews, interviews elsewhere to secure unconditional offers, or interviews for sought after courses. Girls have been excited about planning their futures in places as diverse as Liverpool, Scotland and London! It's a difficult time of year, what with the excitement of Christmas and all that, but it's only a few short months now until examinations and all of the worry, brain-pain and frustration will have been worth it! Let today be a reminder that we do, indeed, reap what we sow and just as today has crept upon us without fanfare as a welcome thank you for efforts expended earlier in the year, so too will your examination results quietly reflect your efforts during your time in Sixth Form. Do remember those less fortunate than ourselves today - especially if out and about shopping in town!

Christmas Fair @AESG!

Well done to all the sixth formers who participated in the annual Christmas Fair. Not only did the house captains put the most fabulous stalls together, but they were also part of the effort which saw over £8,000 raised for the school! It goes without saying that we are very proud of all our girls, but we are especially proud of those who prioritise team work and spirit at this time of year. Those girls who find the time to go that extra mile are those who succeed in every walk of life. There are a myriad of opportunities for our sixth formers to become involved in whole school life and the Christmas Fair is testament to the helpful, generous nature of Alderley Edge girls on every level! The tradition of house stalls goes back many years and each year we are genuinely flabbergasted by the inventive, thoughtful way the stalls are put together. Once again girls, you have done us proud!

Sixth Form Open Evening

We look forward to meeting prospective students with their parents tonight. Everyone will have the opportuntity to listen to Mrs Goff, Headmistress, and Mrs Cheetham, Head of Sixth Form before attending specialist subject talks and (most importantly!) speaking to current sixth formers in the common room. The evening starts at 6pm for external applicants with a 6.30pm start for girls and their parents currently in school. We hope you have a great evening!

Back of the net! Philip Wilson (UCFB) speaks passionately about new degrees...

We were privileged to hear Philip Wilson, Provost of UCFB, speak to our Yr 12 PSHE class about the changing face of sports management on Friday. He explained to the girls that football stadia are now being seen as leisure and entertainment venues where football is a component and not just ‘the only show in town’. He explained that, for example, at The FA Cup Final match-day, Wembley employs circa 5,022 people, but only 22 are on the pitch. Inviting us to consider what the roles of the other 5,000 people are on event day, Mr Wilson explained that to facilitate 90,000 people in and out of the building is a highly coordinated and complex operation involving personnel from all disciplines. Only half of Wembley Stadium’s event calendar is football-related. Approximately 5% of positions in the industry exist within the Club environment and the majority of opportunities exist outside within organisations such as Nike, Puma, Sky Sports, Castrol, Coca Cola - all the way towards more localised and regional businesses. At UCFB, the team is dedicated to the delivery of undergraduate degree courses in the operational and business facets of the football and sports industries, which responds to football’s status as a global multi-billion pound industry that requires specific administrative, management and operational skills and capabilities. Located in two state-of-the-art iconic and inspiring locations at Wembly and Burnley, UCFB provides students with a unique student experience and to live, learn and work within the football and sports industry during their studies. Football is a worldwide economic and social, as well as sporting phenomenon. It is important to understand its evolution into the modern game and to look ahead to the next innovations. There are many jobs in the football and sports industry but they will increasingly require a combination of graduate qualifications, practical work experience, business imagination and a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD). Students at UCFB have career aspirations outside of the sports industries and merely wish to learn a traditional academic subject such as a finance degree in the context of something about which they are passionate. Like all things, education is all about motivation and the opportunity for students to read a finance degree within an inspirational environment is unique to UCFB. A degree certificate is merely an entry ticket in to the job market, allowing a graduate to apply for a job where the minimum entry requirement is to have a degree. No employer will ask what mark you received in your finance or marketing exam in your second year but they will be interested in what your core capabilities and competences are, that you can provide in order to become a valuable member of staff. UCFB therefore offers degrees, lecture series, workshops and executive speakers as part of its fundamental approach to higher education. Their involvement in the football and sports industry with organisations such as the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Scottish Professional Football League, English Premier League, Football League, Football Association (FA), Umbro, BBC Sport, ITV Sport and Sky Sports provides a unique and exclusive undergraduate experience for students. Many thanks to Mr Wilson and the relationship managers who accompanied him on the day - the talk certainly scored highly for us!

Autumn Term Well Underway!

We've really hit the ground running, as usual, this year. The Head Girl Team are out of school tomorrow at Withington School for Girls at a GSA conference, the Sixth Form information evening is on tomorrow evening and UVI girls are busy getting their personal statements ready. Sixteen LVI girls have put themselves forward for positions as prefects within every year group and introduced themselves to their forms this morning. Many of our UVI and LVI girls have organised either work experience or charity work on Wednesday afternoons while others are enjoying the opportunities to take part in PE lessons where everything from yoga to kick-boxing will be available throughout the year. Our house captains, along with their deputies, are busy organising the next house event to be judged: the house notice boards. We have a charities prefect and an eco-warrior plus an 'overall organiser of the LVI prefects' warrior all proudly sporting their badges and - alongside all of this - Mrs Cheetham and Mrs Perls have mentored every girl in UVI to ensure that each student is aware of her UCAS points position. Predicted grades sheets have been distributed so that the girls can make realistic and timely choices once they have openly discussed with staff the likelihood of achieving their aspirational (and realistic) grades. The sixth form tutor team has now met twice since we arrived back on 28 August - it's been great to work with old friends and to welcome new faces too! All in all, everyone is settling in well and we particularly welcome new girls to our Sixth Form - hopefully everyone's settling in. The new term has certainly started with a bang!

Back to school blues?

Fear not! You're embarking on one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of your school careers. Whether returning to Sixth Form and attacking Year 13 or starting off in Year 12, you are at a crucial stage in your learning. We can guarantee you will receive all the support, encouragement and care you need to make a success of your year. All you have to do is ... your best! September is the equivalent of New Year - a fresh start with fresh goals and aspirations. Good luck to you all!

GCSE & A Level Success!

Attention turns, once again, to results from mid-August onwards. Girls who have completed Year 11 are looking forward to moving into the Sixth Form and we welcome them warmly. We are always sad to see Year 13 girls moving on, but also delighted that so many of them are embarking on the next stage of their academic journeys at their first choice universities. Whether they've decided to study Pharmacology or Fashion, Engineering or Events Management our Year 13s are happy to leave us behind and move on to places as diverse as Leeds, Nottingham, York and London. Our LVI should be inspired by the possibilities before them and take heed of the advice offered by the year ahead: study hard from the outset! We look forward to welcoming everyone back next week! Enjoy the last few days of your holidays!

Summer Reading...

Summer is a great time for English teachers (and students?!)to catch up on their reading. I've been re-reading Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy: 'The Commitments'; 'The Snapper' and 'The Van' prior to reading his new novel 'The Guts' which - once again - features the Rabbitte family from fictional Barrytown in Dublin. This time round, Doyle focuses on Jimmy Jnr as he battles with bowel cancer. Aside from that, I've read 'Our Spoons Came From Woolworths' by Barbara Comyns - reissued under the Virago Modern Classic umbrella. I was thoroughly engrossed in Sophia's tale and enthralled by the slice of early 1930's life in England offered by Comyns. Karen Thompson Walker's 'The Age of Miracles' posed an interesting concept - what would happen if time slowed down? I found this an entertaining read, but thought the ending lacked finesse; maybe I just got bored with it! However, a well realised twelve year old narrator in the form of Julia, the protagonist, kept me reading throughout. I was less enamoured with 'The Yonahlossee Riding School for Girls' a debut novel by Anton DiSclafani. As a fan of 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Grapes of Wrath' and other 1930's American fiction, I thought I'd enjoy it more than I did which was a bit disappointing. Had I not had such high expectations, I don't think I would have been as disappointed. On the other hand, 'The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone' by Will Storr proved a disturbing, unsettling read; however, I enjoyed it! So, what next? After the new Roddy Doyle, I plan to read some of the long-listed books nominated for the Man Booker this year. Colum McCann's 'Transatlantic' has caught my eye. It's the tale of four generations of women set amidst such events such as the Irish potato famine, the American Civil War and the troubles in Northern Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed McCann's 'Let The Great World Spin' earlier this year, so I'm looking forward to attacking his new book! I've already read Colm Toibin's 'The Testament Of Mary' which has appeared on the list - his previous novel 'Brooklyn' was also long-listed for the Booker in 2009. His recent novel is very interesting as it recounts events after Jesus' death from his mother's perspective. I love Toibin's style and use of language and was engrossed in this novel which I - most unusually - downloaded and read on Kindle (I normally buy and hoard books, so this was quite the departure!). So, that's all for now - I hope this summer also sees many of you reading and enjoying it? It would be great to hear from you about your recommendations ... :)

First Year at University Finished & Passed!

It was great to bump into three AESG 'old girls' in Piccolinos, Hale, last night celebrating the end of their respective first years. Scarlett Lowes is enjoying Business Management, Natisha Thukral is delighted she chose Business Management & Economics and Talia Woods is embracing her Media course! The girls were looking gorgeous and have pledged to come to see us all in September to impart any advice or information to girls considering these courses or, indeed, just to chat about their experiences. Watch this space!

UCAS, YR 13

We will endeavour to post information which will be of use to you as you aim to finish your UCAS applications as early as possible. Your subject teachers have already provided your tutors with the information they require to write your academic references. You must make sure that you ask for help, if required, as early as possible because, although the official deadline in the middle of January sounds like a far and distant land, the earlier you complete the process, the earlier you may receive an offer from the University of your choice. So, make sure you start as you mean to go on: work on that personal statement and ask your tutor for help at the earliest possible opportunity. Don't come to your tutor with a blank page (and equally blank look on your face!), but put the effort in to ensure that your application is outstanding!

Welcome to the AESG Sixth Form! Your new Head of Sixth is Mrs Cheetham and your new Assistant Head of Sixth is Mrs Perls. We hope that you have a productive, enjoyable and - most of all - exciting time in this new phase of your academic journey. Keep an eye on this blog for information, news & views and any Sixth Form related 'stuff'. We wish you the very best and look forward to supporting you to achieve the very best that you can!