Sixth Form
Quality, Opportunity & Success For All
Welcome to Halewood Academy Sixth Form Halewood Academy Sixth Form offers a rich and varied curriculum to students of all abilities. Students studying at Halewood Academy Sixth Form benefit from a new ‘state of the art’ building equipped with the latest technology, flexible teaching spaces and modern furnishings, which come together to facilitate a sophisticated and stimulating learning environment. In addition to this, Sixth Form students can enjoy access to the Academy’s sports facilities including a fitness suite and multi-use games areas, as well as exclusive use of their own home base equipped with laptops, study areas and recreational areas.
The Vision To be an outstanding Sixth Form, educating and developing students who achieve exceptional outcomes.
The Ethos The development of confident and resilient independent learners who achieve their true potential.
Why do students want to study at Halewood Academy Sixth Form? • Teaching and Pastoral Care to meet individual needs • Excellent support and monitoring systems • Extensive range of Level 3 courses • University and Career guidance • Employment opportunities • Excellent facilities • Supportive teachers • Enrichment opportunities • Career Academy partnership • Comprehensive support packages to support the transition from KS4 to KS5, including bridging course material. If you are unable to attend our Sixth Form Open Evening you can find information in the Sixth Form section on our website. If you need to speak to someone please contact the Academy. Students from other schools who are interested in joining our Sixth Form are welcome to visit us during school hours to see the Sixth Form in action and to visit our fantastic facilities. Please contact us if you would like a tour.
Admission - we will: • Give you the relevant information that you need about the courses we provide in an understandable way so that you can make appropriate choices. • Give you the opportunity to talk to our staff and ask questions about the courses before you make your course choices and submit your application. • Give you a personal interview, once you have submitted your application form, to discuss your course choices and give you further guidance. • Treat all applications fairly.
Academic and Personal Support - we will: • Provide clear, accurate advice and guidance to enable you to plan and implement the next step on your career or education pathway. • Allocate you a personal tutor who will be responsible for both your academic progress and personal well-being. • Give you specialist support and advice with UCAS applications and interviews. • Regularly review your progress and give you feedback which praises your achievements and sets you clear learning goals. • Ensure that you receive additional support to help you successfully complete your courses.
Teaching & Learning - we will: • Provide a high-quality learning environment which is equipped for 21st century learning. • Provide high-quality lessons with teaching that is matched to your needs. • Encourage you to succeed and listen to your comments and feedback. • Provide rigorous assessment and feedback so you can have confidence in your ability and readiness for external examinations.
Our commitment to all our students
At Halewood Academy Sixth Form, there is a dedicated team of specialist staff and personal tutors who provide support and guidance to all students. During your time here, the Sixth Form Team will be available to advise, support and listen to your concerns. You can get advice on financial matters, academic support, university and careers guidance and personal issues, all of which may be affecting your studies. The team will also be involved in interviewing you as you apply to enter the Sixth Form, in order to make sure that you enrol onto the most suitable courses.
carers are key to your success and so encourage an open flow of communication between parents and staff at Halewood Academy. Your parents/carers will receive regular progress and attendance information and a full written report in year 12 and 13 along with data information three times during each academic year. We will also contact them in the event of any issues/problems with your performance.
The Team
Parents Evenings are a vital part of our communications system between the Sixth Form and your parents/carers. It is at these events where parents can find out the details of how well you are achieving at Halewood Academy Sixth Form and also where we can discuss targets for the future. The parents evening usually takes place in December.
Mr J Rainey Pastoral Leader Mr C Worrall Head of Career Academy Miss L Ainsworth Post 16 Administrator Mrs A Norton SLT Link
Guest Speakers
In addition to this support, you will have a personal tutor who is primarily concerned with your welfare and academic progress. It is vital that as you progress through your Sixth Form courses, you set yourself short and long term goals. During the course of the academic year, your tutor will work closely with you to develop a programme of study based on your achievements at Key Stage 4 and long-term aspirations.
Teachers Your Sixth Form teachers are the most important resource for your success and we pride ourselves on the teaching you will receive. Your teachers will help you to develop the skills necessary to make a success of your time at Halewood. Your teachers have all taught the subjects you have chosen at GCSE level, so are experienced in dealing with the challenges you face in the transition from KS4 knowledge and expectations, to KS5.
Parental Contact As a Sixth Form student the onus is on you to be responsible for your own learning. However, we feel your parents/
Throughout your studies you will have the chance to hear a variety of guest speakers both in school time and after hours from local, regional and national universities. A programme of speakers is arranged as part of PSHE studies from healthcare organisations, employment initiatives and financial companies.
School Council Each Sixth Form tutor group has one student who represents the Sixth Form at the School Council. The School Council is at the forefront of changing student aspirations focusing on leadership, new initiatives and measuring impact.
Subject Visits To supplement your studies, departments run a number of curriculum enrichment activities. These might include subject specific master classes and conferences in venues across the country or trips to enable course completion.
Employment Opportunities Students are employed by the Academy to run lunchtime computer clubs and monitor the use of laptops in the different departments. Students apply at the end of year 12 and are interviewed. Students gain valuable skills and are able to have financial support during their studies.
Head boy/girl - Prefects Students apply to be a prefect during their time in Sixth Form and become an ambassador of the Academy, if successful, fulfilling roles of mentors to younger students, attending Open Evenings and Parents Evenings, and representing the Academy at external events. At the end of year 12 there is a campaign and students vote for the Head Boy and Girl of Sixth Form.
Getting the best results • We believe that students who show commitment and enthusiasm are rewarded with examination success. • We will help you to design a programme of study to suit your interests, abilities and ambitions. We will help set, monitor and achieve your targets. • On entering the Sixth Form you will be given your target grade for each subject based upon your Average GCSE score. Your progress is measured against this target to see if you are exceeding your target, on target or underachieving. • This monitoring takes place three times during each year and your grades are discussed on a one to one basis with your subject teachers. • Progress Grades are issued to parents/carers during the year and discussed formally at parents evening. If you are underachieving supportive strategies will be put in place to help raise your attainment. • Each AS and A2 subject has 5 hours of teaching time per week. • We expect for every one hour lesson another hour must be spent on private study. • Our expectations are for you to take responsibility for your own work and become independent learners, preparing you for university or work. • You are expected to plan your time for homework, coursework, private study and social activities. • You will be supported during your time in Sixth Form so that you can achieve your potential.
Financial Support - 16-19 Bursary Fund “The 16-19 Bursary Fund is a scheme intended to help the most vulnerable 16-19 year olds in full-time education. The scheme is made up of two parts: a payment of £1,200 to the most vulnerable young people; and a discretionary fund.” Please contact the Sixth Form office for further details and an application form.
e ment n twork for Ca lop
et wo
rki n
su g an d technical
e rs ch
te a
S o ci
nd semina its a rs Vis
Gur u Lecturers
ni
Level 3 Study
Inter nships
g in in T ra
,n
lum
al a
rs in Busin es rtne Pa ntoring) s e m (
ee rA c
ya
nd
er re
ve de
em ad
ca
The Career Academy
f ort pp
or
The Halewood Career Academy is a two year programme open to all Sixth Form students, who enrol on our STEM related courses. It aims to raise young people’s aspirations and bridge the gap between education and employment by providing students with access and experience of the world of work. The Career Academy programme is matched to BTEC Level 3 WorkSkills by Edexcel which gives students opportunities to gain an additional qualification; a recognised qualification by universities across the UK. All KS5 students, studying Science or Mathematics, are offered the opportunity to apply for a place on the Career Academy programme. The Career Academy model ensures that there is a consistent approach to all Career Academies across the UK. As shown by the model, students enrolled onto the Career Academy programme will engage with businesses and their employees in the following ways: • Guru lectures - guest speakers from various businesses come into the Academy to share with the students their knowledge or expertise of a specific subject area in-line with the course curriculum, and/or to give an overview of their own organisation or personal career pathway. • Visits and seminars - visits to a workplace to provide an invaluable insight for the students. Employers who host a visit at their place of work may wish to promote their company and what they do, showcase new products, improve staff motivation and development, and/or talent spot future employees. • Partners in Business (PiB) - an employee acts as a role model, critical friend and advisor to a student over two academic years. This also helps the employee develop their own coaching, mentoring and leadership skills. The Partner in
Business opportunity is a significant ‘value-added’ element of Career Academies UK’s programme and provides additional learning opportunities and experience for our students. It is the only optional part of the programme but we strongly encourage all of the students to have a PiB because the benefits are significant. • Internship (paid) - Internships are the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Career Academy model, as they allow the students to develop valuable workplace skills and take part in a real job that benefits the employer.
Companies currently involved in the Career Academy
Internships All of our Year 12 Career Academy students in 2013/14 secured paid internships, which were completed in summer 2014. Students cannot graduate from the programme without having undertaken an internship, or completed an alternative agreed by Career Academies UK. They usually take place in the summer between the two years of the programme, but there is some flexibility where this is not possible, on a case-by-case basis. Standard working hours will be 9-5 and students will be paid for this part of the course. This short course is equivalent to 0.4 AS at grade C. Students will be required to complete an internship logbook which records their progress and learning during their internship. The student logbook contains evaluation forms that the supervisor and student complete together during the internship. It also has handy tips for the students on their internship. Being part of Halewood Career Academy not only improves community links between education and local businesses, it also fulfils corporate and social responsibilities.
If you wish to be part of Halewood Career Academy, or would like more information, please contact Mr Worrall on 0151-477-8830.
At Halewood Academy Sixth Form, a wide and varied range of courses is offered to students of all abilities. These include Level 3 courses such as Advanced Levels and BTEC National Courses. The type of course you will take is dependent on your achievement at GCSE level.
Choosing a Course
AS/A Level Courses All A Levels are two year courses. With successful completion of the required modules in the first year, you will achieve an AS (Advanced Subsidiary) award, a qualification in its own right. In the second year the course is called an A2 qualification. An AS plus an A2 course is an A Level qualification. The basic entry requirement to study A Level courses is five A*- C grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics. In order to study an A Level course you must have achieved a grade B in the GCSE subject. If you have not studied the subject before there are specific entry requirements.
BTEC Courses BTEC National courses are recognised by employers and universities as being of equal value to A Levels. These courses often involve more practical than theory-based learning, and focus on a specific career-related area. Studied over two years, these courses seek to develop specific skills, knowledge and personal qualities, which are valued highly by employers and applicable to related degree level courses at university. 1. All A Level subjects are initially offered to AS Level only and continuation to A2 is dependent on success at AS and a sufficient number of students staying on into A2. 2. Subjects will only run if there are sufficient numbers indicating interest in courses at the application stage. 3. Courses will be withdrawn from our provision, in the event of numbers dropping at enrolment.
What advice can you give me on choosing my course? At Advanced Level, what you study now will be very important in determining your future studies or your career direction. Many universities require specific combinations for certain degree programmes. A Levels allow you to study a variety of subjects and may be the best choice for you if you are unsure of your chosen career path. BTEC qualifications are more vocationally orientated and are equally accepted by universities. Your predicted grades at GCSE will provide a good pointer to your strongest and weakest subjects. Do you perform better in the mathematics and science subjects, or in the English and humanities subjects? Remember that A Level sciences have a strong mathematical element and that you should have gained a B grade in mathematics and science before considering taking one or more science A Levels.
How many A Level subjects will I study in the first year? Depending on your GCSE results, you will be advised to study 3 or 4 subjects in year 12. It is normal to drop from 4 to 3 subjects in year 13,
although this decision is up to you. After an in-depth review following your AS results, you will be able to decide the next step for your studies.
What happens after I have applied? Once you have completed a Sixth Form application form you will be called for your initial interview to discuss your course choices and expectations of Sixth Form study.
When will I need to make a decision? Just before starting your A Level course, you will have a second interview and your interviewer will go through your GCSE results, your career ambitions and your other interests and then advise you on the next steps. We want to be sure you will be happy on your course and will settle into it quickly.
What if the subjects I choose are not the right for me or I change my mind? At the interview stage your subject choices are not set in stone, however we do use this information as a basis for our timetabling decisions so it is important to consider your options carefully. If you change your mind before September you will have a chance to discuss this during your enrolment interview. Once you have started a course, you have two weeks to switch to another course. After this it becomes more difficult as you will have missed a significant section of a new course.
Courses on offer for 2015/2016 ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê
Biology BTEC Business Chemistry Dance Drama & Theatre Studies English Language English Literature Fine Art Geography Graphics Health & Social Care History ICT Law Mathematics Photography Physics Psychology Sociology Spanish BTEC Sport Sport and Exercise Science Textiles
Careers Support In the current economic climate it is important that you give yourself the best possible chance by finding out about jobs and education/training routes. Here at Halewood Academy we have a full time Careers & Work Experience Co-ordinator Lesley MacCallum who is based in S24 on Homebase 2 (opposite the 6th Form homebase). Lesley is available every day during break and lunch times to answer any careers related questions or to help with CVs/applications. Students can also get help from Stuart Nicholls our impartial Careers Advisor from Career Connect, who gives careers guidance through one to one interviews and lunchtime drop-in sessions. This can include information on university applications, apprenticeships, gap years and student finance. Stuart is in school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and is based on Homebase 2.
Careers Resources Halewood Academy has invested in a high-quality careers information resource called Kudos. Kudos gives students the chance to discover the careers that suit them by taking an online questionnaire. To access the Kudos site click on the Kudos link and enter the licence code: goalstep08
University Application Process Students begin working on their UCAS personal statement in March of Year 12. Several drafts are produced and proof read by Sixth Form staff before the online application is submitted in Year 13. We have good links with local universities and students are informed about open days and shadowing events. University representatives come into school to speak to students about the UCAS application process, personal statements, student finance and university life.
Work Experience A work experience placement enables students to develop their employability skills and helps them think about jobs they could do in the future. Work placements can enhance university and job applications as admissions tutors and employers value relevant work experience. All Year 12 students at Halewood Academy have the opportunity to go on a one week placement in July. Students are encouraged to organise their own placements related to their career interests and Lesley MacCallum has some placements available for Year 12 students as well.
Apprenticeships Students interested in doing an apprenticeship after leaving Halewood Academy Sixth Form can see our impartial Careers Advisor Stuart Nicholls for a guidance interview. The National Apprenticeship website www.apprenticeships.org.uk has a vacancy search as well as information about apprenticeships.
Quality, Opportunity & Success For All
Halewood Academy Sixth Form The Avenue, Wood Road, Halewood, Liverpool L26 1UU. Phone: 0151 477 8830 Fax: 0151 477 8835 Email: admin@halewoodacademy.co.uk www.halewoodacademy.co.uk
Designed & Produced by FSE Design Tel: 01933 303520 www.fsedesign.co.uk