• Only three weeks to go until the holidays! But this is an important time of the year with UCAS deadlines and mock preparation for Y13, and as workload increases for Y12, students will need to make the most of their study periods to complete their ‘hour for an hour’ work. We also have lots of RAG week events to look forward to over the coming weeks raising money for some fantastic charities.
• Congratulations to our boys' football team who beat CLF 3-0 on Monday.
• Congratulations to the students involved in the Model United Nations Competition at Clifton College last week. Nicholas Johnson won 'Best delegate' Security Council - Iran, Binta Barrie - 'Outstanding delegate' Security Council - Kiribati. Stanley Williams - 'Best delegate Disarmament' Committee - South Africa. Reuben Corbett - 'Outstanding delegate' Human Rights Committee - Iran. (See below for photo).
• Congratulations again to Adil and Kacper in Y12, who following their success in the first VEX Robotics competition, have just won the Excellence Award and Tournament Champion Award which means they automatically qualify for the National Championship in February.
• Y12 Applications for 2026-27 entry- Please note, for those parents/carers with younger children, the application deadline for Y12 for September 2026 entry is Monday 8 December.

• Date for the diary- For students and parents/carers- On Monday 15 December we have our school carol service at St Mary Redcliffe Church.  The service starts at 7:30pm and is an event not to be missed.  There will be carols, readings and a number of reflective pieces performed by our school choir which includes a number of Sixth Form students as well as many former SMRT students and staff.  This is truly a wonderful event and a great way to help you prepare for Christmas.  Do come along if you are able to and bring your friends and family. Next week we will share a link to confirm if you would like to attend.
• Please note our first day back after the holidays is Monday 5 January so if you are planning on travelling away during the holiday please plan to return ready for school on that date.

• Over the last two weeks students have been voting for the two charities that we as a Sixth Form will raise money for during Raising and Giving (RAG) week(s) which is WK 8 December and WK 15 December. Lots of great causes were suggested, with students voting to raise money for Bristol Refugee Rights (Home - Bristol Refugee Rights) (for the second year running) and Human Appeal (Human Appeal UK). 

• RAISE THE BAR- ‘Raise The Bar’ is a programme aimed at Black and minoritised students who are interested in Higher Education or are currently unsure of their future options. The event is designed to provide opportunities for students to explore pathways that will fulfil their aspirations, whilst also giving them a sample of what UWE has to offer. This programme is led by an ex-Redcliffe student and now a lecturer in the Education Department at the University of the West of England. The day is tailored to students who are considering applying to study Education at university however it is open to all students regardless of their chosen course.  

The trip is on Tuesday 3 February 2026 and is completely free. The school will pay for travel there and back from school.

The day will include:  A tour of the campus and its facilities, experience of a live lecture and seminar, participation in a workshop led by university students and a Q and A with university students   

Please let Mr Shaw know asap if you are interested in attending.  

• An updated enrichment timetable- Final Enrichment Timetable 2025.pdf

• Please remember that if students are ill or absent we do expect parents/carers to phone or email and tell us or leave a message BEFORE the start of the school day where possible. Have the 6th form number (0117 3532073) and the attendance officer direct line (0117 3773465) on your phone. Also call if you are significantly delayed in traffic. If it is easier then email 6thform@smrt.bristol.sch.uk . Absences known in advance require a form to be completed which is available from reception.

• It is a Y12 tutor registration on Monday (for Group 1) and Tuesday (for Group 2) as normal.

• All Y12 and Y13 have extended tutor on Tuesday P1 instead of their normal lesson.

• Y12 then have assembly on Wednesday.

• Y12 have the parents subject evening on Wednesday 3 December. This happens online and parents/carers will now have received a letter with all the details. Here it is again just in case: Year-12-Parents-Carers-Evening-3-December-2025.pdf. The booking system closes at 8am on Tuesday 2 December.

• It is a Y13 tutor registration on Wednesday (for Group 1) and Thursday (for Group 2) as normal.

• All Y12 and Y13 have extended tutor on Tuesday P1 instead of their normal lesson.

• Y13 Mocks- Students and Parents/Carers have now been emailed the revision topic list and overall timetable for the mocks that are happening in January starting on Monday 12 January. Morning sessions start at the start of Period 2 10.20am, and afternoon sessions at the start of Period 4 1.10pm and all exams are in the Sports Hall unless there is a specific exam access requirement. Bags can be left in the Sports Hall changing rooms. Any questions about revision should be directed to the subject teacher in the first instance. 

• There is a Y13 Maths Assessment on Tuesday 2 December at 3.20pm.

• We have Bristol University in school on Thursday to meet with anyone considering applying to study Sociology at university, in room G10 at 12.30pm.

• And also in the progression section, please note UCAS applications for 2026 entry must be submitted by Friday 12 December to give staff time to meet the external deadline.

Don’t Make The Leap!  

We sometimes follow a rational thought with an irrational thought. For example, I didn’t do well on that test, therefore I am going to fail all my A Levels. Or that person I loved didn’t love me back, therefore no one will ever love me. It’s something all of us do at times, but it is a good thing to keep an eye on, because negative self-belief can be perpetuated by a negative internal monologue. If you feel stuck in a cycle of this, consider talking to a trusted friend or member of staff about the irrational thoughts taking over, to get some help feeling understood and get a more rounded perspective. Not making the leap from rational to irrational thoughts promotes good mental health. 

All of our live progression opportunities from the Newsletter are accessible in our Progression Site at www.6thformprog.blogspot.com, including more detail on the items below, and if you would like an appointment with Steve James, our careers advisor, then please contact reception or speak to your tutor to book a slot.

Year 13

UCAS applications must be submitted by the 12th December. Info on how all the parts of your UCAS application can be found on the progression website. If you're still writing your personal statement, make sure you're sending it to your tutor on Unifrog for them to review. Then send it to Mr. Jones or a subject teacher related to your degree. You can find subject specific guides on the UCAS website.

Work

The blog has lots of career insight events in Bristol. These are hosted by companies that will be hiring for September so do sign up for them if you're interested!

Apprenticeships

Lots of Higher and Degree Level Apprenticeships are now open! Amazing Apprenticeships has compiled them all here: https://www.amazingapprenticeships.com/resources/higher-and-degree-listing/

The blog has lots of apprenticeships fresh for November already so check them out. There are also webinars to support your applications. Deadlines vary but some close very soon so apply before it's too late!

• Police Apprenticeships

• Apprenticeships local to Bristol & Bath

• L3 Apprenticeships in Production & Technical Support for GKN Aerospace Engineering

• BBC Apprenticeship - Closing Soon!

• Finance Apprenticeships @ SW Group

• Business Apprenticeship @ Dunelm

• Apprenticeships @ BP

• Rolls Royce Apprenticeships

Interviews

We are looking to run practice interviews relevant to anyone considering an apprenticeship, work, or another option after 6^th Form. To register your interest, please sign up here. Separate to this, we're running interview practice for specific university applicants:

• Mr. Wheeler will be running Oxbridge interview practice on the 26^th & 27^th November so please look out for his email. Online practice is also available

• Mr. Jones will be running MMI practice on Wednesday 26^th Nov. (by current Bristol University Med students) and on Monday 15th Dec. (by tutors). Also sign up for online MMI practice hosted by Bristol University.

University

• Subject-Specific taster sessions w/ Bristol University (online)

Bristol Scholars is a programme available to students applying to Bristol University who have had life experiences that have adversely impacted your education. Please discuss with your tutor or Mr. Jones. This can include lower entry requirements by up to 4 grades & additional support from Bristol University.

Lots of universities make contextual offers which lower the required grades for courses - use this tool to find out what lower offers you may be eligible for!

University Entry Exams for Y13 (follow the links for more info)

LNAT - deadlines vary depending on the university

TARA - New! UCL now requires an entry exam for 10 courses. Check the website for details.

 

We have lots of opportunities to look through:

Year 12: 

• Medicine Summer School

• Pelican Programme - Cambridge University subject enrichment programme (requires teacher nomination)

• Nursing Work Experience

• Pathway to Bath - Apply Now! A weekly programme that can lead to a lower entry requirements. 

• Cambridge University is running You'll Fit In, and Target Oxbridge, which are aimed at BAME students interested in applying to Oxford or Cambridge University. 

• Subject-enrichment courses for Physics and English.

• Essay, Translation, and Design Competitions hosted by Cambridge University

• Chemistry & Physics Enrichment Programme

• Maths Enrichment Programme w/ Bath University

• Nursery Work Experience & Volunteering Opportunities

• Youth Insight for businesses programme

• Work Experience for female students in Business & Finance

• Gaming Industry Taster Day

• Career Taster Days for Investment Banking, Music & Media, Town Planning, and Aviation

• Super-curricular is different from extra-curricular (hobbies and activities) in that it is about stretching yourself academically beyond the narrow A Level syllabus, and it is something all the best A Level students will be doing. You can find our recommended reading list on our website at: St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School - Study Links (smrt.bristol.sch.uk) 

• If you are a science A Level student you should absolutely be flipping through the New Scientist magazine every week to keep up with research. We have a hard copy in the library and a login you can access with the email address 6thformlibrary@smrt.bristol.sch.uk and the password Redcliffe.  

• Bristol University have produced lots of resources, including online lectures, to support students in exploring HE options or super-curricular research, You can sign up for access to these at Virtual resources for students | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol 

• Bristol Festival of Ideas rumbles on, which the full index of talks at https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/?pageNumber=1  

• Another fantastic reservoir of free on-line lectures to add power to your University personal statement can be found through Gresham College at https://www.gresham.ac.uk/  

• Swansea University has a great range of webinars related to the full range of Uni course they offer and wider issues at https://www.swansea.ac.uk/study/webinar-series/  

• Speakers for Schools run an excellent series of online talks relating to particular areas of work through the year. The full list is at Upcoming Broadcasts - Speakers for Schools.  

Key support information 

• Mental Health support page on our website - Health-and-Wellbeing-Sources-of-Support.pdf (smrt.bristol.sch.uk) 

• For really well pitched advice on mental health for young people check out this podcast, recommended by the Senior Students - https://linktr.ee/unboxedpodcast  

• Another great resource on Self-Care with loads of suggestions and ideas to try out to help build new habits which can support our wellbeing is here: https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/self-care/  

• The Centre has sanitary products available if you ever need them. We try and keep a stock in toilets, with mentors and Millie and at reception if you need anything. 

• Condom Cards: Redcliffe Sixth Form have now been linked onto the C-Card scheme because practising SAFE sex is important. C-Card is a free and confidential condom distribution scheme for young people aged 13-25 living in Bristol. Once signed up you can collect condoms and lube for free from several outlets. Millie will be your C-Card representative in the Sixth Form, and you can collect them from her at any time during the day. Collecting condoms will be private, free, and completely confidential. Please drop her an email at feldmanm@smrt.bristol.sch.uk  or just pop by the office opposite G10 to have a private chat.  

• Remember you can always speak to our learning mentors, and Millie, for help or visit the Brook website for more information about sexual health, contraception, pregnancies, counselling, PREP (help with HIV) and more. https://www.brook.org.uk/