In September 2004, Wolverhampton Grammar School introduced its Year Six class for age 10+. It was the first time since 1944 that the school had admitted children below the age of 11, a move that was part of a broader commitment to ensure that learning, rather than mere teaching, becomes the focus of all our activity.
The Year Six entry class is called Big Six.
Big Six provides a unique and exciting foundation to the secondary phase of schooling by helping children to develop into successful and effective learners. In Big Six, students come to understand the process of how they learn best as individuals by recognising that each of us has a ‘preferred’ learning style. This understanding is central to speedy progress in secondary school. In short, we teach students all about communication, empathy and teamwork.
You can also rest assured that, in Big Six, the students are going to have a lot of fun learning. In fact, we all have fun with Big Six. It is something that is designed to put the joy back into scholarship by stimulating curiosity and exploring the nature of learning - as students, teachers, and as a wider learning community.
We realise that the majority of children will continue to pass through Year 6 in their current school and then join Wolverhampton Grammar School in Year 7 (at 11+). But for others, Big Six promises something different. In particular, it suits self-confident 10 year-olds who show initiative, a naturally inquisitive mind and a zest for learning. We’ll take care of the rest for them - or, rather, with them.
I hope that you’ll want your child to be part of this exciting learning journey.