Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form opened in September 2023. We are now excited to recruit our third cohort of A Level scholars - that process begins now. As with our first cohort, we expect many of our existing pupils to remain with us for A Level study, but also hope that pupils from across the city will be interested in joining our school at a vital moment in their educational career. 

Vision and Ethos

Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form is academically rigorous in its focus. Pupils study A Levels in academic subjects, that are facilitating courses, with the aim of reaching the best universities in the world. Our courses are taught by our extremely well-qualified staff, who have studied at some of the world's finest universities. Although we are in the pursuit of the highest grades, we aim to give pupils an academic encounter that enables them to also flourish at university. Character development plays a huge part in our offer. After all, we know grades get you an interview, and your personal qualities secure the job.

This offer is unique to the city. We are not competing with local offers and facilities. Indeed, our appeal is to a niche market that is currently not provided for locally. Essentially, we want to attract the truly academic pupil, who is aspirational for top university courses, including at Oxbridge. We do not intend to support a couple of applications per year; we intend to attract and retain pupils who collectively share this aspiration. We would not be attractive to ‘general’ applicants who want to study A Levels. We are attractive to those who want an intense academic challenge and are willing to work for it. 

Our culture is king and pupils joining our Sixth Form will need to work hard and understand the expectations shared with them. Successful applicants are joining a community of scholars, where academic excellence is both the collective and individual goal. There is lots of reading, copious amounts of writing and a requirement to study in silence. Our scholars are steadfast in their determination to succeed. Such success at A Level comes only with genuine application. The step-up from GCSE is clear, the workload reflects this, including extensive independent study - timetabled and supervised. Scholars read around their subjects, extending their knowledge, and gaining greater depth. The elite culture will be developed alongside high quality networking and connections to offer scholars the wider support required to take up the very top places. We recognise that cultural performance is just as necessary as academic.

Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form is not about social events and Common Rooms. We are about academia and hard work. We believe we are the home of the most diligent pupils in our great city. If prospective scholars want to gain access to great universities and apply for most prestigious careers, this is the home for them. At Mercia, all scholars are surrounded by supportive and like-minded pupils and staff so that their intellectual curiosity can be fulfilled. We essentially teach beyond A Level and set the ethic and approach required, so university is not a step too far. Some drop-out rates at universities are troubling - especially for working-class pupils. To combat this worrying trend, we fully expose scholars to the culture and approach of university life, so it feels like a natural graduation. Societies, faculties, tutorials... everything is designed to replicate what is ahead...

Our reputation is one that precedes us. We are known for our academic rigour, exceptional high standards and our focus on enriching the lives of our pupils. Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form is no exception. Our scholars are ambassadors for the school and academia. They volunteer in the community, have networks in their chosen professions and also contribute to wider school life. We are building their character and CV alongside the A Level itself.

Our facilities are second to none, so our pupils have a calm environment conducive to high attainment. Of course, we support and offer guidance, like all schools. Ultimately though, our selling point is our relentless focus on success through hard work. Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form is like no other in the area, but is based on the very best sixth forms in the country.

This is not ‘more of the same’. This is a unique offer that should appeal to all quarters of the city, irrespective of location. We have scholars who travel sizeable distances to be a part of our sixth form - we really welcome applications from across Sheffield. We look forward to seeing prospective scholars at one of our Open Events!