Academic provision & the timetable

Lower Sixth

Sixth Formers take four subjects in the Lower Sixth involving eight periods per week per subject. Linguists will have extra conversation classes, and students studying Art, Photography and Design Technology are expected to spend a proportion of their private study time working on their projects in the relevant department area. We believe that starting with four A Levels enables students to maintain breadth and ensure that they make the right choices. The majority of our Sixth Formers elect to drop one of their A Levels during or by the end of their first year, although some students will continue with four subjects throughout.

All Sixth Formers have two periods of enrichment each week, as part of our Diploma Programme, and two periods of Games (on Wednesday afternoons) leaving four private study periods per week for most Sixth Formers to pursue their independent learning. Private study periods enable students to develop sound working habits and learn to manage their time wisely. In the Lower Sixth, private study periods should be spent in the Sixth Form Centre study areas, or (with relevant staff permission) in the departmental study areas or the main library. If we believe a Lower Sixth Former is underachieving then we may place them on supervised private study, which requires them to spend their private study periods under the supervision of a member of staff.

Dropping an A Level subject

Sixth Formers, after consultation with the Head of Sixth Form or Deputy Head of Sixth Form, may select to drop one of their A Level subjects in December or after the February half term, although many continue with the fourth subject until after the end of year exams in June and some continue with four A Level subjects all the way through. The decision to drop from four A Levels to three A Levels is taken on an individual basis and reflects the interests and ambitions of that student. We are unlikely to permit subject drops outside of the prescribed dropping windows during the academic year. Sixth Formers must achieve at least a grade C in their exams at the end of the Lower Sixth to guarantee continuing with the subject into the Upper Sixth. All decisions around A Level subjects are taken with great care and after thoughtful discussions about future pathways.

Where Sixth Formers require extra support for special educational needs, this is provided in school through our Learning Support professionals as well as through our Clinical Psychologist, if required.

Upper Sixth

Most Sixth Formers take three A levels in the Upper Sixth, as this is generally what universities require and it gives the best chance of achieving the highest grades. Most Upper Sixth Formers, therefore, have an extra eight periods per week for independent study. Some do keep all four subjects and do not gain extra free periods.

Upper Sixth Formers are free to use private study periods as they wish, unless they fall behind with work or its quality is poor, in which case they will also be required to register for supervised private study.

Independent learning

Success at A Level and at university involves a capacity for independent learning. We encourage Sixth Formers to enjoy learning for its own sake. We strive to achieve a balance between providing sufficient support to ensure academic success and developing the independence to enable them to be able to succeed in Higher Education and at work. Sixth Formers can organise their progress towards deadlines using the task list on Teams.

Homework

Sixth Form homework is set very differently from GCSE. It can range from a short reading homework as preparation for next lesson, to a week-long essay assignment. In each subject the minimum requirement for work outside the classroom will be approximately three to four hours per week in the Lower Sixth.

Unlike GCSE there is never a case of no work to do! Even taking into account private study periods, Sixth Formers should be averaging around two hours work per night during the week.

In addition to formal homework, they will need to: organise notes or folders

– go over classwork to ensure it is understood

– correct and consolidate both classwork and previous homework – read around the subject. This is especially important for successful application to top universities plan when work will be done in order to meet deadlines

All Sixth Formers will have their own preferences regarding when, where and how they work. However, we advise that you should not be working late into the night and not in the hour before sleeping. Equally, a Sixth Former who claims he or she gets all their work done at school and does not need to work at home is almost always not working hard enough.

The school provides all Sixth Formers with their own iPAD pro, which they should bring to school for use in all lessons and study periods. There is also access to a range of computer facilities in school which are available for use. As most students will hand-write their examination papers, it is expected that you will produce some written homework or class assignments by hand rather than on a device.

Supervised Private Study

In the Lower Sixth, most students will have 4 free periods which they may spend relaxing or studying. If a student requests to drop an A Level subject early in the Lower Sixth, they will likely be given Supervised Private Study periods in place of those lessons. This means they will study in a designated space which is monitored by a teacher.

The Sixth Form Team also run Supervised Private Study sessions after school from 4.00pm – 5.30pm Monday to Thursday each week. These periods are designed to provide a quiet space for students to get on with their studies or homework. Everyone is welcome at these sessions. When there are concerns about an individual’s academic performance, they may be asked to attend these after school sessions on certain days to encourage better work habits.