School Week

On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, our students follow their academic curriculum. This consists of a broad range of academic subjects, more details of which can be found in the academic curriculum section of our website. The aim is for all students to sit 8 or 9 GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11. The school day commences at 8.45am and finishes at 4.00pm.

Our school week has been divided into two parts. This has involved us  condensing a regular five-day academic week into a three-day academic week and two days of vocational training.

Applicants need to achieve a good standard academically and be able to cope with a three-day academic week. This arrangement may not suit all applicants.

On Thursdays and Fridays, students follow their vocational programme, receiving training in the performing arts (drama, dance and singing) whilst developing their individual performance skills. The school day commences at 8.45am-3.45pm on Thursday and 8.45am-4.00pm on Friday. 

Facilities

Our school site houses a number of excellent facilities for our students' academic and vocational classes.

1. 12 Academic classrooms, including 1 Art room, 2 Science labs, 2 I.T Suites.
2. 11 Vocational studios, recording studio.
3. Changing and shower facilities, outside courtyard garden, cafeteria.

Uniform

Our academic and vocational uniform is supplied by Price & Buckland. Academic uniform is worn Monday-Wednesday. Students wear their vocational uniform (tracksuit, dance wear) on Thursday and Friday and this can be ordered from Gandolfi. 

Please see below for our full academic and vocational uniform requirements. 

Academic and vocational uniform 2025

Full details are given on acceptance of applicants' school place.

Student Welfare & SEND

Pastoral
On entering the school, students find themselves part of a well-developed, caring and supportive network designed to meet their personal, social and moral needs. The size of the school assists greatly in ensuring that each student receives a level of support and guidance which is not always possible in a larger school.

Coming to a new school can, for some, seem daunting. But, hopefully, not at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Each new student is introduced to two mentors, usually one student of a similar age and one older student, who are there to be a friendly face and offer help and guidance when needed. Students always comment on how good it is to recognise and know faces when walking around the school. We are proud that our students settle here very quickly.

There are approximately 250 students in the school from years 6 to 11.

Year 6 is one form of entry and usually includes between 10 and 12 students. Years 7 to 11 have two forms each year, with generally between 20 and 24 students in each form. Each form group has a dedicated academic tutor overseeing their welfare. Tutor time presents an opportunity for information and support to be given to the group or on a one-to-one basis.

Careers guidance at the school is provided in years 10 and 11. Students are encouraged to consider a variety of options before making a final decision.

At SYTS, we take the care, support and mental health of our students seriously and have put in place systems to ensure students feel safe, secure and supported throughout their time with us.

School Nurse
Our experienced school nurse is there to identify, monitor and support the physical and mental health of the students. All students at SYTS have a personalised medical document that ensures that their needs are identified and academic and vocational staff are able to access the relevant information. 

SEND Department 
SYTS ensures students who are identified as requiring further support are given the tools they need to access the curriculum. We offer in-class support  and some withdrawal sessions are available for students to work in small groups with our SENCO, depending on the needs of the student. 

PSHE 
Students have weekly lessons in PSHE and frequent drop-in mornings throughout the academic year. 

Pastoral Hub
Staff can refer students to our Pastoral Hub, which meets fortnightly to address pastoral areas of the school. This can include: academic, vocational, health and wellbeing, SEN, safeguarding. 

Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Students and parents can speak with our DSL and Deputy DSL if they feel unable to cope. We can put in place specific support programmes and also have links with external agencies who work with families who are finding certain areas difficult to manage. 

Relationship & Sex Education

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SEND
Our policy is not to treat disabled students less favourably and to take reasonable steps to avoid putting disabled students at a disadvantage by making reasonable adjustments in matters of admission and education.

However, it needs to be stated that there is a clear process of selection, our audition process, which is open to all students who wish to apply for either a fee-paying place or a scholarship place.

There is a section on the application form which asks parents to state whether their child has a special learning need and would therefore be considered to have a disability.  This information is used to ensure that, as part of the audition process, full attention is given to that child’s needs and any reasonable adjustment is made to accommodate it.

Should it become apparent that it may be beneficial to discuss a student’s learning needs or other disability prior to the audition process taking place, the parents/guardians and the child will be invited to the school to meet the Senco.  Such a meeting would allow the child’s needs to be discussed and to ascertain whether reasonable adjustments could be made to accommodate their needs and whether the school and the education it offers would be a suitable choice for the child should they pass the audition process and be offered a place.

We do our very best to treat each case on its individual merits and to guide and advise accordingly.

If a child demonstrates a potential talent in the performing arts, we are committed to enabling that child to develop that talent.