South Hunsley Sixth Form College
Newsletter
What to do after your Year 11 Progression Interview
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niversity may seem like a long way off but you need to start planning in Year 11. The university courses you will be able to access will be determined by the courses you opt to study at AS and A2 level. To help make the right choices, Year 11 students have a Post 16 progression interview with a member of the Senior Leadership Team who advise on the suitability of programmes of study and appropriate courses. South Hunsley Sixth Form College has a reputation for excellence and our South Hunsley Exam News is testament to our strong track record for delivering the highest academic achievement. We dedicate time to making sure not only do you select the right courses for your abilities but that they will complement your chosen career path. Your Year 11 Progression Interview is a chance to talk through your ambitions with a professional who can give you advice and guidance to make sure you set off on the right path. It may also prompt to you to have further discussions with your subject teachers about course choices. We make sure you have a range of courses to choose from and, in total, we offer 40 level 3 courses, of which over 30 are A Level courses. For our most able students, we will also recommend you join the programme we run to help you gain entry to the high tariff universities, this will make sure you have every opportunity to access the most prestigious and competitive courses and universities in the country.
Inside: High Tariff University Entry Programme Our dedicated support programme for the very brightest students South Hunsley Sixth Form College students top the Department for Education’s performance tables South Hunsley students achieve a higher point score per exam entry than any other local state funded colleges
An Academy of Excellence
High Tariff University F
or our very brightest students who aspire to study at Oxford or Cambridge or wish to progress to a Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science course, we offer a dedicated programme of support. These courses set an early application deadline in the October of Year 13 and our high tariff university entry programme starts in the Spring of Year 12 to give you plenty of time to fully prepare your application. This programme is also available to support those students who aim to study at any of the top universities in the country.
We have a close working relationship with Hull York Medical School (HYMS) to support our aspiring Medics’ university applications. This means that our students can access taster sessions to develop practical skills and visit HYMS to meet healthcare professionals and current medical students. We currently have former South Hunsley sixth form students in every phase of the HYMS MB BS course and they are always willing to come into college to speak with current applicants and offer advice and support.
We have a dedicated member of staff who facilitates this programme and will work with you to make sure you get the support you need to complete your application and prepare for interview. It isn’t unusual for these universities to also ask you to sit a test or submit a written piece of work and our facilitator will also be available to help you with this.
In addition, being the largest sixth form school provider in the county, we are delighted to have been invited to join the HYMS Making Connections project. This project will help you develop an understanding of NHS careers and give you access to a variety of activities which will support your university application. The project takes place over a five week cycle and includes activities which all relate to a single virtual patient scenario connected to an aspect of the sixth form science curriculum. You will experience: • an introduction to problem-based learning, via a carefully-chosen virtual patient scenario • a visit to the HYMS multi-function laboratory for some related practical work • a visit to a local hospital to see science in the workplace and the range of professionals at work • possibly, a session with an expert patients group
In interview, these universities will expect to see: • A track record of academic excellence • Passion for your chosen subject • The ability to reason, analyse and debate • Evidence of independent learning • Curiosity, commitment and creativity • Resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility and reflection The most prestigious universities and the most competitive courses will expect to see breadth of knowledge and skills and our High Tariff University Entry Programme can support your development alongside your academic learning in the classroom. Of paramount importance is your desire to undertake independent learning in your chosen subject area and you will already have received a letter with a number of suggestions as to how you can enrich your classroom experience. You can find this list in the Sixth Form Induction Area of our VLE.
HYMS also holds an annual Teachers’ Conference to discuss the current themes in applications and interviews to medicine courses. we regularly attend this conference to ensure that we are able to pass on the most up to date knowledge to our students.
Entry Programme
High Tariff University Entry Timeline Year 12
February Students are invited to join High Tariff University Entry Programme based on their academic ability. Mrs Dow, our programme facilitator and Mr Jacobs will identify suitable students based on achievement at GCSE and predicted performance at A Level. Initial meeting with Mrs Dow, programme facilitator, to talk through the expectations of the highest tariff universities and how these differ from other institutions. March – July Mrs Dow will help you identify the most suitable courses and work with you on the first draft of your personal statement. We will also offer advice on additional work and reading to undertake during the Summer term and over the Summer holidays to help support your application and prepare for interview.
June Oxford and Cambridge visits are organised. Medicine students can attend MedSim course in Nottingham.
Year 13
Up to 15 October Mrs Dow will continue to provide support with your personal statement and application. 15 October Application Deadline. October - December Practice interviews will also take place. December / January Interviews take place at Oxford and Cambridge. January – Summer Exams Additional Supported Study Sessions are available.
South Hunsley Sixth Form College students top the Department for Education’s performance tables
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n 2011, students left South Hunsley Sixth Form College with an average point score per exam entry of 222.3, higher than all other state funded school and sixth form colleges in the region. This places us top of the Department for Education’s performance table for high exam achievement in East Riding and Hull.
many of our students to reach their potential and access the most competitive HE courses and high tariff universities.
Paul Jacobs, Head of Sixth Form College, is delighted by this recognition
There are many ways of measuring sixth form performance, but the most significant indication for students is average point score per exam entry. However, you will often see the media and other sixth form providers reporting on average point score per student. This takes into consideration the number of courses studied as well as grades which means the more courses a student takes, the higher the average score. Unfortunately this measure can under value the achievement of our students as we made a conscious decision to introduce sixth form pathways which direct students to focus on a smaller number of A Level courses which are geared to gaining academic / professional university courses.
“The average point score per exam entry indicator represents the intense academic study the students and staff put in to Post 16 education to ensure all students can achieve the highest possible grades. We encourage our students to concentrate their study in the Sixth Form to between 3 and 5 A Levels and it this academic focus which allows so
We had our best ever sixth form results in summer 2011 with 59% of our students achieving A*, A or B grades. The publication of the average point score per exam entry measures reinforces this high achievement and demonstrates that hard work certainly pays off. We are delighted to be able to recognise the efforts of everyone at South Hunsley.”
This figure represents the average A Level grade achieved by students and reflects that on average South Hunsley students leave our sixth form with top grades across their subjects. This puts our students in a strong position when progressing to their chosen university course or securing employment.
Institution Name
Number of Students
South Hunsley Sixth Form College Hull Collegiate Beverley High School Driffield School Beverley Grammar School Cottingham High School Hornsea School Hull College Wilberforce College Longcroft School Hessle High School Woldgate College Wolfreton School Wyke Sixth Form College Goole High School Withernsea School England Average (excluding independent schools)
174 49 72 128 78 101 70 544 481 78 80 102 149 347 33 44
Average Point Score per Entry 222.3 218.7 218.4 215.3 211.6 210.7 209.5 209.1 205.8 198.8 198.3 196.9 196.9 192.6 181.1 160.3 213.1