Raising Aspirations, Learning for Life, Success for All

Melksham Oak Community School

raising aspirations, learning for life, success for all

November 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students

Welcome to the Melksham Oak Sixth Form Guide. This Guide provides you with information about the courses available and the support students will get in the next stage of their education at Melksham Oak Community School.

We are delighted to welcome all students to our Sixth Form and we offer a range of courses to meet the needs of all learners. These are:

• Level 3 courses in A Levels and AS Levels
• Level 3 courses in BTEC courses.
• Level 2 courses.

The Open Evening on Thursday 19th Novemberis an opportunity for students and parents to meet subject teachers and gain an insight into the courses and opportunities available. As part of our commitment to support students, everyone is interviewed before they begin their Sixth Form studies. This ensures that students take appropriate courses that match their aspirations and ambitions and so go on to achieve their best.

As the post-16 provision for Melksham, we are committed to meeting the educational and community needs of both the students and people of our town and surrounding villages. My team are determined to make Melksham Oak into a great school serving its community. We are committed to providing the best teaching, range of subjects, facilities and support for students to allow them to achieve the best grades possible whilst enhancing their personal development.

As a result of the recent examination reforms, the new A and AS Level qualifications are still being developed by the examination boards and so the course information in this booklet may change. We will keep parents and students informed about any changes during the application process.

We are very proud of our wonderful school. It combines stunning and innovative facilities with our strong school ethos. We work in partnership with parents to support and challenge our students to raise their aspirations, build their capacity for life-long learning and so achieve success.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Clark

Headteacher

Is the Sixth Form at Melksham Oak Community School right for you?

In 2009 Ofsted said that:

"The Sixth Form is a popular choice for students from Year 11. Sixth Form students are generally proud of the school and say the Sixth Form is 'like a family'."

In 2011 Ofsted said that:

"A clear vision has been established for an ethos of high quality."

In 2012 Ofsted said that

"The Sixth Form curriculum is adapted well to the needs of the students."

The advantages of an education in the Sixth Form, which can lead to degree level courses, cannot be over-emphasised. We are living in economically difficult times and more and more jobs, particularly in the professions, are requiring level 3 qualifications (A levels and BTecs) and degrees. Research shows that those people who have higher level qualifications are less likely to be unemployed and tend to have greater earning potential.

In addition, two years of study in the Sixth Form are preparation not only in academic terms but also in growing awareness of oneself in a supportive, educational environment. Those who teach in the Sixth Form of Melksham Oak Community School are secure in their subject knowledge and have the added advantage of being aware of your strengths and areas for development. This is true for students from Melksham Oak and other schools as the reference and interview process help us to gain a picture of these. We are committed to doing our best for you both intellectually and socially: we therefore make rigorous academic demands and expect you to do your best to meet your academic potential. We are aware, however, of the need to provide a whole variety of other activities and opportunities that will develop your leadership and help you to contribute to both the school and broader local community.

If you are uncertain of what career you wish to follow – and many are not ready to make a definite career choice at this stage – two years in the Sixth Form studying at A-level will help keep your options open, until specific decisions about degree courses or career choices need to be made. Advice and guidance about the choices after Sixth Form is always available from form tutors, Learning Director of the Sixth Form and the full time Careers Support Adviser.

If you have a good idea what you want to do, then the variety of courses we have available will allow you to progress onto Higher Education, or, if you wish, appropriate apprenticeships or employment with training. Those who follow BTec courses will be committing themselves to a more vocational path; those doing A-levels will have a more academic path, some students will select a combination of these.

Some students may wish to add to their level 2 qualifications in sixth form and there is a suit of subjects available.

All students will find that there is a subtle difference in their relationship with staff as they work within the Sixth Form. Most are pleasantly surprised to find that working in smaller groups, consisting of like-minded students, leads to a more relaxed atmosphere and there is a more adult approach to learning. Students and staff have the same aim and work together to reach their common objective – to maximise the learning potential of the student.

A Summary of the Sixth Form Curriculum

Every year our aim is to provide courses that meet the needs and interests of our students.

The courses we offer fall into three categories:

• Level3 A level courses. If a student completes two years they will complete the full A course.

• Level 3 BTEC courses in a range of subjects.

• Level 2 courses. These offer students the opportunity to continue to study in school with a view to progressing onto Level Three courses or relevant employment / training/apprenticeship at the end of this year. These courses are aimed at students who achieve less than five GCSEs at Grades A to C.

Level 3 courses

In September 2015 the majority of students will study four courses in Year 12. In Year 13 students will have the opportunity to progress onto A-level courses, although it is most likely that they will reduce to three subjects.

NATIONAL CHANGES TO A LEVEL AND AS LEVEL COURSES.

You will be aware that this is a time of massive National change in the structure of A levels. The Government is phasing in new structures for A-levels whereby the assessment will become solely on the terminal exams in Year 13. The terminal exams will assess the full two years of work .These subjects can be taken as AS by sitting the exam in Year 12, however if you continue to Year 13 and take the full A level the AS is discounted as a qualification.

A level subjects that were affected by this in September 2015 are:

English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Art, Business Economics, Computing, Sociology and Psychology.

A level subjects that will be affected by this in September 2016 are:

French, Spanish, Geography & Religious Studies.

What does this mean if I choose one of these subjects?

It means that you can take it as an AS qualification at the end of Year 12 and then you may choose to drop it as your fourth qualification. You can also carry on and take it in Year 13 as the full A level.

Level 2 courses

The development of the Level 2 courses for the Sixth Form has enabled us to provide a range of courses for those students not ready for A-level study, with the possibility of them progressing onto the Level 3 courses after the successful completion of this 'intermediate year'. These courses are dependent on numbers in each subject.

English and Maths GCSE

Students who do not achieve at least a Grade C in their English Language or Maths GCSE in Year 11 will be required to re-sit the course until a grade C is achieved. The reason for this is that many employers and training providers require a Grade C in these two GCSEs.

Courses Available for September 2016

Full details of these are included within this entry guide.

The courses available have been listed below in alphabetical order. At this stage students need to research each course with a view to short-listing those subjects they feel they are most interested in studying. This is clearly an important decision and there are several factors that need to be considered, for example level of interest, chances of achieving success and future career plans. Some of the courses available are 'new' subjects in that they were not available at GCSE. A good decision is one that has been researched thoroughly.

Level 3 Courses / Level 2 Courses
Applied Information Technology (single and / NOTE: these are currently all under
double) / Review following National changes
Art and Design: Fine Art / Creative Digital Media BTEC
Biology / Leisure & Tourism
Business BTEC (double) / Performing Arts
Business Economics / Re-sit English GCSE
Chemistry / Re-sit Mathematics GCSE
Creative Media Production BTEC
Dance BTEC
Design Technology: Food
Design Technology: Product Design
Design Technology: Textiles
English Language
English Literature
English Media
French
Geography
History
Mathematics
Music
Performing Arts BTEC Theatre Studies
Performing Arts BTEC Diploma (DANCE & DRAMA)(double qualification)
Philosophy and Ethics
Physics
Psychology
Science BTEC
Sociology
Spanish
Sport & Exercise Science BTEC

It will be possible to take each of the Level 3 subjects through into Year 13 and complete the A-level component. Many Universities will expect at least three subjects to be completed through the two-year course. Progression from Year 12 into Year 13 will depend upon the successful completion of the Year 12 courses.

Support for making decisions.

Use the subject information stands to ask questions about the content and assessment pattern of the subject to see if interests and suits you as a learner.

All students who apply will have an interview with a senior member of staff to discuss their suitability for Sixth Form and their aspirations for the next two years.

As part of the application and interview process we will discuss the combination of subjects and courses with students in light of their target grades and aspirations. It is rare for students to combine both Level 3 and Level 2 courses as part of their programme of study. Final agreement about course for September 2015 will take place after the results are published in Summer 2015.

We need to make it clear at this stage that courses will only be available if there is sufficient interest to make the course viable.

Entry Requirements

As a basic requirement for entry into the Sixth Form we do expect students to have achieved Five GCSEs at Grade C or above in order to progress onto Level 3 courses. In some subjects, it is also necessary to have achieved a Grade B or A in specific GCSE subjects. Individual department course details will make it clear what their specific entry requirements are. Students will also be required to have an average point score for their top eight Key Stage 4 subjects which meets the minimum requirement for each Key Stage 5 subject.

Students wishing to continue subjects studied at GCSE will also need to have been recommended by subject staff. There are, however, subjects available that are not within the GCSE offer and it is possible for students to select a subject that they did not study at GCSE. In these cases it is important that students discuss their plans at interview and with the relevant subject teachers to check their suitability for the course.

Entry to Level 2 courses will be by negotiation.

Application Process

There are separate application forms for the Level 2 and Level 3 courses.

Students must complete all of the details required on the form. Students must indicate the courses they wish to select, Level 3 students need to number the subject choices 1 to 6, 1 being first choice. The forms are then returned to tutors or main reception by 22nd January 2016.

Raising the Participation Age (RPA)

The majority of 16 and 17 year olds already choose to continue in education or training. The Government is increasing the age at which everyone needs to do so.

RPA is not about raising the school leaving age. You will be able to participate through a range of options:

• Full-time education such as school or college
• An Apprenticeship; or
• Part-time education or training if you are employed, self-employed or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week.

What we offer beyond our Level 2 and Level 3 courses

The Sixth Form at Melksham Oak Community School consists of much more than Level 2 or Level 3 courses. Students receive very important advice, support and opportunities in the following areas:

1. Complementary Studies:

All Year 12 are required to take a complementary study to broaden and enrich their curriculum experience. These courses are very useful to add to University applications (via UCAS) job and apprenticeship applications and are an excellent opportunity to gain work experience or skills that can be used in future education/employment. We currently offer:

Young Enterprise, Duke of Edinburgh, Subject Ambassadors, Peer Mentoring, Teaching Support and Work Experience, ICT Ambassadors, Reading Support for KS3 pupils.

1. Careers Advice and UCAS applications for University:

Sixth Form students are lucky to have access to the schools Careers Adviser. She works with groups of Sixth Form students as well as offering 1:1 careers interviews. This support is led by the Learning Director for the Sixth Form and supplemented by form tutors. Year 12 and Year 13 students are given extensive support with their course choices, UCAS application forms, personal statements and interview practice. Year 12 students take part in a University Open Day in the Spring and this is continued with a series of sessions back in school to continue their UCAS applications.

In recent years we had students who have applied for Oxford and Cambridge University and we have organised specialist support for their application forms and interviews.

1. Student Voice

Melksham Oak Community School is committed to listening to the views and ideas of students. We elect two tutor group representatives from each tutor group who meet with the Learning Director for Sixth Form each month to discuss changes, issues and ideas. Two representatives from the sixth form then meet with the whole School Council to report their views and ideas.

1. The House System

Every student in the Sixth Form will be allocated to one of the four houses. The House System was set up with three key strands in mind: Attainment, Leadership and Competition. Last year the student body decided through a school vote on the names for our four Houses. In the end it was the idea of four stars: Castor, Omega, Polaris and Sirius that won through with the metaphor of "aiming high" seeming very pertinent.

Each House has a Head of House. This member of staff focuses on the students within their House and works with teaching staff, parents and the students to track their progress and support them in raising their attainment at all levels.

Allied to this we have created a whole Student Leadership structure. In the sixth form there are opportunities for students to become House Leaders. They lead on a range of activities including Assemblies, Mentoring, Interviews and Competitions. As such they are seen as the figureheads for their Houses and a lot of responsibility is placed on them.

Finally, we try to engage in competitive House fun. A range of competitions run throughout the year for staff and students so that they can gain points for their Houses and win the coveted House Cup, the final event of the year being the Sports Days and the House Relays. We feel that this House System has really added to community life at Melksham Oak as we seek to raise standards, create leaders and have some fun along the way.

1. Tutor Groups

Each student is placed in a tutor group which meets every morning to take part in the tutorial programme. The Form Tutor is a key figure and plays a very important role in supporting students academically and pastorally. In addition to parents' evenings and written reports, students’ progress is reviewed three times a year using a 'review sheet' that is completed by the student and the form tutor.

1. Tutorial Programme:

Year 12 and Year 13 students follow a programme of tutorials that support students academically and pastorally. Each year all sixth form students are consulted through questionnaires about the tutorial programme and it has been comprehensively rewritten based on this consultation. The tutorial programme is delivered as a mix of assemblies and tutor sessions that include: personal finance, UCAS/job applications, effective interviews, organisational skills, extended writing skills, personal safety. In addition, each tutor group plans and delivers a tutor group assembly with the aim of extending their research and presentation skills.