Student Union

Our Student Union is made up of selected representatives and interested students. They meet regularly with the Sixth Form leadership team to plan improvements for Sixth Form student life in school.

Recently their work has included charity events, developing recycling facilities for the whole school, running a Sixth Form Instagram account, improving support for new Year 12 students and working with the school to improve facilities. The committee is there to represent your interests and is fully involved in the celebrations at the end of your courses, organising the Sixth Form ball and hoodies. Students feel that their views are treated with respect and frequently acted upon.

Below you can read about current Head Girl and Head Boy, and their introduction to Gosforth Academy's Sixth Form and experience to date. 

I am studying Maths, Chemistry and Biology at A Level and hoping to get a place to study Medicine at university next year. I have been in the Gosforth school system since Reception and at Gosforth Academy since Year 9. I have enjoyed my time at the Academy and I have felt well supported to achieve my academic goals.

Akseli, the Head Boy, and I lead the Student Union team of seven. There are weekly student union meetings open to everyone, not just the committee. This term the student union is organising several events, including a charity netball match to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a toiletry collection for charity, a food bank collection and a Movember event. We hope to organise more events after Christmas, such as a Sixth Form football tournament. We are currently considering ways to support students’ mental health and hope to launch regular mental health and wellbeing tips on social media through a “Mental Health Mondays” project soon. Students can get involved in the Student Union by coming to meetings, getting involved in our events or by applying to be on the committee, at the end of Year 12.

At Gosforth Academy, there’s lots of support when you’re considering what to do after Sixth Form. Each student has a personal tutor and a learning manager to give advice and help with university applications and other options. When you have free periods in Sixth Form, there is a good choice of places to go, from the quiet space of the library to the sociable common room, as well as other break out spaces. In the Sixth Form we are expected to do more independent learning than before; however most subjects have intervention sessions to help you if you want extra support or are struggling with a particular topic.

I love the number of clubs on offer at Gosforth Academy. There is something for everyone. Some clubs are just for Sixth Form and others are open to other year groups as well. Clubs on offer include a range of sports clubs, yoga, knitting club, Sixth Form gym and feminist society. All clubs are open to beginners so you can try something new. Many students enjoy supporting the sports teams and there is a real sense of community at these events. 

At Gosforth Sixth Form, there is a huge number of students all with different backgrounds and personalities and I feel this makes for a diverse and inclusive community that I am glad to be part of.

I study Politics, Maths and History, and I am hoping to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at university. I joined Gosforth Academy in Sixth Form to experience a new school and environment that has a great academic reputation.

The school has lived up to my hopes during my time here. The teachers here are incredibly helpful and approachable, helping to maximise every student’s academic potential. The pastoral care in the Sixth Form is also excellent, with each student having tutors to help them with personal issues, as well as applications for life after Sixth Form. The school is helpful with handling the UCAS application process and the other post Sixth Form options for students.

Being the Head Boy involves listening to the wishes and requests of the student body and communicating this with the Sixth Form team. This includes many things, ranging from charity collections for local food banks and toiletries charities to fun events for the student community, like intra-school football and netball matches to raise money for charity. We ensure regular communication through the Student Union meetings, which any student can attend, and weekly meetings with a Learning Manager in the Sixth Form Team to communicate our ideas to the staff. Our main priority is to build a strong relationship with the student body, helping to make the Student Union a more involved part of the experience here. Already, we have organised and are about to launch Mental Health Mondays, through which we can bring awareness of mental health, so students will be more comfortable to speak about the problems they face.

There are many societies and clubs available to Sixth Form students here, such as the feminist society, the yoga club and the LGQBT+ society, among others. These allow the student body to connect and socialise through shared interests. A key role of the Student Union is to organise dedicated events within the Sixth Form. We have much diversity in our Sixth Form community, which we are proud of. Gosforth Academy is an excellent Sixth Form to attend. From its academic standards, to the pastoral care and extracurricular activities, it excels at bringing out the best in students.