Sixth Form

Ark Pioneer Sixth Form 

Ark Pioneer Sixth Form offers an inclusive and supportive environment alongside a rigorous academic education. We combine high expectations with excellent academic and pastoral support, helping students to achieve strong outcomes and progress to ambitious destinations. 

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All prospective students and their parents are warmly invited to our Sixth Form Open Evening for the academic year 2027-28 which will be held on Thursday 22nd October 2026  16:30 - 19:00. There is no need to book a space for this event.

This is an opportunity to hear from our existing students, Head of Sixth Form, and to speak to subject specialists across our courses. To find out more about our sixth form, please take a look at our Sixth Form Prospectus   or contact us at sixthform@arkpioneer.org

Academic Pathways

At Ark Pioneer Sixth Form, we offer two academic pathways. 

Our A Level pathway offers 18 subjects. Students typically study three or four A Levels and sit their final examinations at the end of Year 13. 

Ark Pioneer hosts the Barnet Education Arts Trust’s A Level music programme with students from across the Borough coming to study at Pioneer under the supervision of our Head of Music. 

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Explore our subjects

Our Professional Pathway consists of a BTEC Extended Diploma in either Applied Science or Business. Students study a single BTEC qualification, equivalent to three A Levels. Alongside their studies, students take part in a wide range of employer and university visits. These have included visits to employers such as Hilton and EY, as well as universities including the University of Reading, City St George’s and Bayes Business School. 

All students on our Professional Pathway complete the Ark Network’s Work Readiness programme alongside their BTEC studies. The programme develops the skills, confidence and professional behaviours students need to succeed in the workplace. Through workshops, employer engagement and practical activities, students develop skills including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, CV writing and interview technique, helping to prepare them for university, apprenticeships and employment. 

Students on both pathways receive exceptional support to progress to their chosen destinations. The majority of our students go on to university, while we also provide extensive support for students applying for apprenticeships. Increasing numbers of our students are successfully securing higher and degree apprenticeships.

At Ark Pioneer, our school vision is that when our pupils leave us they will have real options, be it going on to a course of their choice at university or starting out in their chosen career. At Ark Pioneer Sixth form, we support pupils to access the very best destinations through expert teaching and developing their leadership over years 12 and 13.

Outcomes and Destinations 

Our students achieve excellent outcomes and progress to some of the UK’s leading universities and employers. Our Professional Pathway is particularly successful, with student progress placing Ark Pioneer Sixth Form in the top 10% of providers nationally. In 2026, 94% of BTEC students achieved grades equivalent to three A–C grades*, with 54% achieving the equivalent of three A*–B grades. 

Our 2026 A Level results were especially strong in Geography (top 10% nationally for student progress between GCSE and A Level), Maths, History and Music (top 25% nationally for student progress between GCSE and A Level). 

Our students progress to highly ambitious destinations. In 2026, 74% of our Year 13 cohort progressed directly to university, with others securing competitive degree and higher-level apprenticeships. 

Of those progressing to university, 78% secured places at top-third universities and 43% at Russell Group universities. Recent destinations include UCL, King’s College London, Warwick, Exeter and Southampton, with students studying courses including Engineering, Economics, History, Comparative Literature and Music.

Individual Successes: Class of 2026 

Mason achieved an A* in Mathematics and As in Economics and Physics and is now studying Civil Engineering at UCL. Matas achieved As in History, Mathematics and Physics and is studying Aeronautics and Astronautics with an Industrial Placement Year at the University of Southampton. Kalina achieved As in Art, Computer Science and Geography and is studying Geography at the University of Exeter. 

Our Professional Pathways students also achieved exceptional results with most students achieving Distinction grades in Business and Applied Science. Ade achieved D*D*D in BTEC Applied Science and is studying Engineering with a Foundation Year at UEA, while Santiago achieved D*D*D* and is studying Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield.

Life at Ark Pioneer Sixth Form 

Our Sixth Form offer is built around two key ideas: opportunity and community. 

Opportunity 

We provide students with a high level of academic support, including small classes, structured teaching and carefully planned independent study time. 

We are particularly proud of our university and UCAS support. All students attend morning Advisory sessions, where they receive structured guidance on university applications, including how to choose the right universities and courses and how to build a strong application. 

Students interested in apprenticeships receive similarly extensive support. This includes a dedicated Apprenticeship Day at the end of Year 12, during which students take part in one-to-one interviews with external employers and a mock assessment centre. This gives students practical experience of the application, assessment and interview processes used by leading apprenticeship providers. 

We are also proud of our Imperial College London mentoring programme. Thirty Year 12 students are paired with academics or PhD students at Imperial and undertake an independent research project with their mentor. The programme culminates in students presenting their research at Imperial College itself. 

Alongside this, students complete a super-curricular project in the autumn term and a super-curricular reading project in the spring. These give students opportunities to explore their academic interests beyond the taught curriculum, supporting their intellectual development while strengthening future university applications. 

Community 

Community is the second cornerstone of life at Ark Pioneer Sixth Form. We are smaller than a college but larger than many school sixth forms, allowing us to offer a broad range of opportunities while maintaining a close-knit community in which students are known and supported. 

We warmly welcome students joining us from other schools in Year 12 and encourage all students to play an active role in Sixth Form life. 

Our Sixth Form Council plays an important role in Sixth Form leadership and decision-making. Year 12 students can also become peer mentors, receiving training to provide emotional and practical support to younger students who benefit from having a friendly and trusted older student to speak to. 

Our Reading Mentors programme gives Sixth Form students the opportunity to support younger students who need additional help with reading and literacy. 

Beyond mentoring and leadership, students can take part in a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sport to student-led Medical and Law Societies. We encourage students to establish their own societies and activities, with support from the school. 

Trips and Experiences 

We are big believers in the power of trips to broaden students’ horizons, build independence and experience new places and cultures. The centrepiece of our trips programme is our Year 12 residential to Cologne, where students explore the historic city, visit Cologne Cathedral, take a river cruise along the Rhine and spend a day at the fantastic Phantasialand theme park. 

Throughout Sixth Form, students also visit leading universities, including City St George’s, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, helping them experience university life and make informed choices about their futures. Other opportunities have included visits to the High Court and Accenture, one of our employer partners and a leading multinational consultancy firm. 

We are continually expanding the range of trips and experiences we offer, responding to the interests and ambitions of each cohort and ensuring students have opportunities that take their learning and experiences beyond the classroom. 

Financial Support 

We want every student to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities available at Ark Pioneer Sixth Form, regardless of their financial circumstances. 

All students entitled to Free School Meals receive a termly bursary voucher. We can also provide additional financial support towards educational equipment, resources and trips where these costs might otherwise prevent a student from participating. 

Students also have access to a range of bursaries through the wider Ark network. These include university bursaries worth more than £9,000 towards living costs over the course of a degree, as well as opportunities for fully funded university accommodation in London for the duration of a student's degree.