The Island VI Form Parent Portal - Weekly Updates from The Island VI Form 25 September 2026

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25 September 2026

Weekly Updates from The Island VI Form

We are now midway through the term, with just three weeks remaining until our half-term break. It has been fantastic seeing Year 12, 13, and 14 students settle so well into their academic studies. Ahead of the break, we will be sharing attitude to learning grades so you can track how effectively students are managing their work.

During Tuesday's fire drill, students demonstrated excellent conduct. The entire exercise was completed in under five minutes, allowing everyone to safely exit and re-enter the building in a remarkably efficient manner.

During a Year 13 assembly this week, we reviewed the upcoming UCAS application timeline:15 October: Deadline for Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry, and Oxford/Cambridge applications. 1 December: Deadline for all other applications.

Attendance meetings have recently commenced. Please keep in mind that maintaining a good attendance rate of 95% or higher provides students with the best foundation for academic success.

Have a lovely weekend

Phil Pearce-Jones - Head of School

Winter Production

We completed the casting for the winter production of 'Little Shop of Horrors' this week. A huge thank you to all involved, with particular congratulations to our leads Lana Gardner, Henry Walker, Keryn Reed, Avalon Ruler, Abbie Carver and Tyler Nihell. The performance will take place on the evening of Thursday 10th December at Medina Theatre. Tickets available soon!

British Science Festival

Year 12 science students recently attended the British Science Festival 2026. Held in Southampton from September 16–20, 2026, the five-day event marked the city's first time hosting since 1992. The festival was organised by the British Science Association alongside the University of Southampton, welcoming over 10,000 visitors to approximately 90 free events.

During the visit, our students engaged in a wide array of lectures, workshops, and hands-on experiments. Highlights included sessions such as Across time and tide (exploring the deep sea), electronic textiles, and uncovering hidden secrets of the genome. In addition, students toured specialised facilities across the university, including clean rooms, the wind tunnel, mechanical and chemical engineering labs, and the chemistry laboratories.

The undisputed highlight for both students and teachers was the Chemistry Hub. It offered a wealth of interactive activities and experiments, including bronzing coins, gold-plating fingerprints, utilising lasers in spectroscopy, making cups of tea, crafting slime, and detecting microplastics on coral.

Super-Curricular Insight: The Rise of the Far-Right in Western Europe

The Island Sixth Form recently welcomed back former grammar-stream Medina College student Ella Brear for a captivating, university-style lecture and seminar. Currently in her second year studying Liberal Arts with French at Royal Holloway, University of London, Ella returned to share her academic expertise with A Level History, Politics, and French students. The hour-long session was designed specifically for those aspiring to study Politics and International Relations with languages at an undergraduate level, offering a taste of higher education discussion well beyond the standard A Level syllabus.

The seminar focused on a highly relevant and complex global phenomenon: the rise of right-wing parties across Western Europe. Ella provided a remarkably balanced and considered perspective. She shed light on how modern political leaders seek to "de-demonise" their parties to gain mainstream acceptability, while simultaneously playing on deep-seated societal fears.

The session concluded with a vibrant Q&A, with sixth formers asking highly insightful questions that demonstrated their critical thinking. To support their continued independent study, Ella provided carefully curated handouts that compared and contrasted the political parties while supplying essential historical background.

The Island Sixth Form extends its warmest thanks to Ella Brear. Her transition from Medina student to an articulate, inspiring university scholar provided our current A Level students with an exceptional model of academic excellence.

GKN Aerospace Careers & Apprenticeships Talk

Students had the opportunity to hear from GKN Aerospace about the wide range of careers available within the aerospace and engineering industry.

The session provided an introduction to GKN and explored the different career pathways available, with a particular focus on apprenticeships as an alternative route to university. Students learnt how apprenticeships combine practical, hands-on experience with academic learning, while allowing them to earn while they learn.

The talk also covered the different types of apprenticeships available at GKN Aerospace including opportunities across engineering, manufacturing, procurement, supply chain and other areas of the business. GKN currently offers apprenticeship opportunities at its site across areas including Advanced Operations, Procurement, Advanced Technical, Facilities & Maintenance and Supply Chain Management.

Students were also given an insight into what employers look for in a successful apprentice, including communication, teamwork, initiative, motivation and a willingness to learn.

The final part of the session focused on CVs and cover letters giving students practical advice on how to present their skills, experience and achievements to employers and how to tailor applications to individual opportunities.

Overall, the session gave students a valuable insight into the world of aerospace, the range of careers available and how an apprenticeship could provide a direct route into a professional career without following the traditional university pathway.