CoombeDeanSchool
Sixth Form
Student’s A-Z guide
2011- 2012
We know that starting in the Sixth Form marks a big transition in students’ lives and whether you are new to the school, or have progressed through the LowerSchool, the systems and processes of the Sixth Form can sometimes seem bewildering.
The aim of this guide is to give you key information to support your time in Sixth Form and to help you make the transition from School Pupil to Sixth Form student.
Just like elsewhere in the School, we have high standards and expectations of our students. We hope that the time you spend in Sixth Form will be happy and successful and that you are able to move onwards from your post 16 studies into the world of work, Further or Higher Education.
We have presented this guide as an A-Z in the hope that you can use it to refer to. It is important that you familiarise yourselves with the information in this booklet, with particular regard to attendance and punctuality and changes to courses.
We have a very successful Sixth Form and we feel that Coombe Dean is an excellent place for students to complete their Sixth Form studies. We follow a philosophy of ‘High expectations twinned with strong support’ and truly believe that committed students achieve the greatest success.
We look forward to helping you achieve your potential during your time in the Sixth Form.
Kind regards,
Stuart Koehler-Lewis
Head of Sixth Form
Sixth Form Leadership Team
Mr S Koehler-Lewis - Head of Sixth Form
Mrs N Harvey - Deputy Head of Sixth Form
Mrs V Twine – Senior Personal Tutor
Mrs L Taylor – Senior Personal Tutor
Mrs A Long – Post 16 Administrator
Mrs A Fisher – TVC Tutor
Mr P Hughes – TVC Tutor
Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and Drugs are not permitted on the school site. Any student found in possession of or under the influence of these items will be dealt with severely and the matter may be passed to the police.
Attendance
Attendance is a hugely important part of ensuring success. We expect 100% attendance but will take action where attendance falls below 95%.
If you are absent please telephone into the School to provide a reason. If you know in advance that you are going to be absent, you should inform your tutor or Mrs Long of this reason. Emergency Doctor visits, orthodontist appointments, hospital appointments, funerals etc are acceptable reasons for planned absence. Driving Tests, and routine dental and Dr’s appointments are not as you should plan these around your studies.
The pace of Sixth Form lessons moves much faster than at any point before and missing any time off school will undoubtedly have an impact. When you return from absence, it is important that you provide a note to explain this absence. If there are several absences, if Sixth Form staff notice a trend, or if a student’s attendance falls below 90%, we are likely to contact home to discuss the situation and look at what plans may need to be put in place. We will do all we can to support any student who is absent from school due to ongoing illness, but missing even a couple of lessons creates challenges and should be avoided as far as possible, so try to get into school if you can. Attendance data is based on attendance in lessons and to your timetabled tutorial period and we use this data when we are asked to provide references.
AS and A2
Many of the Level 3 courses that we offer at Coombe DeanSchool are AS and A2 examinations. Although we do offer other types of course that carry similar weight, most students will find that they are studying for these types of qualification.
An Advanced level GCE (A level) is made up of two parts, the AS and A2. A typical student will study AS levels in Year 12 and A2 levels in Year 13. The AS level is (with the exception of Mathematics, Sciences and Applied subjects) made up of two units and the A2 level has two further units. The combination of all four leads to the overall A level qualification. Most subjects are progressive and it is either essential or advisable to study the AS units first and then the A2 ones. All AS levels are graded A-E. Many students find that they do not perform as well in their AS examinations as they did in their GCSE examinations. Grades D and E at Advanced level are still seen as respectable pass grades, although we would hope that many of our students are aiming above this grade. A good student might occasionally gain an E or D grade in an AS module and this should not be seen as a huge problem, as with resits and other units students can pull up a few weaker modules and since overall grades are created from the module scores added together so a very strong B grade in one unit plus a high D grade in another unit might actually give a B or C grade overall depending on the weighting of the units. At A2, one lower module can sometimes be compensated by the others. At A2 level and therefore at A level overall, the grading ranges from A* to E. In order to gain and A*, students need to gain an A grade overall and 90% in the A2 modules. The table below exemplifies this:
Progression to A2 level. As these qualifications are cumulative, a student cannot continue onto an A2 course when they have not passed the AS level except in exceptional circumstances as agreed by the Subject Leader and the Head of Sixth Form. Students can improve on their AS units through resits, but if overall they have not secured a pass they will not be able to move onto the next stage of the course. Remember, you cannot carry a subject onto Year 13 with an overall U grade.
Book Returns
During the course of study, you may be issued with school resources including books or other equipment. Some subjects charge a refundable deposit. At the end of thecourse you will be asked to return your books and resources to the departments that issued them.
Bursary and other financial support 2012-2013
There is an application form for students in Years 12- 13 that are either entitled to financial support or are in need of financial support (see categories 1-3 below) and assistance is based on referral from the student’s personal tutor in order to overcome barriers to progress and outcomes.
We are committed to supporting students is a targeted way, using financial support provision to directly impact upon education, attendance, progress and aspirations.
Bursary - Eligibility
There are 3 categories for eligibility.
Category 1: Currently in care (as defined by Social Services), Leaving or recently left care, in receipt of income support or a disabled learner in receipt of both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.
Category 2: Claiming Free School Meals
Category 3: Neither category 1 nor 2 are applicable, but hardship is a barrier to academic success and aspirations. If funding remains, students must discuss with their personal tutor in order to be referred to Mr Koehler-Lewis for further support if available.
For students
Bursary - Transport
Students that live outside PL9 (walking distance to the school) are offered a subsidy towards their transport which is issued weekly.
From w/c 10th September, this subsidy will mean that students pay £7.50 towards the cost of a £14.00 adult ticket for a First Bus Pass.
Bursary - Education
A variety of categories mean that students can apply upon referral from their personal tutors for support with elements of their education.
- Educational Books (i.e revision materials)
- Educational Enrichment (trips relating to the subjects they are learning or to chosen future careers).
- Equipment in support of their studies
- Transport where the First bus ticket is not a suitable subsidy
Bursary - Hardship
Students can apply for support if they find themselves in hardship, as above, referrals are made from the personal tutor.
Bus passes
We support students that have a financial commitment to be able to attend their lessons in the Sixth Form. Some of this support comes from Bursary funding, the replacement for EMA. These passes, provided for students that live in Plymouth outside PL9 can be purchased on a Monday before 11am and can then be collected after processing after 1:20pm.
Car and motorbike Parking
There is limited parking on site for student’s cars or motorbikes. Students should take into consideration their impact on the local community and ensure that if you do drive to school, park and drive considerately and safely in the areas around school. We would always encourage students to walk, cycle or take public transportation to school wherever possible. Cars and motorcycles must be registered with the 6th Form office so that we can monitor movement on the school site.
Cashing in
AS and A2 are separate qualifications and in order to receive a certificate a grade must be ‘cashed in’. AS and A2 grades must be cashed in where any modules or parts of the qualification have been completed or attempted by a student.
Changing subject choices
When a student is offered a place for Sixth Form, the place is offered on the basis of the courses they have applied for. Some students find that in the time between opting for their subject choices and the start of the courses they have changed their mind about what they would like to study. If there is space on their preferred course and if they meet the entrance requirements for the course, it is often possible to change courses, although you would need to complete a change of course form to do so, this involves gaining the signature of the subject teacher, the tutor and the Head or Deputy Head of Sixth Form. Once term has commenced, the teaching of AS courses gets into swing very quickly. Some students decide at this point that they would like to change courses. If this happens to you, you would need to speak to your tutor, and the subject teacher of both courses. If there is space, again it may be possible to accommodate changes on the basis that you make up the work already missed. This would need to be done within the first three weeks and with the consent of Mrs Harvey or Mr Koehler-Lewis. Beyond this three week window it is not advisable to change courses due to the work already completed, but if there are issues these should be brought to the attention of the Sixth Form team and the subject teacher.
Community Service
All students are encouraged to contribute to the wider community during their time in the Sixth Form. This might take the form of helping a LowerSchool tutor group, acting as a mentor for a GCSE student, or volunteering in the local community. All students will be benefit from being able to provide evidence of their Community Service when applying for a job or for Further or Higher education.
Consortium Schools
Coombe Dean works in a consortium with two other local schools (Hele’s and RidgewaySchool) in Year 12 and 13, and with Plymstock school in Year 13. The consortium exists to try to offer the maximum coverage of curriculum to students which is otherwise not possible in individual schools. The Heads of Sixth Form from each of these schools meet termly to discuss provision and the progress of students. Equally, students and their parents receive a termly report from the consortium school detailing the progress being made. Transport is provided between all three schools in the form of a minibus which runs before and after the school day as well as during break time and lunch time.
Coursework
Some, but not all of the courses that we offer require students to complete coursework. There are different requirements for different subjects and it is important that you know the deadlines, and subject specific requirements for the courses you study. There are some general rules though that must be applied- all coursework should be completed by the deadline. There is a discipline document in place that details what happens where students miss deadlines as this hinders our ability as teachers to monitor progress and attainment.
Discipline
We expect students in the Sixth Form to behave like young adults. This involves all aspects of their life in and around school and is required as Sixth Formers are role models to younger students in the school.
Driving Lessons
Whilst we recognise that many students are keen to learn to drive and that many driving instructors are keen to take lessons during the day, students should not be taking driving lessons during school hours. This includes taking lessons during those times when they do not normally have lessons or during break or lunch. Being a successful Sixth Form student takes time and students should focus on what is really important in these years. Under no circumstances should you book or accept a date for a Driving Test during school hours. This is not an acceptable reason for absence and any such absences will be unauthorised.
Dental/ Doctors Appointments
Whilst we recognise that it can be difficult to arrange appointments around school times and that you may have to wait longer for an appointment, we would ask that routine appointments be made for outside school hours. Any absence from a lesson will have an impact and unnecessary absences should be avoided at all costs.
Dress Code
Students are expected to dress appropriately for school. Whilst we do not have a uniform, clothing should be free from inappropriate words and images and the length of skirts and shorts should reach at least knee length throughout the year.
Dropping subjects
The vast majority of Sixth Form students are accepted into the Sixth Form on the basis of studying three or four optional subjects in Year 12. The national expectation is that all students take three or four AS levels (although we do have some students who follow a modified curriculum). There are two main reasons for this, firstly this is the benchmark set nationally. You will be compared when you leave us with other students with similar qualifications. Many universities are now putting into their entrance requirements that they require 3.5 A levels, this means three full A2 levels, plus an additional AS. The second reason why students are expected to follow three or four AS levels is to increase your chances of progressing on to A2 (Year 13). If a student is only studying three subjects and narrowly misses one of them and gets a U, they will not be able to continue onto Year 13. However, if they have four AS levels, the likelihood of passing three increases. Every year we have students who do better in some subjects than they expected and worse in ones that they thought would be successful. The only reason we would advocate a student dropping down below three AS levels is if they are in serious danger of failing all three. Simply finding one subject difficult, or wanting to concentrate on two are not a good reasons.
Eating in school
Sixth Form students are permitted to eat in the Common Room (while this remains in use this year) or in the Main School Dining Hall. Food purchased in the Dining Hall should be eaten there and not carried around the school. There is a tuck shop available in the Sixth Form Common Room where food and drinks can be purchased at designated times. If you choose to go off the school site to purchase food from the local Supermarket or Fast Food restaurants please ensure that you behave appropriately in the local area and that fast food is not brought back on site.
EMA
Some students may qualify for the Educational Maintenance Allowance. Mrs Long runs this system and queries should be addressed to her. Appeals against non payment can be made to Mrs Harvey in accordance with the processes described in the EMA Appeals Procedure.
Employment
Although many students feel that Sixth Form is an ideal time to get a part-time job, Sixth Form study is demanding in many respects and students might struggle to maintain their focus. As you are hopefully aware, we recommend that students spend 20-25 hours per week on their school studies outsideof school (in addition to their classroom contact with a teacher) and if students choose to work as well, this can have an impact on their well being overall. If a student does choose to gain employment, we recommend that this amount to no more than 12 hours per week and that this not be continued during examination periods. Students must not work hours during the school day, even if they are scheduled not to have lessons. Research has shown the negative impact that part-time work has on achievement at A level and we would urge you to think carefully about employment.
Enrichment
Students are encouraged to pursue interests within the school and in their free time as this makes students much more attractive to employers and universities/colleges. Students will be told of opportunities through tutorials and in other ways. Where students feel there is a need for a particular enrichment activity, this should be discussed with their tutor.