In the Next Few Months, Year 12 Students Will Be Making Very Important Decisions. One Of

June 2015

Dear Parents,

In the next few months, Year 12 students will be making very important decisions. One of these is their choice of subjects for Year 13. This decision will most often be based on AS exam results. This is why on their return from the exam period on 16thJune we expect all A Level students to continue with the subjects they have taken throughout the year. This includes lessons for subjects that they may not currently intend to continue to A2 Level.

It is important to realise that if the students do not cover the A2 work in Term 6 they will be unable to take up any subject again in September that they have dropped. We have unfortunately had experience of students wishing to change their mind about the subjects they want to take at A2 following the AS results, but being unable to do so because they had chosen not to study them in Term 6. To prevent such a situation we therefore strongly advise that students keep all their options open at this stage.There may occasionally be particular cases where a student has good reason not to continue with a subject. In such circumstances we would ask the student to discuss this with their Head of Year.

Most students who have studied four AS subjects choose to continue with only three at A2 level. Please note that all students must study at least three subjects to remain at Didcot Sixth Form College and must have achieved at least an E at AS in each of these subjects. We do appreciate that there may be a need for some students to discuss an alternative provision for Year 13, such as continuing with two A2 Level subjects and taking up an additional AS. The choice of AS will depend on whether an AS Level class, already allocated with Year 12 students for September 2015, has ‘space’ for an additional student as well as the GCSE entry criteria being met.

Before agreeing to a request not to attend a subject’s lessons in Term 6, we ask for confirmation from parents. If you wish to support your son’s or daughter’s decision to drop a subject before the end of Year 12 please sign and return the slip below to their Head of Year.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Willett Mr Marston

Head of Sixth FormHead of Sixth Form

Didcot Girls’ SchoolSt. Birinus School

Please return slip to the Head of Year at your base school: Mr Crisp at SBS and Mr Rose at DGS.
Name of student…………………………………………………………………….. Tutor group…………
I support the decision of the student named above to cease attending A2 lessons in…...…………….…… (subject).
I understand that this will mean that they will not be able to continue the subject to A2 later in the year.
Signed (parent/guardian)………………………………………………….…… Date………………….