St Leonard's

St Leonard’s Sixth Form is the perfect environment for making your future a reality, through brilliant specialist teaching, enrichment and friendship.  Our family-feeling means that young people can be their genuine selves, and students who need extra support will never go under the radar. More than anything, our students are encouraged to demonstrate that intellectual curiosity for which top universities are looking, and to develop those workplace-ready skills which employers value so highly. 

Our high expectations, supportive pastoral team, and collaborative work with families create success, as is evident in our excellent results: at A-Level; in Vocational subjects; in acceptances to Universities and onto Higher Apprenticeships.  As top school in the North East for Oxford and Cambridge entrance, and with more than half our students moving on to Russell Group universities, we provide exceptional support in fulfilling your ambitions, whether that is an engineering apprenticeship  or a midwifery degree; we know it’s only the best choice, if it’s the best fit for you as an individual.

Preparation for the wider world is woven throughout our exciting personal development programme and includes a week of work experience at the end of Year 12,  as well as an expansive Careers Fair.   Almost 50 inspiring guest speakers visited last year, leading subject-specialist seminars as well as running workshops in topics from student cookery to living on a budget: everything needed to become independent young adults.

Our atmosphere is friendly, warm and inclusive; our Catholic distinctiveness means being “universal”.    We welcome a diverse student body and try to live the Gospel through service, community engagement and charity work. Just as our option blocks are not rigid, but shaped by your choices and interests, our enrichment includes the chance to lead and shape the school in a way which reflects the needs of modern society, running clubs and mentoring younger pupils. 

An amazing range of overseas and more local trips give opportunities for you to become your best selves: from conservation in Mexico to Art History in Rome; from Physics at CERN to shopping at York Christmas Market.  We encourage you to engage in cultural debate, to read widely and discuss books,  to build strong values and a sense of personal faith and integrity that fits you for a changing world.  Our generous bursary means every student has equality of opportunity.  Students leave St Leonard’s Sixth Form with fantastic qualifications, and just as importantly they leave with strong values, wholesome memories and lasting friendships, ready  to  take their place in the world as happy, resilient young adults with an exciting future.