Reflections on Sixth form education: a weight worth bearing?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share experiences of attending Sixth Form (SF) and to provide reflections on coping, stress management and support for an underresearched cohort of students in Britain. This will be the first in several papers dedicated to the experiences of Sixth Form (SF) students and the need for more research into this area as well as the exploration of the sources of stress that SF students may face. Design/methodology/approach Reflective, narrative first-person approach with supporting literature and own research over the master’s thesis of the author and current PhD research. Findings Key reflections are SF education lacks support for students who may feel undersupported. Many things other than academics are occurring in this time of life and can become problematic to the students if not supported. Students experience a myriad of changes across this time period but are left behind the author’s support and revision systems that cater to General Certificate of Secondary Education students but are unable to provide support for SF students. Social implications Social implications are focussed on building awareness and research into the support needs and sources of stress for SF students. Originality/value This paper is one person’s experience with the institution of SF and the expectations, challenges and sources of stress that the author experienced. This paper contributes to the exploration of this underresearched cohort of students.