Sixth Form Prospectus 2013 - Pershore High School

STUDYING AT PERSHORE SIXTH FORMFrom the Head of Sixth FormThe most striking aspect of Pershore High School is the friendlyand supportive atmosphere.The staff are extremely dedicatedand put huge amounts of time and energy into their work.TheSixth Form Team is especially vibrant and the well-resourcedSixth Form Centre is the best place to be in the school.The Sixth Form students here have a variety of skills and talentsand co-exist happily in a co-operative community, and thoseentering the Sixth Form from other schools (20% of the currentYear 12) settle in very quickly. They are purposeful in their workand mature in their outlook.During Ofsted’s most recent visit, inspectors were able to seeSixth Form students achieving highly.“The Sixth Form is outstanding. Students makerapid progress in Years 12 and 13 and achieveexceptionally well at AS Level and A2 Level.”(Ofsted 2013)and leading younger students in Vertical Tutoring.“An outstanding feature of the school’s work isthe way in which it promotes the development ofleadership skills amongst students.” (Ofsted 2013)“Students’ personal development and attitudes towork are excellent and their enjoyment, personalambition and determination play a significantpart in their progress.” ( Ofsted 2008)“[the students] make an important contribution tothe school, helping younger pupils and taking activeroles supporting staff during lunchtimes. They areactive in community work…”We offer a wide range of subjects at A Level and aim to beas inclusive as possible. With the help of a dedicated teamof experienced Post-16 teachers, the students makeexcellent progress (Alps Value-Added data often place usin the top 15% of schools nationally).Over the last 5 years we have averagedOver 50% Grades A* - B at A LevelOver 75% Grades A* - C at A LevelOver 90% Pass rate at AS Level.Finally, there is an exciting and comprehensive(“exceptionally wide” Ofsted 2008) enrichmentprogramme that is constantly evolving to respond to theneeds of the students. If you have any questions about theopportunities available to you at Pershore Sixth Form,please contact me on 01386 552471 ext 253 orjh@pershore.worcs.sch.uk.Jason HowellThe Sixth Form CentreThis separate building is for the exclusive use of Sixth Formstudents. Briefly, it comprises a large open-plan CommonRoom with a comfortable seating area, chairs and tables, awell-equipped kitchen and vending machines, a dedicatedICT Suite with 40 new workstations and a large quiet StudyArea.The building also houses the school Library, offeringanother venue for study. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) WiFihas been introduced this year for Sixth Form students,alongside remote access to the school network and software.Sixth Form TeamThis comprises Jason Howell (Head of Sixth Form), ZoeStarkey (Assistant Head of Sixth Form), Jo McKenzie (SixthForm student Support Officer) and Helen Mason(Administrator). There is always someone available to help.Entry RequirementsWe ask that students entering the Sixth Form have a minimumof 6 GCSEs at Grade C or above, including at least one at GradeB. Many subjects have an additional requirement of a GCSE atGrade A, B or C in that, or a closely related, subject. These aredetailed in the subject pages. Different subjects have differentdemands and the Sixth Form team and subject teachers willtake time to discuss the suitability of your individualprogramme of study. For you to succeed it is crucial that yourcourses accurately matche your ability, qualifications andaspirations. We will always consider individual cases and takeinto account particular circumstances.ApplyingExisting Pershore students should complete the Sixth FormChoices Form and external students should complete theSixth Form Application Form. These should be returned(hard copy or electronic) to the Head of Sixth Form byMonday 2nd February 2015.Dress CodeThere is no uniform in the Sixth Form. However, the SixthForm Centre is a place of work and a dress code has beendeveloped to reflect the need for all students to dress tidilyand smartly. All students are required to wear smartbusiness dress. Sixth Form students are senior members ofthe school and must accept the responsibility they carry toset appropriate standards.RegistrationAll students must be in school in time for morningregistration at 8:45 even if they do not have a lesson Period 1.This is an important time for passing on information and formeeting with your personal Tutor.We operate a first daycalling policy for all unexplained absences.There is a facilityfor students in Year 13 to go home to study in the afternoonif their timetable allows; this is by negotiation, depends upona consistently good attitude to learning and is a privilege.Students are permitted to certify their own absence – wherethe student knows of an absence in advance they must seeall relevant teachers to obtain catch-up work prior to thedate of absence. Again this is a privilege.Sixth Form InductionIt is crucial that students entering the Sixth Form make apositive start, adjust to the demands of Post-16 studyquickly and determine the correct combination of subjectsas early as possible.All prospective students (both internal and external) will beinvited to the Sixth Form Induction Days on June 24th and25th 2015, following the conclusion of their GCSE exams.This will involve a series of team building activities to helpthe students bond as a year, and then a taster lesson foreach subject initially chosen. The purpose of the tasterlessons is two-fold; firstly to help the student to find outwhether the subject is the correct choice and secondly toset an independent study task for completion over thesummer holiday.After the Induction Period (first two weeks of Year 12), thereis a review of students’ performance. Students mustperform to a satisfactory standard during the InductionPeriod in order to continue with Year 12.Programmes of StudyAll students take 4 AS Level subjects in Year 12, usuallydropping to 3 at A2 Level in Year 13. If a student drops to 2A2 Levels in Year 13 they must pick up an additional subjectat AS to complete their programme of study. Some studentsfollow a demanding course of 5 subjects at AS and 4 at A2.We make great efforts to ensure that each student iscatered for. During Year 11, we ask all prospective SixthForm students to indicate their preference of subjects. Thisallows us to construct option blocks enabling the greatest1 2number of students to choose their preferred combination.By having this information early, we are able to meet therequirements of most students.Please note: it might not be possible to run some coursesowing to lack of demand or timetabling restrictions.Owing to the importance of GCSE English and Mathematicsfor employment and entry to Higher Education, we provide(compulsory) lessons to enable Sixth Form students toachieve the minimum of a Grade C in each.Linear A LevelsSeptember 2015 sees the start of new Linear A Levelcourses in the following subjects:• Art• Biology• Chemistry• Computing• Economics• English Literature• English Language andLiterature• History• Physics• Photography• PsychologyThe two year A Level course in these subjects will be examinedat the end of the second year. The AS course in each isexamined at the end of the first year and an AS certificate canbe awarded. The marks achieved in the AS exams do notcontribute towards the A Level award.EnrichmentOur Electives programme caters for both Years 12 and 13,offering a very wide choice. Currently this includes:• Extended Project Qualification AS equivalent• Government and Politics AS Level• Critical Thinking AS Level• Science in Society AS Level• General Studies AS and A2 Level• Sports Leadership Award (Level 2)• Modern Foreign Languages Leader Award• Arts Award Gold (Level 3)• Latin (up to GCSE)• Spanish• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)• Engineering Education Scheme• Formula One (F1) Challenge• Drama (Lambda exams)• BEE – Business Enterprise Experience• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold• Recreational Sport• Survival (Culinary Skills)• Community Service• Classroom Support.