Sixth Form Course Booklet 2013 - Bromsgrove School

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SIXTH FORM COURSES
IB Diploma subjects and A levels cannot be mixed and matched. One route or the other must be followed. Having
first decided which route to follow, you should then consider the following.
1. Your own interests and enthusiasm - you will have to spend more time on each subject than you did for any
subjects at GCSE.
2. Some subjects are very different at Sixth Form level from what they were like at GCSE level. Normally subjects
are similar no matter whether they are studied within the IB programme or through the A level route (but not
always – English Literature is approached very differently by the two systems).
3. How good you are at the subject.
4. How it fits in with other subjects you are studying. Within the A level route there will, ideally, be some fit
between the subjects being studied. The IB Diploma requires three subjects to be studied at Higher Level and
three at Standard Level, and the breadth of the programme must be maintained.
5. What style of assessment suits you best? IB has some coursework but the majority of assessment comes in
the form of exams at the end of the Upper Sixth. A levels have more regular unit exams, with coursework being
important in some subjects.
6. Many feel that pupils should continue with a broad programme of study for as long as possible. The IB caters
for this naturally. A level pupils can maintain breadth if they wish, but some pupils studying A levels will wish to
play to their strengths.
7. How subjects fit in with your possible career choice or suit university entrance requirements.
It is vital that you research subject choice with care. Subject teachers are always willing to give you more information
about subject content. Attend the Sixth Form Course Information Morning and careers talks, and make full use of our
Careers Department, which is staffed throughout the day. Take information from older pupils with a pinch of salt; there
are always those who will complain that a subject is “hard” (perhaps it is for them, particularly if they made a bad
choice and are not suited to it having not researched it properly).
UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE
We strongly recommend that very detailed advice is taken from the Careers Department on this complex subject.
However, several general points are worth stressing.
1. For some university degrees it is not necessary to have studied the subject previously. These subjects include
Economics, Politics, Business, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Computing, Law and Theatre Studies. In fact
there are times when universities may prefer you to study related subjects to the specific one you intend to
read for your degree. For example, some Computing departments prefer candidates to study Mathematics and
Physics rather than Computing, whilst some Economics and Business courses require Mathematics but not
school level Economics or Business.
2. Some subjects are a particular requirement to study another subject at university. These include Chemistry for
entry to Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Chemical Engineering and many top Biology
courses. It is worth noting that in Medicine, Veterinary Science, and Dentistry, there is now enthusiasm for a
non-science subject in addition to Chemistry and Biology. Mathematics and Physics are essential for most of
the top Engineering courses. Biology is seen as very important for Physiotherapy, some Psychology courses,
Nursing Degrees, and Occupational Therapy.
3. Many of the top Modern Languages courses at University require, or prefer, two languages studied in the Sixth
Form.
This list could be virtually endless. We would therefore again like to stress the need for you to take specialist advice at
this stage of the decision making process.
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