What can you expect from life in the College Class?

First and foremost the College Class will be a preparation for your life at university. You will find a big difference to the approach taken at GCSE.  You will learn how to develop your analytical and research skills and how to take responsibility for your own learning.

Bootham is a community where staff and students know each
other well.  The style is not as formal as you may find in other establishments but it is none-the-less extremely effective.
The expectation is of good academic results coupled with many opportunities for personal development through the wider curriculum, be it music, sport, drama or outdoor pursuits.

College is the name we give to the Sixth Form at Bootham; College One is the first year, College Two the second and final year.  There are over 150 students in the College Class and all are part of the wider school community.

The Quaker Environment
The majority of teachers and students are not themselves Quakers but the atmosphere clearly reflects Quaker attitudes of acceptance and encouragement.  We are a community of many different faiths where the nurture of the individual within the community is a high priority.  Your tutor will have pastoral responsibility for you.  The tutor-student relationship is important and so special care is taken in placing students with a tutor.  Small groups make it possible to care for the needs of each student.  Tutors keep in touch with academic progress and will help sort out difficulties that arise.  Personal tutors also help guide the student through applications for university.

Study Facilities
You will have your own study shared with a number of other students.  Boarders have a study bedroom.  Studies are for working in!  Students who share often take different subjects and so use the study at different times. There are common rooms with a kitchen where snacks and drinks are provided every day.  The libraries and ICT facilities are also available.  There are two libraries, the fiction library with a wide range of material and an informal atmosphere and the John Bright Library with books and periodicals on open access.  Networked PC’s are available with Internet access and colour printing. There is also Internet access in the boarding houses, and you are encouraged to bring a wi-fi enabled laptop if you are a boarder.

The wider curriculum

Information and Communication Technology
The Bootham ICT department has a vast range of the latest equipment and facilities available to all students.  This includes a filtered campus-wide 100mbps wireless and wired network with access to the internet.  Students have access to two dedicated suites of computers, together with smaller computer clusters in departments and in the boarding houses.  The school library has an open access resource with twenty two lap tops available for short term loan in the library.  There are a number of dedicated professional quality colour laser printers, scanners and a large format photoprinter which can reproduce up to 42” poster size high resolution images.  Students who have their own laptops and are able to connect to the wireless network both in and out of lessons.

Most departments have some form of specialist IT equipment or dedicated software including interactive boards and projection facilities which are available throughout the teaching areas of the school.  The Art department makes extensive use of Photoshop and digital imaging.  In Design and Technology, there is a CAM machine for resistant materials as well as a vinyl/card cutter which are used extensively by GCSE and A-level students.  Students are taught how to use ProDesktop which is a 3D draw package as well as Design Tools both of which can output to the CAM equipment.

The ICT Support team are available during working hours to provide on the spot help and advice.