Timetable & Structure

Inspiring Growth, Shaping Futures

At SWB6th, your week is carefully balanced to give you the right mix of lessons, independent study, enrichment, and personal development. We want you to succeed in your subjects while also growing the skills and independence you’ll need for university, apprenticeships, and the workplace.

The Academy Day

08:20 – Gates open (Dudley Street and Prosser Street)
08:40 – 09:00 – Personal Tutor (PT) time — compulsory for all sixth formers
09:05 – 10:05 – Period 1
10:10 – 11:10 – Period 2
11:10 – 11:30 – Break
11:30 – 12:30 – Period 3
12:30 – 14:05 – Period 4 (split with lunch depending on year group)
14:10 – 15:10 – Period 5
15:20 – 16:20 – Enrichment, intervention, or after-school clubs (Tuesday–Friday)

Your Weekly Structure

A typical sixth form timetable includes:

15 hours of subject lessons (5 hours per subject, 3 subjects total)
1 CORE session per week (personal development, careers, and skills – see our CORE Curriculum overview)
2 hours of enrichment (DoE, EPQ, leadership, sports, resits, etc)
2 hours of Focus Time in the Sixth Form Centre (structured, quiet study)
5 hours of independent learning — to be managed by you

This structure ensures you get the teaching you need, alongside the freedom to build independence.

Independent Study & Focus Time

Independent study is a vital part of sixth form life. You’ll have:

Focus Time – 2 hours each week in the Sixth Form Centre, where you’ll work silently and independently under supervision.
Independent Learning Periods – 5 hours each week that you manage yourself. These are your chance to organise your workload, complete homework, revise, or prepare for upcoming lessons.

We expect you to use these periods productively, developing habits that will prepare you for the independence of university and the workplace.

Off-Site Privilege

At SWB6th, we trust our students to act like the young adults they are becoming. That’s why we offer off-site privilege, the freedom to leave the Academy site at certain times, provided you meet our expectations.

When You Can Leave Site

With parental consent, you may leave site:

At lunchtime
During independent study in Period 5
During independent study in Periods 4 and 5 (in which case you may also leave at lunchtime)

All students must continue to attend Personal Tutor time at 8:40–9:00am and be punctual to every lesson.

Criteria for Off-Site Privilege

To keep this privilege, you must meet all of the following expectations:

96%+ lesson attendance
No more than 2 lates per half term
Attitude to Learning (ATL) of 2 or higher for classwork and home learning
No significant conduct issues
On track in all subjects (no more than one grade below target)
Full attendance at any interventions required

This privilege is offered from the start of Year 12 but is reviewed at each data capture (the first review is in February). Privilege may be removed if expectations are not met, and parents will be informed.

Being Responsible Off-Site

When you are off-site, you are representing SWB6th in the wider community. That means:

Acting respectfully at all times
Taking responsibility for your own behaviour and safety
Understanding that poor conduct off-site can result in this privilege being removed

We are proud to give our sixth formers more independence — but independence relies on trust. Use it wisely, and it will stay with you.

Why This Matters

Our timetable is about balance, the right amount of teaching, structured study, and personal freedom. By treating you as young adults, with both expectations and privileges, we help you develop the habits and independence that will set you up for success beyond SWB6th.