New Buildings
	Wyke has one very clear quality: it is highly successful in educating people. That means they can move on in their lives. It is true for you whether you already have a clear career aim or there are simply subjects that you enjoy studying. The statistics are straightforward: students do well here. The pass rate at A level in 2007 was 97.5% and every year many subjects achieve 100%. This website gives you the essential details about the college. Please take an opportunity to visit the college, though. Meet staff – and students who are always your best indicator. If they like it and do well, it’s a fair bet that you will too. I confidently expect a successful future for you at Wyke. Dr Richard Smith, Principal

Introduction

Wyke takes a pride in the progress of its students and the work of its staff . The College is large enough to offer a broad range of subjects but on a small enough scale to mean that students are valued and their achievements recognised. This section of our site gives some background to the College. If you would like to learn more we would be pleased to welcome you to one of our Open Evenings, Open Days or other events. Do feel free to contact us for more information. 1. Overview 6.  Sports at Wyke 2. Life at Wyke 7.  Overseas Links 3. Courses 8.  Ex-Wyke Students 4. Educational Excellence 9.  Next steps 5. Music, Drama, Arts 10.College Corporation

College Management

Dr Richard Smith, Principal Mike Rogerson, Vice-Principal (Students and Staff) Dr Ian Taylor, Vice-Principal (Performance Improvement) Mark Rothery, Assistant Principal Alan Woodcock, Director of Resources Sue Wilsea, Liaison Manager Pam Cook, Division Head Jim Darmody, Division Head Julie Peaks, Division Head Chris Robinson, Division Head

Overview

This section of our site offers a brief look at life at Wyke Sixth Form College. For more detailed information about the courses that Wyke offers please use the Courses section of this site, or, contact us for a course directory by contacting the College on 01482 346347. Wyke Sixth Form College opened in 1988 and was originally intended for 16 – 19 year olds in the western part of Hull, but it very quickly gained a wider reputation beyond the city. Today many young people at schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire decide to come to us after they finish their GCSE examinations. The reputation of Wyke Sixth Form College now reaches beyond. Quite apart from international links that the College has developed, there is a growing number of young people coming to study at Wyke from all around the world.

Life at Wyke

Wyke has earned the deserved reputation for being a friendly place to learn and get qualified. The library and IT facilities are available throughout the day. A new learning resources area has been constructed, adding even more learning facilities to the college. At lunch time, there are a number of food options from which to choose; including full meals, fast-food and sandwiches. The refectory also serves breakfast and is open until the afternoon. Outside these hours, there are a number of vending machines, selling hot and cold drinks and snacks. Wyke has the benefit of superb resources. Over three million pounds was spent on the facilities before the college opened and since that time, hundreds of thousands of pounds more have been invested in improving the buildings and other facilities in the college. This year saw the opening of the £2.2 million Wilson Building. Few educational establishments in the region can compare with these facilities. A further benefit is that all the courses and facilities are contained on one site.

Courses (click here for main courses listing)

Whether you are hoping to pursue a career or go onto higher education first, Wyke has courses to suit a great variety of needs. AS and A Level Courses Wyke offers about 40 of these courses, including many which will be new to you, such as Film Studies, Geology, Photography and Politics. These are in addition to the more traditional AS/A Levels in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences. AS and A Level courses are“modular”. This which means students do not have to sit all the exams for a given subject at one time, allowing them to be spread over the length of the course. AS (or Advanced Subsidiary) courses form the first half of the Advanced Level of study, with students being able to take four or five AS Levels at the end of their first year of study, concentrating on three of these for their A Levels in the second year. GCSE Courses Wyke offers a range of GCSE courses. These include many that are offered in schools and others which will be new to you. Students may be looking to resit a GCSE or to take a new GCSE combined with a subject at another level. The main difference about doing GCSEs at Wyke is that unlike at school, your courses are designed to be completed in one year. BTEC and GNVQ Courses You may choose to study one of these courses which are more practical and work oriented than GCSEs or A levels. BTEC courses are available at advanced and intermediate levels. GNVQ is offered at foundation and at intermediate level (depending on the subject). Advanced courses usually last for two years. Foundation and intermediate courses are one year long. The Intermediate level is equivalent to four or five GCSEs at grade C. BTEC advanced courses are equivalent to two or three A levels (depending on the subject). Students can also opt for a single Advanced Vocational Alevels, which are equivalent to one A level. Students will be able to mix and match vocational and academic qualifications. Information Technology and Word Processing Courses We encourage all our students to take one of these courses, which range from beginners courses to advanced level courses. All our students have access to the very latest computer equipment, including access to the internet throughout the college day. We offer a number of popular courses that give students skills in appropriate ICT applications. Key Skills With many employers and universities demanding better skills from their applicants, Wyke ensures that all students can support their study by following an appropriate course. Courses for Life In addition to your academic studies at Wyke, you have the chance to take part in a number of non-examination courses designed to broaden student’s experience. These include Football and Badminton as well as the college newspaper and college theatre production. We also expect students on Advanced courses to enroll onto our General Studies programme, which can lead to another AS or A Level qualification. Post-18 Courses Wyke has links with the University of Hull to teach at Wyke, the first year of their four-year Science Degree course. Adult Learners More and more adults are returning to education to extend their qualifications and broaden their interests. In the past few years, hundreds of adults have made Wyke their first choice. Wyke has academic, ICT and general interest courses available for everyone. Most adult learners’ courses are held at twilight/evening sessions, but all daytime courses at Wyke are available to adult learners.

Educational Excellence

Wyke is very proud of the standards of its teaching. There is a first class staff at the college. All teaching staff (and a number of non-teaching staff) are subject specialists, highly qualified in their field. Their main aim is to bring out the best in each student. The examination results at Wyke are excellent. The figures clearly show that students perform well at the college and indeed indicate that moving to the college after school has been of benefit. Hundreds of former Wyke students go on each year to university and to begin building their successful futures. Their future success is helped not only from the excellent learning they have experienced at the college, but also because of the help the college gives in making the transition from school to university easier. Student Support All Wyke students have a personal tutor, who helps with choosing courses and settling into college life. Tutors also monitor and review students’ progress as well as writing references for them. In addition students receive expert guidance when it comes to filling in application forms for higher education and employment. The college also has a full-time counsellor, who is available to provide support and assistance to students on a wide variety of issues. Our counsellor has a wide knowledge of health related issues and can advise on benefits and other rights. Wyke has dedicated Student Services area which offers a “one stop shop” for students to get help and advice on a variety of issues from timetables and exam entries to grants and travel guidance. Careers and Higher Education Wyke has a first class careers guidance system which provides the most up to date and comprehensive information. Whether it is finding a university course or discovering what job opportunities are available, Connexions and College staff are here to offer their full support.

Music, Drama and The Arts

Wyke has earned a deserved reputation for the cultural and sporting aspects of life at the college. Music has always been an important part of college life. Each year the college puts on a number of musical events to show off the talents of the young people studying music at Wyke. These events often attract talent from overseas and the college has also seen groups of its musicians perform abroad in our link schools. Wyke is famous for its dance, drama and performing arts. The college has taken several of its productions abroad. Wyke drama students have appeared at the Edinburgh ‘Fringe’ and have been the recipients of a number of prestigious national awards. Each year, the college mounts an Arts Showcase, which presents the work of all the Art and Design, Media and Film students in the college, along with our talented musicians. This is the culmination of very hard work by our students.

Sports at Wyke College

On the sporting front, Wyke is nationally renowned for its sporting excellence. All students have the opportunity to take part in sport even at a recreational level and the College Study programme enables students to play Football, Squash, Badminton, Rugby, Netball, Basketball and other sports. Sport is also available as a subject to study. Many young people who want to go into the sports industry can choose AS/A level PE and Advanced Travel and Tourism, both successful courses in the college. The college is able to make use of some of the excellent sporting facilities across the city, which combined with excellent teaching in the subjects provides students with a valuable learning experience.

Wyke Overseas

Wyke has made a priority of developing links with other countries. Staff and students have been involved in activities in a number of countries in Europe and students from Europe have visited Wyke on exchanges. It is not only Modern Languages students who can benefit from these links. At Wyke, we believe that all students should be able to take advantage of contacts with other countries. For this reason students following courses in Business, Geography, Performing Arts, Theatre Studies and Politics and other subjects can take part in overseas study visits. Wyke also has a very successful English (EFL) department for anyone who would like to learn English, or improve their existing skills, in a friendly and helpful atmosphere. Click here for more information.

Ex-Wyke Students

Most of the students featured in this guide will go on to succeed in their own particular field. Some may gain a higher profile and become well-known figures. Over the years our College prospectus has mentioned a number of these successes. Sarah Ozeke has starred in the Channel 4 dramatisation of Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth. Gay-Yee Westerhoff is a member of the internationally successful classical group, Bond. Sarah studied Performing Arts at the College and Gay-Yee studied music. The staff at Wyke will encourage you to perform to the best of your abilities so that you can succeed in your chosen career too.

Next Steps

Now that you have had a glimpse of Wyke, why not see for yourself. We have a number of open evenings planned and we are also happy to show you round personally. You may wish to know more about a particular part of college life or a specific course. We will be more than happy to deal with any query you might have about our college. You can contact us by e-mail, or if you prefer, by post (no stamp required) at Wyke College Freepost HU6 92 HULL HU5 4BR Alternatively you may prefer to call us on Hull 01482 346347, and we will try to deal with your enquiry there and then.