Birkenhead School Sixth Form

Welcome to Sixth Form

Independence to Inspire

Welcome to Sixth Form

Welcome to the Sixth Form, where we continue to develop the pursuit of academic excellence and intellectual curiosity fostered throughout the school.

We are immensely proud of our examination results at A Level and, alongside outstanding teaching, the wealth of opportunities afforded to our students. Indeed, being a member of the Sixth Form here is about so much more than academic success, and we offer a vast range of co curricular activities designed to encourage creativity, self discipline and leadership.

We aim to teach our Sixth Formers to be independent thinkers and to develop a life long love of learning. In order to maintain as broad an educational experience as possible, students typically study four subjects in their Lower Sixth year, some choosing to reduce that number to three in the Upper Sixth. Lessons are taught by specialists with a passion for their subject and, in order to provide a highly personal level of tuition, the size of teaching groups is kept deliberately small, ensuring that all our students receive the bespoke guidance and support they need.

Whether their interests lie in the Arts and Humanities, the Sciences, or both, superb facilities and excellent resources allow students to excel in their chosen field. In addition, they enjoy their own impressive and modern Sixth Form Centre, boasting dedicated study rooms and computer suite, as well as its own snack bar.

At Birkenhead School, we pride ourselves on our strong sense of community, and that so many students continue to maintain links with us after leaving, is a testament to the idea of family to which we are so committed. We believe that, when they leave us, Birkonians are confident, independent and resourceful individuals, fully prepared for university and the world of work.

I hope that this booklet gives you a greater understanding on what is on offer in the Sixth Form, but please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss your or your son or daughter’s transition in greater detail.

L Smeaton

Head of Sixth Form

Ms

The Curriculum Offering

In the Sixth Form, students choose from a range of A Levels to tailor a study programme that will support their future career. Our A Level programme offers breadth and includes subjects that are favoured by Russell Group universities and Oxbridge.

In Lower Sixth, students choose to study four subjects at A Level. As they progress into Upper Sixth, students can choose to continue with four A Levels or focus on three.

A Level Subject Choices

Students can choose from the following A Level courses:

Biology

Business Studies

Classical Civilisation

Design & Technology (Product Design)

Design Technology (Electronics)

English Literature

Geography

Mathematics

Extended Project Qualification

Mathematics (Further)

History

ICT

Latin

Music

Physical Education

Physics

Psychology

Religious Studies

Spanish

In Lower Sixth, students can opt to study for an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) during the Beyond the Curriculum programme.

The EPQ offers students the opportunity to embark on a largely self directed and self motivated project and is equivalent to 0.5 A Levels. The qualification allows students to develop independent learning skills that support students as they make the move to university and employment.

As part of the qualification, students choose a topic or research question that they wish to research in great depth. Each project is unique to each student and allows students to demonstrate learning beyond the A Level curriculum and stand out from others when applying for university.

Birkenhead Futures

Birkenhead Futures is an exciting programme designed to prepare students for Higher Education and the world of work. Whilst some Sixth Formers will have a very clear idea of their chosen career path, we do not expect that this will not be the case for all, and the aim of Birkenhead Futures is to support every student, as they prepare to pursue their own personal goals and fulfil their ambitions.

During their Lower Sixth year, students will participate in a range of engaging and interactive workshops and seminars. In June, they will attend a Futures Conference, in which they will be given further insight into the range of apprenticeships available to them, invaluable advice on how to write an effective personal statement and time to start completing their UCAS applications.

A dedicated Internship and Apprenticeship Adviser will raise awareness of internships and apprenticeships and how they support effective routes into high profile national and international graduate schemes. In addition, our two Future Skills Advisers will provide students with opportunities to develop their wider reading and research skills, as well as support with interview practice and tailored preparation for the various tests required for certain courses. The Head of Futures will oversee the programme.

From September, a core Futures course is aimed specifically at developing interview, presentation, research and critical thinking skills. We also have a Futures room within the Sixth Form Centre, which provides a base for the team, a place where students can receive one to one advice, and where they are able to practise the various university aptitudes tests they may be required to take, in one of two testing booths. By providing our students with the very best and bespoke preparation, we are ensuring that our students stand out in the highly competitive world beyond Birkenhead School.

Birkenhead Futures Team

Head of Sixth Form: Louise Smeaton

Ms Smeaton is responsible for managing the Futures Programme. She has significant experience in all matters relating to University Admissions and is well placed to answer any questions, although members of the Futures Team are the first point of contact.

Head of Futures: Carol Keegan

As our Head of Futures, Ms Keegan has a Level 6 qualification in Careers Advice and Guidance, enabling her to offer impartial, quality and up to date careers advice. She has a vast number of links with outside agencies and employers at both local and national level, providing opportunities for our students to gain insight and experience into a range of different career paths. Ms Keegan facilitates networking and mentoring opportunities both for current and former students and is also responsible for organising our biennial industry specific Careers Conferences.

Birkenhead Futures

UCAS Co ordinator: Mike Turner

Mr Turner is responsible for overseeing the UCAS application process, guiding and supporting students to ensure they make informed choices. Although the emphasis is on applying to university, Mr Turner will also work closely with students to consider whether a university place is the most appropriate, or whether an application for a job, degree apprenticeship or other training at the age of 18 would be worth investigating.

Internship and Apprenticeship Adviser: Lisa Fountain

Possessing a wealth of experience, Mrs Fountain’s role is designed to raise awareness of internships and apprenticeships and how they support effective routes into high profile national and international graduate schemes. Mrs Fountain will provide guidance and support to students considering, and subsequently applying for, internships and apprenticeships.

Futures Skills Adviser: Vikki Vicars

Drawing on a huge amount of experience in preparing students for the most competitive university courses, Mrs Vicars will offer invaluable advice in terms of interview preparation, developing critical thinking and research skills, as well as writing an effective personal statement. In addition, Mrs Vicars will be preparing students for the various aptitude tests certain courses and institutions require.

Futures Skills Adviser: Kate Eassie

As an experienced Mathematician, Mrs Eassie supports those students wishing to apply for competitive courses requiring a mathematical or scientific component. In addition, Mrs Eassie will support and guide students through the international application process.

Careers Adviser: Elizabeth Reeve

Mrs Reeve holds a Level 4 Careers Advice and Guidance qualification and provides continuity between careers advice throughout Seniors and the University/Apprenticeship application process. She will provide ongoing careers advice to students as they progress through the Futures Programme.

Career Conferences

Birkenhead School offers a series of specialised conferences, aimed at inspiring students through the guidance of members of our community.

We have been able to call on our network of professional contacts via Old Birkonians, parents and friends of the School, to enable us to host successful events which, thus far, have included conferences focused on:

Healthcare

Engineering, Design & Technology

Media and Arts

Finance & Law

Apprenticeships

The events have given students a forum at which they can engage with professionals, ask questions about the workplace, and be encouraged to discover new careers and higher education pathways.

Preparation for the future

We hold a number of events for our Lower Sixth students, all of which are designed to support them as they prepare to submit their higher education, apprenticeship or work applications.

Interviews

During the Lower Sixth, all students will be interviewed individually by a member of the Futures team, who will advise each student according to their aspirations and applications. In addition, students can benefit from the School’s extensive list of external contacts in every field, on whom the School can draw for interview practice. This gives students a unique opportunity to put into practice and hone those skills developed in the Futures Programme in as realistic a context as possible.

Building a Profile

As part of the Lower Sixth Induction Programme, a member of the Futures team runs an interactive session which encourages students to consider their academic and co curricular profile. This helps to identify those areas requiring development, and gives invaluable advice on how to produce an effective Personal Statement.

Preparation for the future

Choosing the Right Route

From the beginning of Lower Sixth, all our students are introduced to a range of information sources allowing them to explore university options, apprenticeships and the world of work. We have invested in the Unifrog platform, which provides tools to make the process easier to navigate. Students are able to find courses and opportunities which match their interests and expected examination performance before shortlisting courses with a range of entry requirements, including challenging and safe options. We enable students to look at the different types of university, or apprenticeship provider, their locations, the make up of the student body and the methods of teaching and assessment in order to make informed choices.

Advanced Tutorial Groups

Individual specialist preparation support is also available to all students, regardless of their chosen route of study and Advanced Tutorial Groups help students prepare for the most competitive university courses at the UK's top tier of universities.

The groups meet weekly and students are encouraged to lead discussions on a range of current and thought provoking topics. There are three separate groups, one for those applying to medical courses including veterinary medicine and dentistry; one for those applying to study other courses at top tier universities including Oxbridge and one for prospective Engineers. Sessions cover the intricacies of the application process, preparation for admissions tests and interviews, and making effective use of open days.

Those whose courses will contain a heavy mathematical component are given extra support to prepare them for interviews, assessments, and STEP examinations where required.

Individual specialist preparation support is also available to all students, regardless of their chosen route of study.

Tailored Pathways

Oxbridge Pathway

Heads of Department identify those students in their subject who demonstrate ‘Oxbridge potential’ and the Head of Year 11, Head of Sixth Form and UCAS Co ordinator are informed.

When students have made their provisional A Level option choices in Lent Term, the relevant Heads of Department issue reading lists to the relevant students, and a member of staff is appointed to act as an Oxbridge mentor. Potential students of subjects that are not offered within the School, for example law or engineering, are assigned to an appropriate specialist colleague by the Head of Sixth Form and UCAS Co ordinator.

Those not initially identified may be added to the programme on discussion with their teachers and Head of Sixth Form.

The mentor and student agree a regular schedule to meet and discuss their wider reading, set goals and suggest investigations or projects as appropriate to the subject and the student's interests. These meetings should continue for the rest of Year 11 and Lower Sixth, as long as the student is planning to apply to Oxford or Cambridge or similar high tariff university courses.

This is in addition to the Advanced Tutorial Groups which start mid way through the Lower Sixth, continuing until Christmas of the Upper Sixth.

In Lower Sixth, students will have the opportunity to attend the Oxford and Cambridge Open Days in June/ July, arranged by the UCAS Co ordinator. Practice interviews and mock entrance exams take place in September to November of Upper Sixth.

Medical Pathway

As a School, we are fortunate enough to have a number of medical professionals among our students' parents who have been willing to give their time to support our aspiring medics, vets and dentists.

Over recent years we have expanded our provision considerably to include input from these professionals in areas such as medical ethics, hot topics in the NHS, communication skills and role playing scenarios. This is in addition to lunchtime sessions provided by the Head of Biology and subscription to a UCAT (the most common of the medical admissions tests) practice website for the months leading up to their assessment. Those taking the BMAT admissions test receive support in critical thinking skills for the essay component of that exam.

Each autumn, we run a mock Multiple Mini Interview rotation for medical applicants, simulating the setting in which many universities assess their medical and dentistry applicants in a normal year. Those students applying to universities with a more traditional interview are also given interview practice in this format. The students find the feedback, often from professionals who have interviewed candidates for medical schools in the past, invaluable in helping them prepare for this challenging career path.

Nicholls Lecture Series

The Nicholls Lecture Series provides Sixth Form students with thought provoking lectures on a broad range of topics to introduce them to ideas, interests and experiences beyond the academic curriculum.

The Lecture Series has been in place for several decades and take place each Friday. Popular topics have included: Politics, Law, Religions of the World, Banking & Finance, Medicine, Community and Environmental Issues. Selected students are invited to attend the Headmaster’s lunch with the key speaker and Headmaster each week.

Past speakers have included:

Lord Storey, member of the House of Lords

The Right Honourable, Frank Field, Member of Parliament

The Archbishop of York

Cliff Baty, Chief Financial Officer of Manchester United

Bernie Broad, former UK Captain for the Invictus Games

Nikki Henderson, Skipper of the Clipper Round the World Race

Leadership & Mentoring

We believe it is essential for all students to develop their leadership skills, to be better prepared for their working lives and to possess the resolve, commitment and resilience that sets apart a good leader from a great one.

Motivation is a key factor in leadership and we believe that all students should be encouraged to develop their passions, skills and talents in all areas, so that they can go on to inspire others.

In order to do this, we encourage our students to take on roles in a number of different areas that not only promote leadership qualities but also their confidence, ability and knowledge.

As part of our commitment to personal development, in the Sixth Form we provide students with unique opportunities through which to extend and enrich their experience.

The Peer Mentor Scheme brings together students in Year 7 and the Lower Sixth. For our Overdale students, it provides an important source of support from someone a few steps ahead in their own school career, whilst our Sixth Formers benefit from the opportunity to work closely with younger members of the School community, developing useful and transferable skills.

Each year, departments are supported by two or three Academic Mentors who will take responsibility for a number of areas within the department. These include running drop in clinics at lunch time to support younger children in both Prep and Seniors, as well as organising subject displays and leading various clubs. The scheme allows our Sixth Form students to reflect on their own knowledge and understanding in a chosen subject area, and consider how best to adapt that knowledge to the needs of younger children.

Beyond the Curriculum

We are committed to personal development at the School and, in the Sixth Form, students are afforded a variety of unique opportunities through which to extend, enrich, and enjoy activities outside the confines of their academic subjects. Our Beyond the Curriculum programme, therefore, forms an important part of the Sixth Form timetable during Michaelmas and Lent terms. Designed to encourage both the development of new skills and interests, it offers students a vast range of courses which will enhance their leadership skills, as well as their personal horizons. In so doing, we believe we are preparing our students fully for the highly competitive world that

As part of our Futures programme, Beyond the Curriculum also includes core courses in interview, presentation and research skills, as well as in critical thinking during the Michaelmas and Lent terms.

Beyond Birkenhead

The ‘Beyond Birkenhead’ programme in the Sixth Form is tailored to equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand and manage difficult situations. Students learn how to recognise and manage risk, make safer choices and recognise when pressure from others may threaten their personal safety and wellbeing. They can also learn effective ways of resisting pressure and where to seek help. Topics covered through the Sixth Form programme

Co-Curricular - Music

Music continues to play an important role in life in the Sixth Form, with many students taking leadership roles within the various choirs, bands, orchestras and other ensembles, to inspire and enthuse younger musicians.

Below is a selection of the opportunities that Sixth Form students have to perform during the year: 

Chapel Choir weekly Evensong services in the School Chapel  Seniors Choir the Choir performs at the School Christmas and Summer Concerts and is invited to perform at events in the community. 

Concerts are held during the year and include the annual Summer and Christmas concerts and the Festival of Music events  House Music an annual House Music competition that takes place in the Lent Term each year.

Co-Curricular - Sport

Sports play an important role within the Sixth Form, with students representing the School in weekly fixtures and competitions.

Students take part in Sports on a Wednesday afternoon as well as having the opportunity to participate and take on leadership roles in a wide range of co curricular sports and activities.

In the Sixth Form, rugby, hockey and cricket are the major sports for boys and netball, lacrosse and hockey for girls.

A full range of inter school fixtures are played in these sports both during the week and on Saturdays.

There are a variety of options available on a Wednesday afternoon for those not selected for School teams including badminton, climbing, football, rounders, yoga and weight training.

The annual Sports Tour gives an opportunity for students to take part in competitive fixtures internationally. Recent destinations have included: Canada, South Africa and Barbados.

Co-Curricular - Drama

Sixth Form students have the opportunity to take part in drama productions during the year from leading roles to assisting behind the scenes.

From taking on lead roles on the stage in productions to assisting with lighting and sound, or being a member of the backstage crew there is a role for everyone who wants to get involved in Drama at the School.

Students in the Sixth Form increasingly take on lead roles within the School productions and lead, write, direct

Birkenhead School, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, Wirral, CH43 2JD Tel: 0151 652 4014 Email: seniorsadmissions@birkenheadschool.co.uk

www.birkenheadschool.co.uk