The warm and friendly atmosphere of Woodford enabled me to grow comfortably into a mature young woman, as I was given many opportunities to take on responsibilities and develop my skill set. Woodford gave me a positive platform to challenge myself and the support systems in place helped me during my time there. Even as a new student to the sixth form, I was able to integrate easily into Woodford life, as there are many fun and original activities to be involved with and make friends through. I think Woodford has a role for everyone and successfully prepares you for your future, which is why I would thoroughly recommend choosing it as your sixth form.

As a new student in Y12, I was initially amazed by the school building and, in particular, the  Greek Theatre.  Living in the East End and going to a large, impersonal inner-city school, I had never experienced anything like Woodford.  All the greenery and village atmosphere made even the walk from the station seem exciting!

Although at first I was attracted by the appearance of the school and its surroundings, I soon came to feel very much part of the Woodford community.  I could not have had a warmer welcome and immediately felt that I belonged.   Any worries that I had had about not fitting in quickly disappeared. I have been given every support both in lessons and beyond.  When it came to the daunting prospect of my UCAS application, I was overwhelmed by the offers of support and assistance.  I cannot believe that my two years in Sixth Form is almost at an end. I shall really miss walking through the blue front door every morning.

Dhibla (Cutforth and Meade Scholar) Studied: History, Politics and Economics and achieved A*A*A*.  She went on to study at LSE

Being able to choose my own Sixth Form has been one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever had to make. If you are reading this right now, you are probably asking yourself if you will be able to fit in and make a new start at Woodford County.  I was very anxious to begin with when leaving my old school. I was also aware of the high academic reputation Woodford holds and was uncertain of how quickly I would integrate with the students. But after a few weeks, I felt like I became a sister to all of the girls at this school and was provided with an amazing support network from all of the staff. I feel like I have joined a family and have made life-long friends here. Joining Woodford’s Sixth Form was the best decision I ever made.

As much as possible is done to ensure that you are prepared for becoming an adult and moving into further education. The wide range of opportunities provided such as the Extended Project Qualification, enrichment activities, mentoring roles within the school and volunteering placements outside of school help you immerse yourself into Sixth Form life. They also help to prepare you for work and the challenge of writing your personal statement. Once every two weeks you have a one-to-one tutorial with your form tutor so you can review your progress and raise any problems or questions you have which is so beneficial for everything from university applications to school work. The teachers have your best interests at heart and the other students are very supportive. At Woodford, you are in an environment that is very hard-working and motivating; I think that this is the best environment for you when doing something as strenuous as A-Levels.

I have had such a positive experience at Woodford and the two years I have studied here have flown by so quickly. I would recommend coming at Woodford County; the teachers and students are all very welcoming and it feels like you are accepted into a family.

Khadija 

Since I joined WCHS, I have received a lot of support from my teachers. This has made settling in to Woodford a lot quicker and easier than I expected. The standard of teaching at Woodford is incredibly high and there is just something about this school that motivates you to work hard and push yourself in order to achieve the best that you possibly can. Aside from the academic focus at Woodford, it is amazing how many extra-curricular activities and opportunities are open to us. I am currently learning First Aid and Sign Language, both are things that I didn't expect to be given the opportunity to pursue, but I am grateful that I have. Being a new student I found that by joining all these activities I made lots of friends and really feel like a member of  this school.

 Hafsa  

"When it came to the end of Year 11 and the opportunity to apply to a different sixth form, I did consider the option of moving schools, as I was aware that this would give me the chance to learn to adapt to a new environment, something that I would have to do at university. However now, after 3 months into Year 12, I most definitely do not have any regrets about my decision to stay at Woodford. Woodford provides not only an intellectually stimulating environment, but also one that is very welcoming. Although there is a strong emphasis on the importance of achieving the best you can academically, you are also encouraged to expand your participation in school life beyond academic work. Whether your passion lies in the arts, drama, sports or music, there are a wide variety of extra-curriculum activities on offer, and so Woodford helps you to become a well-rounded individual.

The transition between GCSE and A-Level can prove to be particularly challenging for most students in all schools, and initially I was quite apprehensive as to how I would cope with this. However the invaluable support from my subject teachers and form tutor meant that I was able to settle into Sixth Form life easily.  In the Sixth Form, as in the lower school, everybody is constantly encouraged to strive towards academic success, and girls are able to mature and develop as individuals. Personally I have learnt how to recognise not only my strengths, but also my weaknesses, and so ensure that I am constantly working at my full potential. The individual attention that you are given by teachers, not only in lessons but also outside them should you require additional help, makes sure that you are never left to struggle, and is something that I believe to be unique to Woodford- and one of the reasons why the school has such a good academic reputation. You are shown the importance of independent learning, time management and efficiency from the very beginning of Year 12, and so this ensures that you are well prepared for university and employment in the future. "

Sarina joined the school in Year 7 and progressed to the Sixth Form 

"I applied to Woodford County because of its reputation and teaching standards, and I was not disappointed. It is an environment where you are open to many different opportunities, where you are intellectually stimulated and encouraged to do your best. But it is certainly not all work and no play. Activities such as House Drama and the Christmas Pantomime offer the perfect occasion for unleashing your creativity and imagination. Woodford County offers a well rounded setting. I would not have applied anywhere else and do not have any regrets coming her

Prasanthi - Studied: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics and achieved A*AAA. She was also awarded an A* for her dissertation for the Extended Project Qualification. She went on to study Medicine at Imperial .

"Attending the Sixth Form at WCHS was a very easy decision for me because I knew that after five years at this brilliant school, I still wanted more of the academically stimulating and rewarding environment that Woodford has to offer. In retrospect, I am glad I made that decision because my two years at Sixth Form were extremely enjoyable; allowing me to have numerous extra-curricular opportunities and responsibilities, whilst my personal wellbeing was looked after by the excellent personal tutorial system.  I found the teachers to be very helpful across my subjects, and it was clear that they genuinely wanted me to do well and succeed; providing me with necessary resources to help with my examinations, whilst also being determined to help me with any problems I had. Even though I did spend five years in the lower school, Sixth Form was an excitingly different experience, offering more chance for independent study and greater freedoms, whilst still allowing girls to feel a part of the Woodford community. 

One of the things I had always loved about Woodford is the sense of family that can be felt through the support, trust and respect from and towards both staff and Woodford girls. This strong Woodford girl spirit is shown through the variety of fantastic opportunities the Sixth Form has to offer, such as the much anticipated annual House Drama Festival and Summer Production, the excellent musical and sports clubs, and opportunities such as being a subject mentor, which allow sixth formers to create a strong bond between themselves and younger peers in the school. All in all, my two years in the Sixth Form at Woodford were the best of my life at the school, and even though I cannot experience it again, I would thoroughly recommend anyone who can to do so, and to take full advantage of wonderful Woodford, and all it has to offer."

Inayah - Head Girl, went on to study Medicine at UCL.

"I chose to attend Woodford County’s Sixth Form as it is a school with a very good reputation and a record of high achieving students. During the whole induction process the staff and students were both welcoming and friendly. I felt it was an environment which would allow me to reach my full potential. I was particularly impressed with the wide variety of extra-curricular activities they had on offer and the information and help given to students for universities, this is an area in which they excelled in more than any other school I had visited."

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