A supportive environment where students flourish and succeed
At HCS we believe that your personal growth is just as important as your academic progress.
Our enrichment programme is designed to help you pursue your non-academic goals and build up the skills, experiences and personal qualities for you to thrive as global citizens.
Our music department will help you continue to take grade exams in your chosen instrument.
Our Student Union, school societies and community programmes will give students a chance to demonstrate their leadership qualities.
Our PSHE programme centres around current affairs and student voice, while our enrichment programme offers timetabled activities including sport, music, art, design and languages.
Wellbeing
Supporting our student’s mental and physical wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. In any high-performing organisation with talented and ambitious individuals there inevitably comes some pressure to succeed and do well. At HCS, much like our sister sixth forms, we recognise this and have numerous mechanisms/initiatives in place to support students who may need additional assistance.
We strongly believe that for students to succeed and flourish during their time at HCS and beyond, their mental and physical wellbeing needs to be looked after and catered for just as much as their academic interests.
All HCS students can take advantage of the following initiatives (non-exhaustive):
- Dedicated HCS Coach who supports students with mindset, habits of mind and their mental / physical well-being
- Our in-house Wellbeing Counsellor who students can see during a drop in session or as part of a more structured provision
- Mental Wellbeing Mentors’ drop-in sessions, where trained peers can support with helping you organise your workload, subject specific tips and hints or general study advice
- Clubs and societies – Music Society, Art Society and Games Club to name a few
- Cultural Capital – students regularly have the opportunity to visit galleries, museums and attend the London theatres
- The Old Vic – HCS benefits from a link with The Old Vic theatre in London, with regular student workshops and the chance to attend opening night performances
Code breakers
Our Code Breakers course teaches students the hidden social and corporate codes which exist in the elite professions without which entry to and success in is limited; it is the “polish and etiquette” that most schools and sixth forms overlook.
Like NCS, HCS was set up to provide students with a ‘holistic education’ so that students can access the elite professions. A key element of this is our Code Breakers course.
Whilst most sixth forms prepare you for entry to university, we see our role as much wider than this. A degree from a competitive university is a pre-requisite and our reputation for securing offers from Russell Group Universities is testament to our expertise and track record in this area.
Watch this clip from the BBC Documentary “Breaking Into The Elite” which demonstrates how these hidden codes affect candidates from less privileged backgrounds.
The NCS Code Breaker Course is broken down into three key elements:
- Walking the walk – codes for personal image and behaviour; clothes and shoes, hair, smells and fragrances.
- Talking the talk – codes for speech clarity, conversational grammar, better voice quality.
- Taming the fork – codes and passwords for table manners and social etiquette, at home, in the office, in restaurants.