sixth form prospectus28b-web

A Levels
The 2015-2016 academic year is
an extraordinary year. Following
government reforms, some A Level
subjects (phase 1) will be taught as
new specifications which are quite
different to the current model.
Students can still study and sit
AS exams at the end of the first
year and receive a free standing
qualification but these results
won’t count towards the final
Phase 1 Subjects
AS exams can be sat but do not
count towards the full A Level
grade
Art
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Psychology
English Language
English Literature
Economics
Business Studies
History
Sociology
Computing
A Level grade. Instead, all exams
for the A level qualification will
be taken at the end of the course,
covering the content from the
whole two years. However some
subjects will remain in the current
set-up for another year and won’t
start this different format until
September 2016.
In September 2015 this will be the
picture:
Subjects for later reform
AS exams count towards the
final A Level grade
Design & Technology
Drama
Food Technology
Textiles
French
German
Spanish
Geography
Maths
Further Maths
Music Technology
PE
Philosophy
Health & Social Care
Government & Politics
Law
ICT
Media Studies
Within this mixed economy, a
change of government in May
2015 could also mean that the
proposed changes are halted
and ultimately reversed. Many
universities are unhappy with the
changes as they are strongly of
the view that for A Level students
AS Levels taken at the end of Year
12 are of significant educational
benefit. They allow students to
assess their academic progress,
review their A Level choices, and
make appropriate higher education
applications with confidence. Over
the years this externally assessed
exam has proved invaluable for all
parties.
At Heart of England School we are
keen to minimise the risk to our
students and we feel that we can’t
afford to opt fully into a system
that hasn’t become clear. Obliging
students who are studying a phase
1 subject to simply sit an exam
at the end of the course could
lead to inequality of experience
and inequality of choice when
compared to non-reformed
subjects.
Consequently the cohort of
students embarking on A Level
study at Heart of England in
September 2015 will all study
for and sit four AS levels in June
2016, regardless of whether they
are studying a reformed or nonreformed
A level.
Where students are studying a
reformed subject the full A level
qualification they take at the end
of Year 13 will cover the content of
the whole two years. The AS grade
they have achieved at the end of
Year 12 won’t ultimately count
towards their grade but it will have
served as an excellent external
benchmark of their progress and
will highlight any areas which need
attention before they sit the full A
level exam.
Students studying unreformed
A Levels will also sit AS Levels but
the points earned from these will
count towards their full A Level
and are, in a sense, ‘banked’.
This decision has not been taken
lightly and we believe that we
have made the right choice for our
students.