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WELCOME TO THE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE OPEN EVENING OCTOBER 2019 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WELCOME TO THE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE OPEN EVENING OCTOBER 2019 Purpose of the evening To find out more about the Sixth Form College, its specialist facilities, ethos and atmosphere. To meet and liaise with our teaching staff and students


  1. WELCOME TO THE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE OPEN EVENING – OCTOBER 2019

  2. Purpose of the evening ❑ To find out more about the Sixth Form College, its specialist facilities, ethos and atmosphere. ❑ To meet and liaise with our teaching staff and students - have your questions answered. ❑ To find out more about the academic programmes and individual courses – to help you to make an informed choice. ❑ To find out more about the wider activities and opportunities ❑ To help you to decide if this is the right community to continue with your studies - happily and successfully.

  3. The Sixth Form College ❑ A specialist Sixth Form College. ▪ A ‘full’ and broad academic sixth form experience in a 16-18 specialist environment. - A wide choice of academic courses but also with pastoral support, personal development, preparation for H.E., future employability and citizenship plus choices from a very large range of Additional Studies and extra curricular activities. ▪ Our students have timetabled academic classes on each of the 5 weekdays* – and the timetabled classes for each of the individual A level subjects studied will be spread through 4 of the 5 days of each week (a high regularity of subject teaching for each student). * An example of a ‘typical’ student timetable is on page 37 within the Prospectus. ▪ All academic classes are taught on our North Hill campus. A very strong College community ethos.

  4. The Sixth Form College ❑ Opened in 1987 - Over 30 years of very successful experience in delivering A levels and a sixth form education. ❑ The only specialist Sixth Form College in the area. ❑ Excellent accommodation and facilities – specifically designed for 16-18 year olds in sixth form study. Many enhancements and additions to accommodation and facilities have been achieved over the last 10 years.

  5. The Sixth Form College ❑ Just under 3,000 full time 16-18 year old students (virtually the same as in 2010). ❑ Average academic class size: ▪ Approximately 17 in 2018/19. ▪ Average class sizes are relatively low compared to the national average sixth form class sizes in state sector schools / academies and colleges – and our average class sizes are virtually the same as 10 years ago. ❑ The College continues to be far more able than most sixth form providers (in schools, academies and colleges) in the state sector in England to maintain a full time student sixth form experience – in a context of the Government instigation of very deep cuts in resource allocations to support 16-18 education in England from 2011. ❑ The College offers many individual A level subjects which are not now provided in many local school sixth form environments e.g. German, Spanish, Music, Art History, Electronics, Product Design, Dance … .

  6. Characteristic qualities of the College ❑ A ‘traditional’ and ‘full’ academic sixth ❑ Care and concern for each individual form experience – in a young adult student. environment. ❑ Strong pastoral support and ❑ Breadth of opportunities – and great personal development programme. flexibility to meet the needs of each individual student. ❑ High quality of academic teaching, ❑ teacher expertise in sixth form High expectations of students and a education. clear focus upon success. ❑ High levels of overall student ❑ Lively and thriving community, positive achievement, including in value- ethos. added terms, enabling positive progression at age 18.

  7. WELCOME TO THE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE OPEN EVENING – OCTOBER 2019

  8. Programmes of study ❑ Students choose their own individual combination of specific courses from one of 2 alternative academic programmes; A Level Programme (2 years) ▪ The Government instigated a series of reforms to the national A level system between 2015 and 2017: A levels are, again, 2 year ‘linear’ courses (i.e. they are not ‘modular’ and AS levels are not generally taken). A level assessments and exams are at the end of the second year of study. The Government changes also meant that some A levels (e.g. ICT), were converted to A level ‘equivalent’ (Applied General Extended Certificate) qualifications. ▪ Students generally choose to study 3 (or for some 4) A level (or equivalent) courses from a choice of over 50 subject options.

  9. A level programmes of study (continued) ▪ A good number of A level subjects at the College have excellent extension options to enhance potential future applications to specialist Higher Education courses and/or careers paths; e.g. • Strong A level Maths students – option of also studying AS and A level Further Maths, and/or options of other mathematical courses e.g. A level Physics, A level Computing, A level Chemistry - and also the option of preparing for STEP Maths. • A level English students – have a choice from 3 different A level courses - and also have the option of studying an Extended Project Qualification (English and Creative Writing options). • Strong visual arts students have a very wide range of creative course options - including A levels in Art, Photography, Art History, Textiles, Graphics (and also A level Sculpture in Year 2). • For those students interested in Medicine or related progression - option of our Medics programme and/or choosing a science or health based Extended Project Qualification Chemistry and Biology together with a 3 rd, and possibly 4 th, (supporting A levels in relevant A level subject).

  10. A level programmes (cont.) – extension options include (cont.); • For potential Engineering students – A levels in Maths and Physics can be combined with the following A level courses; Computing or Product Design or Graphics Electronics or Economics or Business and AS/A level Further Maths is also an option as a 4 th A level course. • A level Geography and/or Biology and/or Chemistry students – have an option of also studying, A level Geology (Earth Science) and/or A level Environmental Science. • A level Economics or Business and/or Accounting students – have an option of studying Financial Certificate (and in Year 2 A level Economics students can also choose to study A level Business in the form of an accelerated A level course). • A level History students – have a choice from 3 alternative courses/time periods. Also the option of studying A level Classical Civilisation and/or Politics, and/or a choice of a specialist Extended Project Qualification (in History or Military History or Archaeology). • Students with a talent for Modern Foreign Languages – choices from 4 different A level courses (French, German, Spanish and Italian), 2 GCSE subjects (Spanish or Italian) and a range introductory language courses (Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Ancient Greek) and experiences including Languages Day. . . . . .

  11. Choosing A level subjects ❑ Many of you will not yet have a career aim in mind. ❑ You may not have a specialism and you might want to choose a diverse range of subjects, to keep your options open. ❑ At your interview, we will advise you on your package of subjects and ensure that it will give you plenty of progression opportunities. ❑ However diverse the academic subjects you choose, you will not encounter timetable clashes.

  12. A level programmes – The option of Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) ▪ All A level students can also choose to study for an individual, focussed EPQ; ▪ An EPQ can easily be related to support career progression areas e.g. Medicine, Health, Architecture, Finance, Engineering, Teaching, Sport … or ▪ Subject specific EPQ options include English, Creative Writing, History, Archaeology, Physics, MFL’s, Computing, Music Technology, Psychology, Law, Anthropology, World Development, Dance, Performing Arts/Drama, Textiles and Art. or ▪ There are ‘generic’ opportunities for completing an EPQ in any area of academic interest. ▪ EPQs are generally undertaken from April of Year 1 through to Autumn of Year 2. ▪ EPQs are half an A level and are viewed as excellent preparation for HE.

  13. Programmes of study – Advanced Foundation For those with more modest GCSE achievement backgrounds; Advanced Foundation Programme (1 year) – includes opportunities to improve key GCSEs and add new GCSE or equivalent courses. Some students will also add a level 3 course. For many there is the ultimate aim of then progressing to A level or other ‘level 3 ’ options after year one study.

  14. Programmes of study ❑ Subject Information Sheets – provide a good deal of detail about each individual A level, Applied General and GCSE subject/course. All subject information sheets are within the Prospectus (pages 38-94) - or alternatively on an ongoing basis are available electronically from the College website via the ‘Courses’ link.

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