LEX in the Sixth Form
The LEX Programme offers Year 12 and 13 pupils an extraordinary range of experiences—academic, creative, adventurous, and practical—that build skills, friendships, and confidence for life beyond school.
The 6th Form LEX Journey
At the beginning of Y12, whilst the weather is good and pupils are getting to grips with new subjects and a new way of working, we offer a wide range of activities, many of them in the outdoors. These bring different groups of pupils together to develop skills and forge new friendships. The range from cookery to the Model United Nations, from white water kayaking to bouldering and from yoga to the Kitchen Garden. After half term, all pupils undertake a bespoke first aid course aimed at teenagers, featuring scenarios and delivered by expert trainers. Moving towards Christmas, we invite pupils to give something back through Service, supporting a range of local charities and community projects.
Pupils return in the new year feeling established in the Sixth Form and settled into good routines of study. LEX compliments this through THINK, delivering study skills sessions to support exam outcomes. There follows a series of careers-related sessions that complement the Careers education programme on weekdays, including interview masterclasses and mock interviews, as well as some talks from our OCs – entertaining and inspiring in equal measure.
The summer term sees pupils offered a further chance to get out and about, either building their skills in activities they chose in the Autumn or sampling new ones, including a wide range of creative and technical options in Art, Drama, Music and DT. As a busy year draws to a close, pupils spend time planning and then carrying out fundraising projects for our chosen charities in LEX Service. The year closes with LEX week in which Y12 students spend time on Dartmoor taking part in outdoor adventurous training.
The Autumn term of Y13 is extremely busy for all pupils, with mock exams and university applications to prepare. LEX Think offers the chance to fine-tune exam performance, enrich and extend subject knowledge or polish coursework. After half term, all the usual outdoor and sporting options are on offer, complemented by those linked to progression, including a TEFL qualification, cookery courses, British Sign Language, Umpiring and Refereeing course, MOOCs and some extra UCAS help for those who need it. The new year again brings a focus on preparing for A Level and BTEC exams and some further input on revision techniques and strategies. LEX finishes with our very own Surviving in the Real World module, covering all those things we think you really shouldn’t leave school without knowing: cooking for college, managing your finances, vehicle maintenance and basic DIY. After two – or five (or more) years of LEX, pupils have really had an extraordinary breadth of opportunities that will have helped them grow and develop, understand themselves and prepare them superbly for life beyond Clayesmore.
Y12 LEX Service
The Year 12 LEX Service Programme provides pupils with meaningful, real-world experiences that develop transferable skills and strengthen career readiness. Through voluntary placements with community groups, conservation projects, charity shops, primary schools, village initiatives, and mental health gardens, pupils gain first-hand insight into the world of work, public service, and civic engagement. These experiences promote empathy, teamwork, communication, leadership, and initiative — qualities highly valued by employers and universities alike. By engaging with diverse settings and responsibilities, pupils build self-awareness of their strengths, preferences, and potential career pathways, while developing the confidence, adaptability, and sense of purpose essential for success beyond school.
LEX Service supports our school mission of community action and charity. It’s a chance to give back, develop skills, and build connections locally. All pupils in Year 12 participate in LEX Service – every week, throughout the year.
Current service options include:
- St Andrew’s Primary (Fontmell)
- Fontmell Friendship Garden
- Big Yellow Bus Garden Project (Shillingstone)
- Charity Shops (Shaftesbury)
- Fontmell Under 5’s
- Home Farm Visits (Iwerne Minster)
- Sports Leadership
- Tanzania Fundraising Group
- Reading Buddies for the Prep School
GHK
Clayesmore School – Assistant Head (Co-curricular / LEX)
Autumn 2025
