Sixth Form Curriculum Guide 2018 Admissions THE SIXTH FORM AT BERKHAMSTED Sixth Form can bring some of the happiest days as students benefit from a real sense of purpose in preparing for the next phase of life and an increasing sense of responsibility as they act as role models and take on leadership positions. The main aim of Berkhamsted Sixth is to produce confident, ambitious, well-qualified and happy individuals who have the skills to rise to the challenges of the modern and ever-changing world. As nearly all our students go on to higher education, the Sixth Form has a strong academic focus. A level work is challenging and requires a high level of motivation and responsibility. Self-discipline is crucial, as is a willingness to be fully involved in academic study. Sixth Form students will receive encouragement and support to achieve their potential in their A levels, but they also need to commit themselves to working hard over two years. The Sixth Form also aims to develop other interests and skills - academic, cultural, physical and social. It is a time when the individual can explore ideas and learn to think independently in preparation for university and the professional world. Initiative, creativity and the enhancement of academic and professional skills are encouraged. We hope students will enjoy their time in the Sixth Form and feel able to make contributions to life at the school. Essentially, the Sixth Form provides invaluable preparation for life in the adult world. The strong House system is a key feature of the Sixth Form which helps the students to gain a sense of belonging to a community. The Tutors and Head of House have responsibility for the academic and pastoral progress of each student in their House. This includes guiding them through the process of making a UCAS application. To this end, there are regular one-to-one meetings to set and review targets, to provide support and encouragement and to discuss future plans. Entry Requirements Due to the national changes in GCSEs, the entrance requirements for Berkhamsted Sixth are changing for entry in September 2018. Year 11 students will receive a mixture of numerical and lettered grades. For your understanding and translation of grades from the old to the new system, equivalence has been set as follows: A*=8, A=7, B=6, C=5, D=4, E=3. This system will continue to be used in the transitional years for unreformed qualifications. Using this system, the threshold for general entry to Berkhamsted Sixth in September 2018 will be 45 points based on the student’s best 8 subject scores, with a minimum requirement of a B or Grade 6 in the subjects you wish to study. All students who have taken GCSE/iGCSE will require a minimum of Grade 4 in GCSE Maths for entry to the school and Grade C in English Language for entry to the school in 2018. In addition to the general entrance requirements outlined above, there are specific admission requirements relating to certain courses: An A or Grade 7 in the relevant subject at GCSE/iGCSE is required to study the following subjects at A level: Mathematics, English Literature, History, Modern Languages, Latin, Sciences. Further Mathematics requires an A* or Grade 8/9 at GCSE Economics requires at least an A or Grade 7 in either GCSE English or Mathematics with a minimum of a B or Grade 6 in the other subject. Psychology requires at least an A or Grade 7 in GCSE Biology or an AA in Double Award Science, with an A overall in the Biology modules. A minimum of B or Grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics and English Language are also required. For Physical Education at least a B grade is required in Biology at GCSE (BB in Double Award Science with a minimum of a B grade in the Biology modules). Short Course GCSE qualifications (e.g. Religious Studies) are worth 50% of a full GCSE. For the purposes of Sixth Form entry, they are therefore worth half the number points as a full GCSE course. Where a specific GCSE is not required, results in comparable subjects may be taken into account in assessing a student’s suitability for a particular course. Please also see individual subject pages for specific details. THE SIXTH FORM ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME To ensure a full and broad Sixth Form education, an Enrichment Programme is followed by all students in Years 12 and 13. There are various components to this programme including: House Tutorial Programme A weekly tutorial in House groups enables students to discuss topics related to current affairs and various other issues. Students are encouraged to deliver their own presentations in these sessions. There are also occasional talks given during tutorials related to such topics. The Lecture Programme All members of Year 12 attend a programme of weekly lectures provided by visiting espeakers. These talks aim to broaden the students’ education, develop their critical-thinking skills and empower them to make sensible and healthy choices in life. The programme seeks to encourage all students to develop a better understanding of developments in the world and thus equip them, on leaving school, to be interesting characters because they are interested in world events and have their own views and opinions. The Crawford Society This is a Sixth Form society available to students interested in intellectual discussion and academic debate. Weekly meetings are usually based around an initial talk given by a student on a topic of their choice. Meetings take place over a shared lunch and recent papers have included subjects as diverse as oceanography, the history of surgery, Thatcherite economic policy, internet security and the Wars of the Roses. Extra-Curricular Activities All Sixth Formers have opportunities to involve themselves in the extraordinary range of extra-curricular activities available in the school and often take a leading role in their operation. The School operates approximately 60 clubs and societies, so there really is something for everyone! The many options include: CCF (Army, Navy and Air Force sections are all available), the Young Enterprise Scheme (and Business of the Year competition), the Duke of Edinburgh Award (silver and gold), Musical Choirs and Orchestras, various drama productions (including a bi-annual play at the Edinburgh Fringe), the Sandi School Group (our partner school in South Africa), the Student Consultancy (a management consultancy programme) the Oxfam Group and The Debating Society. It is hoped that all Sixth Formers will take the initiative and make full use of the opportunities on offer and thus broaden their horizons. Sport The Berkhamsted Sports programme is built on the principles of participation, enjoyment and performance and all of our pupils are encouraged to lead an active lifestyle, strive to make improvements and take pride in representing the school. We also like to foster a spirit of competition and enjoy winning, but at the same time realise that it is important to be able to lose graciously. Games afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays are compulsory for all students. In addition to the school’s ‘major’ sports (Rugby/Football/Cricket/ Lacrosse/Netball) there are over 30 games options on offer through the course of the year including those one would expect, as well as others such as yoga, rowing, cycling and dance. Students are also encouraged to get involved in team sports and fixtures are held against other schools in a number of sports and at a number of levels. Underlining its importance in school life, Physical Education is an academic option as well as a co-curricular expectation. Community Service All Year 13 students are expected to commit to some form of community service once a week, be it helping out in a local primary school, working in a charity shop or visiting local hospices/residential homes. Students find this a very rewarding and enjoyable part of their time in the Sixth Form. In 2016-2017, students contributed more than 2,500 hours of service in the local community. We are enormously proud of this aspect of the Sixth Form, not least because of the skills students develop along with a sense of service for life. Furthermore, we believe that helping others enhances the students’ own wellbeing and self-esteem. CAREERS EDUCATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE Whatever their plans, students are offered extensive careers guidance and are encouraged to investigate a wide range of post-school options. The majority of Sixth Form students progress into higher education. However, with the recent growth in highly attractive degree apprenticeships schemes, increasing numbers of students are also giving serious consideration to this option. Art foundation courses are another popular choice for students who have studied A level Art subjects and some students go on to take Gap Years. The careers resource area in the Sixth Form Centre includes a large range of up-to-date leaflets and reference books covering different careers, university applications, apprenticeships, gap years and sponsorship. Current prospectuses for leading universities and colleges, including international universities are also available. Students have access to computers for research and for processing UCAS applications. Many students find it helpful to have individual interviews with the Head of Careers whose full-time role is to advise students and organise careers events. The school hosts one of the largest annual Careers, Higher Education and Gap Year Fairs in the area, where experts from different fields of employment and representatives from many universities visit the school to offer information, expertise and advice. We also host Law and Healthcare Days using specialist external facilitators. During the Sixth Form, our weekly Careers Lunches see visiting speakers from a range of careers (including past students) come into the school to talk about their experiences and entry routes into their professions.