A Level Curriculum Years 12 - 13

In the first year of the sixth form (Year 12) students study 4 subjects of their choice at AS level. In the second year (Year 13) students will generally take 3 of these subjects through to A2 .
An options evening is held, for year 11, in the spring term and students should have informed the school of their elections by the summer term. Obviously at this stage GCSE results are not known, regrettably planning and timetabling constraints are such that this is unavoidable. Department Heads should be consulted following provisional selections, since once the timetable is set changes are very difficult to accommodate.

Our general advice to students is to base their choices not on supposed career requirements but on aptitude and interest; devise a course for yourself which will challenge and stretch you and through which you will build existing skills and acquire new ones. However, do not preclude yourself from a particular course or career. A few have very specific entry requirements eg medicine and your should seek advice from the Careers adviser and as always do your homework!

Choices are made from 4 option blocks. Whilst most choices and combinations will be met we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case due to demand/viability of courses, availability of staff and other timetabling constraints. All subjects offered at GCSE are offered to AS/A2 and in addition Psychology.

Year 12

Coursework is a requirement of most A level subjects, some more than others. By this stage students should have study skills in place to cope. The nature of the courses requires a step change in attitude and self- motivation. A period of adjustment is acceptable but if students are struggling and not coping with the increased demands then a consultation process will determine whether they continue with a subject beyond AS level.

Since all A level courses are modular by nature, generally exams will take place in January and June/July. Re-sits if necessary are then taken as determined by staff and student in consultation.

There are opportunities within year 12 for students to further develop leadership and organisational skills as they take on additional roles and responsibilities within the school community.

Year 13

At the commencement of Year 13 a key priority is the UCAS application process. Following the AS results at the end of year 12 some students will need to reassess and Subject teachers, the Head Mistress and Principal as well as Careers Advisor are all   able to offer guidance.

We aim to complete the process by the end of the autumn term , preferably sooner, so that students can concentrate on mock examinations/ re-sits in January.