Welcome to Arden at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy

Why us?

We recognise that the choice of Post-16 provider is a big decision in a young person’s life. Where they decide to study for the next two years will, to some extent, determine their university or apprenticeship applications and indeed their future career decisions. It is important to us that parents are involved in the decision making process particularly given the nature of today’s competitive global market.

We hope that our Sixth Form Prospectus will help you make the most appropriate decision about continuing education Post-16. We encourage students and their families to visit our website to find out more about our community, our academic and vocational courses and our state-of-the art facilities. Following a successful application, we will invite prospective students to attend a taster day where they will meet their teachers and fellow students, experience lessons and learn more about Arden.

At Arden Sixth Form we seek to provide the highest quality of education and the highest standard of academic success for our students. The journey from GCSE to University is exciting but it is also challenging and, at times, very demanding, which is why we place a great emphasis on our students building and developing a skill set that will prepare them for all aspects of life beyond the Sixth Form classroom. Our Sixth Form is not only made up of Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy students, every year we also welcome a significant number of students from other schools into year 12, these students quickly become important and valued members of the Arden Sixth Form community.

We feel that parental support is a vital component of a student’s success and believe that a close positive working relationship between the home and school is essential if our young people are to gain the maximum benefit from their schooling. The strong pastoral support system enables us to develop effective home-school relationships that are beneficial to all our students.

Arden is a research based, evidence informed Sixth Form. We believe that we have an obligation to remain abreast of academic educational research to ensure that we are operating in the most effective and efficient manner.

Explore the Arden Sixth Form Section

Inspirational Ambitions

Arden is a diverse and thriving Sixth Form community which aims to develop resilient, courageous and ambitious leaders who are globally aware. We are unashamedly in our goals and pursue excellence in all that we do; we achieve this through application of our non-negotiable high performance habits.

We Have Outstanding Success Rates

Our outcomes in the sixth form, booth in A level and BTEC subjects are excellent – 77% A*-C grades and 52% of all grades A*-B in the examination series of 2022 and in 2023, our average grade was a C+. We encourage our learners to become independent, be limitless in ambition and have a desire to succeed.

We Have Outstanding Teachers

All of our level 3 programmes of study are taught by specialists in their field of teaching.

We are Supportive

A team of well qualified, knowledgeable teachers and support staff will be with you throughout your time at Arden Sixth Form as you develop independence and resilience; fully prepared and ready to take your place in your chosen destination beyond Arden Sixth Form.

We Can Improve Your Chances of Getting Into University

The Sixth Form team provides an expertly qualitied careers lead and advisor. With this level of expertise, we are able to provide you with advice and guidance about your future goals and ambitions, this includes assistance through the UCAS process. Our aspirational environment means that students are now applying for and being accepted into some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including Cambridge University.

We are the Perfect Place to Make New Friends and Become Independent

Arden Sixth Form attracts a wide range of external candidates, because of the wide range of courses we can offer, including Product Design, Physical Education, Media, Film and Music. Starting September 2023 we offer our exciting new T Level qualifications Finance (Specialism Investment banking and Asset and Wealth Management Analyst) and Digital (Specialism Digital Production design and development). T Levels provide students with the opportunity to gain an academically rigorous qualification and awards them with the opportunity to spend at least 45 days working in their chosen industry.

We Offer Outstanding Academic Support

Arden is a caring sixth form. Our teachers will give time to help you and guide you through your studies. Our sixth form team are all experts in their field and have significant experience in both level 3 teaching but also post-16 support.

We Offer Fantastic Leadership and Enrichment Programmes

A significant part of sixth form life is about enrichment, you will be given leadership responsibilities and opportunities to get involved in life outside the classroom; this includes Student Leadership, Public Speaking Development. Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh Award, School Band, mentoring and coaching of students in the younger years and involvement in academy productions.

We Have Shown to be Significantly Improving in Recent Years

Arden Sixth Form is an improving sixth form. We are high performing which means that when you come to us, you can be assured that we know what we are doing! We instil a sense of purpose in your studies, monitor your progress carefully and intervene where necessary.

We Prepare Students For Their Dream Destination

Arden Sixth Form has the highest expectations and ambitions for our students. We will work with you to ensure that you have a ‘goal’ in mind. We will work with you as you plot your future destination – whether that be university, higher level apprenticeship, or indeed the world of work.

About Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy

The academy campus is large but our ‘small school, human scale’ approach ensures that every student is known, understood and valued as an individual. There are three separate 11-16 schools (Ashdown, Delamere and Sherwood) and a separate building for Post-16 students (Arden). Creative Arts, Design Technology and Digital Learning are delivered in the William Morris building, Music in the Symphony Centre, Drama in the Crown Building and our PE/ Sports facilities are based in the 2012 Centre.

Surrounded by landscaped grounds with a nature reserve, we also have a large restaurant where students can enjoy breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks, which includes a separate area for Post-16 students. Our first class facilities and teachers’ relentless pursuit of excellence, means that confidence in the academy is at an all time high, attracting over 600 applications for 200 places.

Arden Post-16 Centre

The Arden building is light and spacious, with plenty of room for students to work independently in the break out areas or in the Independent Learning Centre. Each floor is equipped with a lecture theatre to accommodate external speakers and
presentations. Within Arden there are also purpose built computer rooms which are available to students to enable them to utilise specialist programs and access digital resources. To support our digital curriculum, students and sixth form students are provided with a chromebook which is loaned free of charge for the duration of their studies.

Stationers’ Digital Media Centre

A £500,000 refurbishment and investment project has transformed two classrooms in the William Morris building into a multi-media digital centre to rival any newsroom, magazine or creative technology company. The industry standard equipment and contemporary furniture gives the Centre a very professional feel, providing students with the opportunity to learn in a realistic work related environment. Opened in 2017, the project is the culmination of two years’ collaboration and was made possible by the generosity of sponsorship and donations from The Stationers’ Company. The Centre is resourced to enable students from across all age and ability ranges to produce their own films, podcasts or print media. Students work on exciting projects, some in collaboration with Ravensbourne University. Through the Digital Media Centre, Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy has won numerous nationally recognised awards, competing against some of the most respected public and Grammar Schools in the country.

Watch our Digital Media Centre Show reel 2023

Enrichment and Extracurricular Opportunities

We run a full programme of enrichment opportunities, not only to enhance learning, but also to enable students to pursue deeper learning in areas they are passionate about, to develop particular skills and interests, develop independence and to enjoy new and exciting opportunities and experiences.

Students can participate in a number of organised activities including Duke of Edinburgh award programmes. We are one of only a few providers which offer awards at all 3 levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. Post-16 students also support the academy enrichment programme for younger year groups by running after-school clubs and activities.

We encourage students to be independent in their pursuit of deeper learning by facilitating them in setting up their own clubs and societies in whatever area they are interested in. It is through this process that the all important soft skills of leadership and organisation are learnt and developed.

Arden students studying the Creative and Visual Arts are encouraged to use Wednesday afternoons to make regular visits to museums, exhibitions, theatre
and musical performances in order to build upon their theoretical and practical understanding of their subjects.

We continue to encourage competitive sport within Arden. Our dedicated PE department is happy to organise fixtures in all sports where students can muster a full team. This varies from year to year. We currently have successful football and basketball teams. Students also have timetabled gym/sports time to support healthy physical and mental wellbeing throughout their studies.

Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy is extremely fortunate to be one of only 24 schools in the whole of the UK to be able to offer a Royal Marines experience through the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). The majority of cadets join in either year 10 or year 12 making it a very viable option for students joining Arden. The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to “provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that students may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance”.

Dress Code

Post-16 students are proud to wear business attire which reflects the purposeful and studious ethos of Arden. Details of the dress code can be found on our ‘Dress Code’ page.

Arden Dress Code

Student Leadership and Student Voice

We expect our learners to be active participants in their own right. We have several opportunities for you to voice your opinions and to make a difference. Arden students are encouraged to apply for positions in the Senior Student Leadership Team and the Student Council; roles that involve engagement with students across the academy. Student leadership at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy is key to
enabling young people to realise their potential whilst building on necessary skills, confidence and motivation to allow students to engage directly in the wider improvement of the school.

Appointed members are trained in public speaking and leadership skills to ensure they can articulate their point of view with great competency; enabling them to be effective in what they set out to achieve.

Throughout the academic year we encourage Post-16 students to lead assemblies both in Arden and the 11-16 schools within the academy. Arden students are encouraged to take part in the peer mentoring scheme and a large number of Arden students act as ambassadors at various public events.

Arden Dress Code

Careers and Work Experience

At Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy we prioritise the future of our young people. Students are supported to make successful transitions when they leave the academy whether into apprenticeships, employment or university.

We have a robust Post-18 careers programme that includes trips to UCAS and Apprenticeship fairs, UCAS support from local Universities including Ravensbourne, Greenwich, Goldsmith and LSE, hosting the SCWA Apprenticeship fair, key speaker assemblies, Globalbridge and UniFrog support and guidance and much more.

Arden is in a unique position to benefit from a wealth of career development opportunities as a consequence of being part of Leigh Academies Trust alongside links with the Stationers’ Company. Our students have access to mentoring schemes, workplace visits, careers fairs and networking events.

Volunteering

We believe that students should develop an understanding of their community and how they can contribute to it. To this end we have a large and successful peer mentoring programme within the academy with many Arden students giving
back to the community by providing academic and pastoral support for lower school students. Mentors are trained and supported throughout the process
enabling them to make a very real impact on the lives of those they mentor. We also support students in finding volunteering opportunities outside the academy in a wide range of roles

Special Educational Needs and Disability support

Students across all schools are supported by a team of staff who specialise in working with students with learning difficulties or physical disabilities. Interventions and support are tailored to individual needs and progress is closely tracked and monitored. We pride ourselves on developing successful partnerships between home and the academy in order for every SEND student to achieve their potential.

LAT Alumni

Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy values the opportunity to keep in touch with former students. As part of Leigh Academies Trust, we are keen to foster a thriving community of ex-students who can bring their expertise back into their academy for the benefit of current students. Arden students benefit extensively from the Alumni programme, with many ex-students coming in to offer support and guidance in subject areas and with Post-18 application processes.

Stationers’ Company

The academy is sponsored by a City Livery company, The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers and our partnership brings huge benefits and enriches the education of our students. Stationers volunteer their time to provide governance, resources, professional expertise, mentor students, give careers advice and work experience placements. The company also provides money to support courses that lead to careers in related industries and gives extra opportunity to all students whatever their financial background. By supporting education that specialises in digital media, the company aims to promote responsible digital citizenship, widen access to knowledge and maximise job opportunities. The Stationers’ Company has been involved with education since 1557, initially in the management of apprenticeships for its trades but in 1861 it opened the Stationers’ School just off Fleet Street and later moved to Hornsey. This was closed in 1984 but in September 2014 a partnership was formed with Crown Woods College, now Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy.

Want to know more?

Come and chat to our staff and students. We look forward to being able to show you what Arden at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy has to offer.

If you require further information about SCWA, please contact the academy and we will do our best to help you.

Read Our Prospectus take a look at our 360 tour