Earlier this month a team of 18 tutors from The Sixth Form College Farnborough were delighted to have the opportunity of visiting Woking High School to run a wide variety of sessions, for Year 11 students, in their own classroom environment.

The tutors were joined by 15 students from the College, many of whom were previously pupils at Woking High School. Taster sessions in Economics, Film, Graphic Design, Government and Politics, Law, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Photography, Psychology and Sociology gave students the opportunity to find out more about course content, view work from current College students and take part in activities which gave them a taste for the subjects.

Luke Arnold a former student at Woking High School, now studying Graphic Design at Farnborough Sixth Form College, who took questions from those students taking part in the taster sessions said, “It was a strange experience returning to the place I'd spent nearly a third of my life! Seeing the Year 11's trying to decide what subjects to take made me realise and appreciate how far I've come in under a year. I felt we were helping some students to finalise their decision about what they wanted to do, but also inspiring students that hadn't considered taking Graphic Design at A level. Overall I think it was a successful day for all involved.”

Jane Abbott, Headteacher at Woking High School said, “At Woking High School we place a great emphasis on preparing our students for the transition from secondary school to college. This was a wonderful opportunity for our Year 11's to gain an insight into the variety of subjects and courses available at post 16 level. We are very grateful to the tutors and students at Farnborough 6th Form for providing these workshops. The feedback on the day has been exceptionally positive and I know our students really valued the sessions provided.”

Freya Chitty and Marissa Alexandru, both students at Woking High School, took part in the Graphic Design taster session, which they found gave them a good introduction to the more independent learning opportunities offered by the College. Ben Puttock, also a student at the School, took part in the Film Studies session and commented on how useful he had found the day and how he had enjoyed the interactive sessions.

Paul Fortescue, a Personal Tutor at the College and organiser of the day said, “The taster sessions aimed to demystify subjects which are open to students moving into Year 11 -12 and excite them about the opportunities available. The aim of the day was to help the students in their decision making about what subjects they want to pursue in Year 12, which will reduce the stress on them in the transition and enable them to make a better start to their Sixth Form studies.”

Rose Davies, Curriculum Manager for Graphic Design at the College commented that, “the Taster Day was a fantastic opportunity to experience the school environment that our students progress from. The Woking High School students were excited and inspired by the graphic student work we shared and discussed. The student representatives from Farnborough were fantastic ambassadors for the College, speaking very positivity about their experiences so far.”

Claire Smith, Year 11 Learning Co-ordinator at Woking High School and organiser of the day added, “An excellent and successful day for all involved. Year 11 students enjoyed an action packed taster day experiencing various subjects that are on offer at Farnborough Sixth Form. Well done to Year 11 and the visiting tutors.”