Esher Sixth Form College is an extremely successful, non-selective Sixth Form College situated in Thames Ditton, near Hampton Court, Surrey.

We are one of the few colleges in the country to achieve ‘Outstanding’ in all areas of our last two full Ofsted inspections and have a reputation for delivering exceptional results. We pride ourselves on creating a friendly and dynamic atmosphere for all students and staff.

Intake

Esher Sixth Form College has over 2,000 full-time students, in addition to part time(adult) enrolments attending in the evening. During the day we specialize in 16-19 education where we have an unusual pattern of student recruitment. Good communication links mean that students travel to the College from a wide area. Although we have partnerships with our local schools, we draw on over 100 schools for our intake – from both the state and independent sectors, from inner and outer London, most of Surrey, and occasionally from other counties.

The diversity of students has a positive impact on the health of the College, making it a friendly and lively place to work and study. The College remains an extremely popular option for post-16 education, with student demand often outstripping our ability to supply.

Curriculum

Our core full-time provision covers a full range of A Level and BTEC courses, as well as a small number of GCSE subjects. All students take level three courses as part of their study programme. Every student also takes a diverse range of enrichment courses, including the Personal Development Programme (PDP), an Extension Studies option, work experience, sport, drama and other extension courses.

We aim to provide a curriculum for students which is broad, balanced and coherent, and to ensure successful progression to university, apprenticeship or work. As a rule, about 90% of our students go on to University and data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) demonstrates that our students go on to be high achievers at degree level.
The College is firmly rooted in the community it serves and we offer a successful programme of evening adult counselling courses. Our facilities are also available to hire to local clubs and organisations.

Performance

We have a reputation for high quality academic performance which is borne out by the latest examination results. Our A level pass rate for 2023 was 99.4%, with 68.9% of entries awarded A*- B. With some equally outstanding BTEC outcomes, our students are able to take advantage of a wide range of progression opportunities. These impressive results are achieved in the context of deliberately inclusive entry requirements – our intake is more mixed than one might anticipate and we maintain a genuine open-access policy, without any selection criteria, beyond the relatively modest, minimum entry requirements. In September 2022, Ofsted awarded the College Grade 1: Outstanding in all areas inspected.

Key strengths of the College, identified by Ofsted, include:
• Very good progress of students
• Outstanding teaching and learning
• Outstanding extension and enrichment activities
• Very good facilities and resources
• Strong commitment to equality of opportunity

Beyond the Academic

Most teaching staff are personal tutors in a ‘horizontal’ year group structure. We have strong support processes to monitor student progress and to provide careful guidance to individual students when needed. The students run a very effective Student Union which organises many events, some purely social, many raising funds for charity. We have our own registered charity, the Esher College Africa Trust (ECAT), which supports AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. We have a team of staff who are trained counsellors and who provide an expert level of advice for students with personal problems, as well as a full time College Nurse. We also have a learning support team which assists students who need extra help in improving their learning skills and supporting those with particular learning needs. Many excellent teachers have moved on to posts of responsibility after ‘cutting their teeth’ with us.

Facilities

The College’s facilities are some of the best available in the area, the product of a long-term Property Strategy. There are specialist facilities for all subjects, with IT access and projectors in every room, two large Learning Resource Centres, extensive computer access, a Theatre, Drama Studio and a College café for students to relax in. We have a large Sports Hall, where staff and students have free access to an on-site gym. We are also fortunate in having a large, landscaped campus, with tennis courts and
playing fields.

Staffing

The College currently employs some 200 staff, with an approximate 2:1 split between teaching and support functions, mostly on permanent contracts. Relationships across the staffing structure are very good, being supportive and friendly, with encouragement given to colleagues to contribute to a variety of local, regional and national initiatives.

Travel

The College is located in Thames Ditton, with Hampton Court Palace and the River Thames close by, and within easy access of the A3 and the M25. Thames Ditton train station is only a two-minute walk from Esher Sixth Form College.

The S7 Consortium of Sixth Form Colleges

Esher Sixth Form College is a member of the S7 Consortium, which is committed to pursuing excellence through collaboration. Founded in 2002, S7 began as a network of senior managers between like-minded sixth form colleges, and has grown into a mature, multi-level organisation offering development, best practice, and training opportunities to hundreds of its teaching and support staff each year. The S7 Colleges include Bexhill, BHASVIC, Collyer’s, Godalming, Reigate, Varndean and Woking.