DE LA SALLE COLLEGE SIXTH FORM PROSPECTUS 2019 teaching built on faith conducted by the Brothers of the Christian Schools 2 CONTENTS 5 WELCOME TO DE LA SALLE SIXTH FORM 9 LIFE AT THE COLLEGE 13 PRACTICAL MATTERS 17 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE AT THE COLLEGE 19 APPLICATIONS 2019 20 (a) ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO DE LA SALLE SIXTH FORM 21 (b) SUBJECTS OFFERED AT DE LA SALLE SIXTH FORM 22 (c) SIXTH FORM SUBJECT SCHEMES 25 (d) APPLICATIONS 28 (e) SELECTION FOR ENTRY INTO DE LA SALLE SIXTH FORM 29 (f) ALLOCATION OF POINTS 35 (g) THE AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION SYSTEM 38 (h) MAINTENANCE GRANT 40 (i) DONATIONS 41 (j) CONTRIBUTIONS BY STUDENTS 42 (k) ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION 45 (l) REPEATING FIRST YEAR 46 (m) CHANGE OF SUBJECTS 47 (n) CODE OF CONDUCT 3 4 WELCOME TO DE LA SALLE SIXTH FORM De La Salle Sixth Form is a Celebrations, PSD Sessions, Roman Catholic Sixth Form Counselling, Assemblies as well College committed to the as opportunities for voluntary personal and spiritual growth and philanthropic work. of all its members based on Christian values, academic At De La Salle Sixth Form excellence and high quality students are inspired to pastoral care. The College is achieve academic excellence run by the International De La and personal success and are Salle Order which was founded actively supported to reach in France by St John Baptist De their full academic potential. La Salle in 1684 and which was The Sixth Form is for students subsequently established in who want to do well. It offers Malta in 1903. many opportunities, not only to pass exams and gain important Staff and students seek to qualifications but also to be live out the Gospel message part of an environment in which of faith, hope and love and students can mature and realise we aim to uphold students their career targets. We strive in their faith by providing to provide a stimulating and support, facilities and services safe environment to bring out such as weekly Eucharistic the best in all our students. 5 At De La Salle Sixth Form students are inspired to achieve academic excellence and personal success and are actively supported to reach their full academic potential. We also welcome innovation and are unafraid to tackle the challenges of education in this new century. Ours is indeed an exciting school where every person is valued and provided with the opportunity to excel. 6 HIGH QUALITY TEACHING AND HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS The College has over 30 two years to attend courses academic teaching staff, all overseas financed thanks to a of whom are well-qualified KA1 Erasmus Plus Programme graduates and specialists the Sixth Form was involved in both their own fields of in. These staff members were study and in sixth form work. trained in: the use of ICT Collectively they make a in Education, leadership, highly professional team, how to help students to be committed to helping students leaders and innovators in the realise their full potential and classroom, how to be better achieve their goals. Staff are communicators, the use of friendly and supportive and the flipped classroom, how are interested in students to carry out peer training and as individuals, so that staff- entrepreneurship in education student relationships in the amongst others. College are excellent. We, at De La Salle, believe very much in ongoing staff formation and training. A good number of staff members had the opportunity over the last 7 You will find life in our Sixth It is impossible to follow a Form both enjoyable and sixth form course successfully stimulating. The atmosphere without a considerable is informal – very different amount of private study both from the classroom of earlier in College and at home. You years – and a move away from will be expected to develop the relatively tight structure of habits of personal organisation, SEC/IGCSE Level studies. Our independent study and reading emphasis on self-motivated that will be of value to you learning, individual study, in the future, whether you self-assessment and the progress to higher education or development of skills gives you to employment. The atmosphere new opportunities and helps in College should encourage you you take greater responsibility to realise your full potential. In for your own work. These are all teaching groups the tutor’s all qualities – the life skills – aim is to establish conditions that you will find essential where you feel at ease and for university study and your so benefit fully from a free future career. The Sixth Form exchange of ideas. The more Tutors offer guidance and help you are prepared to involve whenever needed. You, as a yourself in the study of your student, will be encouraged subjects, the more likely you to work diligently, develop are to make good progress. independence, self-confidence Involvement means asking and an awareness of others questions about points that you and in return we expect a have not understood and having high level of responsibility and the confidence to put forward commitment in the Sixth Form your own ideas. Centre, school and community. 8 LIFE AT THE COLLEGE Maintenance of a friendly and whole person and the educational happy atmosphere is valued curriculum at the college includes as important in contributing to not only intellectual and skill students’ success. An important development but very importantly part of being at Sixth Form is, in too, personal, moral and physical fact, meeting new people and development. It is for this reason making new friends. What makes that students are strongly De La Salle so special is its friendly encouraged to participate in the environment where there is a spirit extra-curricular life of the Sixth of social inclusion and where all Form, including sport, community students feel welcome. Therefore, activities, music and social events. whether you join us from De La With such a thriving Sixth Form the Salle Secondary School or from nature and range of opportunities other schools you are likely to are varied and wide ranging. The settle in quickly. school ethos is strong on creativity, encouraging its students to pursue their talents, talents that come School Activities to the front in the school’s soirée called ‘Lasallian Nights’ and in the At De La Salle Sixth Form the annual World Night, a celebration of meaning of the word ‘education’ world culture through dance, drama is not merely the transmission of and cuisine. facts. De La Salle educates the 9 New ideas are always welcome. The old motto ‘Work, Rest and Play’ is alive and well at our sixth form and the wide range of student-centred initiatives have a great part to play in this. 10 Extra-curricular encouraged by the school. In fact, many of our students seize the Activities opportunity to travel abroad where they certainly widen their horizons We believe that the individual and develop stronger friendships in needs to be an active agent, a the process. Places visited in recent critical thinker. It is for this reason years include London, The Lake that students are encouraged to District, The Alps, Strasbourg, Paris sample new skills and develop and Frankfurt. The school is also existing ones beyond the classroom actively involved in Erasmus Plus by participating in Science Forum projects. and Mini-European Assembly for example and even in JAYE. All this helps produce sensible, Student responsible, caring, thinking, mature Participation young people with the personal skills needed to work effectively The school council, elected by in a team. By encouraging the school body, contributes participation in such events, greatly to providing the warm and students are helped to develop the supportive community found at attitudes and skills for enterprise, the college. It makes an important personal success, lifelong learning contribution to College life and and employability. provides students with a number of lively and interesting opportunities, Students taught to look at the as well as offering the chance for world only from the perspective of students to take on posts of real their own culture, without having responsibility. New ideas are always been exposed to other cultures, are welcome. The old motto ‘Work, very likely to reject or misinterpret Rest and Play’ is alive and well at all that cannot resemble the our sixth form and the wide range narrow categories of their own of student-centred initiatives has a way of perceiving the world. This great part to play in this. is why trips abroad are greatly 11 12 PRACTICAL MATTERS Timetable Discipline The College timetabled day is The College recognises the from 8.00 until 14.25. There adult or near-adult status are two 1-hour lessons from of its students and their 8 till 10, a 20-minute break need to advance towards from 10 till 10.20, followed by full independence. Emphasis three 40-minute lessons till is therefore placed on self- 12.20. There is a lunch break discipline. Students are from 12.20 till 13.05 and two expected to have a mature 40-minute lessons till 14.25. attitude to their chosen courses, Some students (depending to co-operate with their tutors on subjects chosen) will have and to observe the College some free periods during the requirements of attendance week and they are encouraged and punctuality. On accepting to make good use of their to attend our Sixth Form all time. Weekly mass followed by students sign the code of assembly is compulsory for all conduct which consists of the students. PE and PAL (Personal basic requirements expected Awareness Lessons) are an of all students, in order for integral part of our curriculum.