SIXTH FORM COURSES 2023-25

I AM DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM FOR OUR SIXTH FORM COMMENCING IN SEPTEMBER 2023. WE OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS ALLOWING OUR STUDENTS TO CHOOSE FROM A LARGE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS.

23 subject choices

Our class sizes are small, which means that your teachers get to know you as an individual, providing the support and challenge to bring out the best in you. They hold great expertise in teaching their subjects at A-Level or BTEC, and a track record of excellent results, too. Alongside your subject options, you will have the opportunity to complete an Extended Project Qualification to develop your independent learning skills and complement your other academic choices. When combined with our holistic approach to developing well-rounded individuals, our academic programme contributes to an outstanding sixth form experience.

55 specialist teaching staff

7 Average class size students

In Years 12 and 13, you will attend each lesson with your own personal device enabling you to access a far greater range of digital resources to enhance your learning – and, of course, your digital literacy will improve, equipping you with the skills you need for your future success. Alongside this, our new and innovative HCS Diploma, accredited by the University of Buckingham, stretches students beyond the limits of their academic studies to develop personal growth, provide new areas of focus and gain experience in both leadership and service. While academic results are of course an important currency, these skills will set you apart as you enter the competitive higher education and employment landscape.

I look forward to supporting each of our new Year 12 students as they embark on their sixth form career with us.

Mr Alex Hartley, Deputy Head (Academic)

The details in this booklet are accurate as at 6 February 2023. It is expected that the courses described will run, subject to there being sufficient demand. Nonetheless, there could be further amendments before September 2023. If you have any further queries, please contact the Mr Hartley or the relevant Head of Department.

How To Choose Your Subjects

Choosing the correct subjects for your Sixth Form studies is paramount and can initially appear daunting. Basing your choices on some key principles will ensure you are able to make the right decisions which will set you up both for the next two years, but also for the decades beyond.

As well as following these three key principles, when you’re in the process of making these informed choices it’s important that you speak with us – all of your teachers, and in particular, your Form Tutor, Head of Year, Futures Department, Mrs Teale and Mr Hartley are here to help you. Don’t be daunted by the decision-making process but make informed choices which will give you the best Sixth Form experience and which will set you up for life beyond HCS.

Do What You Enjoy

Unlike at GCSE, you will be studying your subjects for eight periods a week, alongside homework and wider reading. Even if you’re exceptionally motivated to study a particular subject, if you don’t enjoy it, then it will become a grind and you won’t achieve as well as you might otherwise have done. By contrast, selecting a subject that excites and energises you will mean that you will want to go the extra mile.

DO WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT

Despite there usually being a strong correlation between the things that we enjoy and the things at which we excel, it is sensible to select subjects which you’re good at. Ending your Sixth Form with the strongest possible set of grades will open up the most opportunities for you for the next steps, and in life generally. Consequently, it is always best to study subjects which align with your areas of strength.

Use your reports, speak with your parents, teachers and Form Tutor to get their view on where your strengths lie. The leap from GCSE to A-Level is a significant one and if you are struggling to understand the key concepts of the course, you’ll neither enjoy your studies or get the grades of which you might be capable in another subject.

Keep Doors Open

By virtue of selecting certain subjects, you are not choosing others. When you start your Sixth Form courses, you will be closing certain doors – if you don’t study Chemistry, then you are essentially choosing to rule our Medicine; if you don’t choose Maths, then an Economics degree is likely to be off the table. It is prudent to have some sense of what subjects you will need in the future. Most 16-yearolds don’t have their career paths mapped out – that’s fine, of course, but having a sense of doors you want to keep open is important.

ART: FINE ART

WHY STUDY THIS SUBJECT?

This practical subject helps to develop the visual, analytical and cognitive skills of a young developing artist. Students will explore a personal open-ended brief through the three main disciplines of painting/drawing, sculpture and printmaking. More advanced methods of recording through digital photography and visual IT packages are also explored. We have always enjoyed exceptionally strong results in Art.

TOPICS OF STUDY AT A-LEVEL

Portrait, Life Drawing, Still Life, The Natural Environment, Cityscape and Landscape.

Opportunities Beyond The Classroom

Students have their own dedicated studio space in the department. Visits to galleries and exhibitions, both domestic and abroad, are an integral part of this course. Trips have included Compton Verney, Oxford, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Moscow, St Petersburg and London.

WHAT THIS SUBJECT MIGHT LEAD TO:

Many students have gone on to study Interior Design, Fashion, Graphics, Photography and Fine Art at the most prestigious art colleges such as The Slade and Central St Martin’s London.

Suggested Entrance Requirement

A minimum of grade 6 at GCSE is desirable, although not essential.

ART: TEXTILE ART

WHY STUDY THIS SUBJECT?

The investigative, analytical, creative, decision-making and self-management skills learned in this subject are valued in many future degrees and careers. The subject has always enjoyed exceptionally strong results and the end of year exhibition is always time for celebration.

TOPICS OF STUDY AT A-LEVEL

The course introduces the processes, skills and concepts used in Textile Design. The emphasis is on the expressive and creative use of materials to create exciting textile based art work. Initially students are taught both traditional and contemporary techniques including silk screen printing, batik, felt making, handdyeing, heat manipulation and other constructed textile methods.

Opportunities Beyond The Classroom

We have regular trips and visits to galleries and exhibitions in the UK and abroad. We have been to Paris and Rome, and more recently visited Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park, as well as galleries in Oxford.

Suggested Entrance Requirement

A minimum of grade 6 at GCSE is desirable, although not essential.

WHAT THIS SUBJECT MIGHT LEAD TO:

Future degree or careers may include Textile Design, Fashion, Interior Design, Print Designer, Set-Production, Textile Technologist, Graphics, Illustration, Photography and Product Design. Recent students have gone on to study at Central St Martin’s and other prestigious institutes. The transferable skills learnt in this subject are valued in many careers.