Student Life

Student Timetables

Lessons begin every weekday at 9.30 am and the last lesson of the day ends at 4 pm. Students are expected to arrive on time and attend all lessons, but do not have to be in College when they have a free lesson.  It is likely that students will have free lessons (although this will depend on what they are studying), and we try to devise the timetable so that any free lessons take place at the beginning or end of the day. Students can then spend their free lessons as they wish. The Learning Resources Centre is open from 8.30 am every weekday, with evening opening hours on Tuesday and Thursday for students who wish to study, and we have a variety of enrichment activities for students to get involved in.

New students will receive their timetable during the induction day in September.

Dress Code

Although we do not have an official dress code, we expect all students to dress appropriately for the learning environment. Anyone dressed in a way deemed inappropriate or offensive will be asked to go home and change immediately.

Examples of clothing deemed inappropriate or offensive include low cut or crop tops, short shorts or skirts, jeans or trousers that sit low below the waist and clothing that has offensive images or wording.

Breakfast and Lunch

Ollies, our on-site canteen, provides a wide range of hot and cold lunches that changes daily, including sandwiches, panini, chicken, pasta, curries, salads, burgers, chips and daily lunch specials for the meal deal price of £3. Students who are eligible for Free College Meals will be able to collect their lunch from the canteen.

We also have our own subsidised Costa in Ollie’s, offering teas, coffees and snacks.

Students can also leave College during breaktime and lunchtime as long as they return in time for lessons and behave appropriately when off campus. There is a variety of supermarkets and hot food outlets within a short walking distance of the College.

SFX Essential 8

At Saint Francis Xavier Sixth Form College, academic intelligence isn’t our main focus for measuring success; we develop Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork skills because these are the transferable skills that young people need to succeed. Saint Francis Xavier Sixth Form College is a safe space where students are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Teachers and support staff will encourage you to develop a vision of what you want to achieve. Weekly Essential 8 tutorials encourage students to become independent, reflective learners – something vital for success in later life at university and in work.

Students are rewarded for displaying excellent Essential 8 qualities through positive dashboard comments, commendation postcards sent home, gift vouchers, group restaurant meals, opportunities to attend trips, hear from guest speakers and more. At the end of each term, we hold an Essential 8 reward ceremony, followed by a pizza lunch, to commend students from all subject areas and levels throughout the College on the positive qualities they have displayed during the term.

Tutorials

Every student is assigned a tutor group and a designated personal tutor. Personal tutors are there to be the student’s first port of call for any issues that they might be experiencing either in or outside College. Weekly Essential 8 tutorials are delivered by personal tutors on various important and interesting topics such as; ‘Staying safe online’, ‘Healthy eating’, ‘Fake news’, ‘Black History Month’ and ‘Employability skills’, amongst many others. These sessions are designed to support and develop our students as successful young people in the modern world. The tutorials also cover the careers programme, guiding students through the challenging process of applying to university or apprenticeships.

Core Religion and Philosophy

It is a College requirement that students participate in Core Religion and Philosophy lessons for one period each week. This programme allows students to debate moral and spiritual matters in a secure environment where the dignity of the individual is protected and fostered. The programme considers a wide range of issues: relationships, justice, science and religion, along with an examination of the wisdom that comes from different faith traditions that can be applied to contemporary issues. Students are given the opportunity to reflect upon, question and debate matters of personal and social importance.