The Sixth Form College Colchester

Nothing more to add, nothing more to say if I could leave no stars I would. 2 diabolical narcissistic teachers, not overseen properly.

I started the college in September, 2019. Obviously my first year was naturally below average due to COVID-19, but that in itself brought to light a couple more things that I disagree with at this college.

I’m going to attempt to write about each section below to provide a wide, open view. Do note though, as humans, we cannot prevent bias whatsoever. Especially at a young age, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

I am mostly satisfied with how the system works. If you don’t have a lesson, you don’t have to be in etc. The uniform has no requirements, which means people can be comfortable in their own clothes. But on the other hand, it gives other students a chance to make fun of you for your clothes, brands etc. I’ve never walked into college feeling like I’m not being judged, but that may not apply to everyone.

The layout of the college is simple, room numbers are learnable, and the weekly timetable means you can remember what you’ve got rather quickly.

The times themselves are nothing of a surprise, 9am start, 4pm finish. The location of the college also allows students to kill time if they need, get transport, and more importantly; food.

Which brings me to my next point,
the cafeteria(s).
The food itself is of decent quality, I’d say it’s on par with what you would expect. My only ‘complaint’ is the prices. I don’t necessarily mind paying £3 for a meal, but unfortunately I am always left wanting more, not white feeling satisfied. To put this in perspective, I’m a 5’9” male who weighs 10 stone. I don’t really get that hungry. But the food doesn’t leave me with enough energy for the rest of the day. And I don’t want to buy 2 rolls or 2 pizzas just for an additional 4 hours of learning.

Next point, environment.
I myself am slightly autistic and I do benefit a lot from having visual stimulus, having things inside and outside to keep me.. relaxed. The college is never ‘dirty’, not any litter, and there aren’t really any hazards.
Inside, it’s well lit, with corridors that have a fair amount of space. My only issue is that some of the ‘main’ stair sets are a little tight, so it can get quite cramped.

In terms of safety and security, I put a 3/5. This is simply because, it appears that almost anyone can simply walk in. And during lesson time, there are rarely staff members outdoors. But due to its location, there’s nothing to be concerned about.

Activities are many. There are plenty of additional studies, and ‘clubs’ to choose from. I myself did Computer Modelling for the first year which was engaging and refreshing. There are plenty of sports clubs, performing arts groups etc. That would satisfy most students.

This section is teachers. Obviously, I can only comment on the teachers that have taught me, so it’s worth keeping in mind that they are not all the same.

I’ll start with chemistry. My teacher is very good at getting messages across, connecting with students and maintains a really professional but cheery attitude with students. I always feel that I have something to do, and that any queries or doubts that I have will he always be taken strongly into consideration.
I also go to a chemistry support class, with another teacher. This one has a different method of teaching, where they pretend as if the things we are being taught about it are completely alien to us. It’s nice at times as it prevents any misunderstanding, and always works, but it is a slightly slower work flow.

Next is computing / IT.
My CS teacher appears to be a bit tired of their job. They often leave the lesson early, and every time a student is late, makes a mistake, or doesn’t understand something, it seems to always turn into a speech about “it’s your education, not mine. If you want to fail, that’s fine”. It’s understandable but more often than not, upsets and pressures students and leads them to have doubts about themselves. The work is usually making notes on videos, or some sort of work sheet.
That doesn’t sound very promising but bare in mind that is one teacher, and one students perspective. My teacher for modelling is far nicer and in general has a better attitude.

For Accounting, it appears that throughout the entire department, it is very efficient. I loved my first year with my accounting teacher. They were straight down to business, (pun not intended) with a really great flow and a no-nonsense attitude that I like to see in teachers. It felt largely professional.


But that is all during college, with regular, 1 to 1 lessons.
During quarantine I learned more about my teachers.
My chemistry teacher was really open minded, sensitive and aware, along with providing good contact with students and providing help where needed.
I felt that I could open up to my teacher about how I felt and how I was doing, which is largely important at this age.

Next my computer science teacher.
The work set was not engaging whatsoever. Just watch videos. Make notes. It became tiresome which lead to procrastination and difficulty in focusing. My teacher did not seem to care as much about students wellbeing etc. Which on further made it hard to learn.

Finally there is accounting.
My teacher maintained the same, no-nonsense method. It was slightly less effective and efficient during quarantine, as the course itself is fairly difficult to learn on your own. But I didn’t feel like I was being disregarded or ignored in any way.

Next is ‘handling bullying’, which is unusually specific.
Nonetheless, I felt that most of my teachers would be able to handle any issues between students. I actually did have a fair amount of issues in accounting, and my teacher swiftly dealt with it. Again, no nonsense.
I also had an issue in computer science which went away with time (quarantine), but I never felt that my teacher would do much about it.

Last is chemistry. Same with chemistry really. I felt that if I said anything, it would be dealt with quickly.

In terms of the general staff, (personal tutor, senior tutor and assistant principal) I feel the same attitude of absolute kindness etc. I found out that another student was having some issues themselves, so I reported it to my senior tutor. It was dealt with quickly.
So in general, I’m satisfied. But it could be better in terms of teacher to student relationships.

I don’t know enough about school information to leave a useful comment, so I left it at 4 stars.
This is also the same with school culture.

What I can comment on is personal development.
I felt that there wasn’t really enough ‘checking up’ on students.

That’s all for my review. I did not plan on writing this, I saw it in an ad. I had not planned a structure or anything of the sorts, so apologies if it’s a little thready.

Overall, I would say the college is a 3.9/5

To an ‘average’ person, this college will do you just fine. But it can feel challenging and overwhelming, so keep that in mind.