UPPER SIXTH ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
Without IB exams , how did the Upper Sixth fare – and flourish – during their final year ? One student reflects on a tumultuous year , and on the benefits of the Summer term enrichment programme .
I think I can speak on the behalf of the entire Upper Sixth to say that these last two years have been the ultimate rollercoaster with endless loops , dips and excitement . The Covid-19 pandemic led to us losing half of our in-person Sixth Form time ; however , the success of virtual learning was widespread and there were other surprising gains too .
The biggest revelation for me and many others in my year group was the variation in our responses . The build-up to the cancellation of exams was definitely the most stressful period as part of the cohort felt they did not want to take exams due to the stress , uncertainty and reduction in class time , whereas others felt they needed exams to prove themselves . We had a petition for the cancellation of exams which only half of the year group signed . The tension and confusion were often difficult to handle as nothing like this had happened to us before . Everyone had to find some sort of motivation to revise for our potential mock exams , knowing at the back of our minds that the official exams could be cancelled . When we did finally learn that our IB exams were cancelled , many were relieved , and at least it brought some clarity to the situation .
Amid all the disruption , I saw people in my year make the best out of a bad situation ; ‘ resilience ’ is a word that resonates with our cohort . We came up with initiatives to help us get through this period , such as sustainability campaigns , social issue talks and quiz nights . Above all , I think we learned the importance
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2020-2021 11