The Blue Coat School. Sixth Form Admissions

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1 2016 The Blue Coat School Sixth Form Admissions

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3 The Blue Coat School Sixth Form We are delighted that you are interested in our Sixth Form! The Blue Coat School Sixth Form is one of the largest in the city, with 190 students in our current Year 12 and over 180 in Year 13. As a result of the size of our cohort we have great flexibility in our curriculum. There are 18 A Level courses to choose from and it is rare that students aren t able to study the combination they choose. As a Sixth Form within a School, our students have opportunities to show leadership, to mentor and develop younger students and to take part in activities that span year groups. The Sixth Form students here are expected to be role models to the younger members of our School and so expectations are high for their attitudes and conduct. The Sixth Form years are important in terms of curriculum choice, but also in the development of the individual. The relationship between staff and students in our Sixth Form is a strength of our School; students are treated as individuals who have a variety of needs whether it be challenge, structure or support. Our pastoral system is designed to meet those needs and help all students to achieve their very best. There are many trips available to the Sixth Form designed to enhance knowledge understanding and independence, and there is a wealth of opportunities to get involved in studentled societies as well as fundraising projects. In our 2015 cohort 163 out of 178 students went to university (92%), 121 out of 163 went to Russell Group universities (74%) and 8 went to Oxford or Cambridge (5%). In both of the last two years we have had successful applicants to universities in the United States. Just recently 10 of our students have received offers to study at Oxford or Cambridge from September We are very proud of our students and their ambition, commitment, initiative and creativity. You will have the opportunity to meet them this evening and we hope that you find out first-hand how they have benefitted from their decision to choose The Blue Coat School. We look forward to receiving your application. "It's an educational eco system where teachers love to share their expertise and students appreciate the opportunities to develop". - Sunday Times State Secondary School of the Year 2015 The Liverpool Blue Coat School

4 The Sixth Form Curriculum The educational landscape for A Level is changing. Some newly devised A Level courses have been introduced from September 2015, some are being introduced from 2016 and others from For the new A Levels the AS exams will not contribute to the overall A Level grade and students will be examined on all the content of the two year course at the end of Year 13. For existing A Levels the AS exams do contribute to the overall A Level grade. The A2 exams will examine content from Year 13 only. It is likely that students will take a combination of new and existing A Levels resulting in different types of examinations in Year 13. Entry requirements: All students must attain a minimum of 5 GCSEs grades A*-B including grade A*-B in English (either English Language or English Literature) and Maths. All students must also meet the entry criteria for each subject as detailed in the Handbook and in the criteria sheet on the back page of this document. Sixth Form Choices All students choose four A Level subjects Details of the A Level courses on offer can be found in the Sixth Form Courses Handbook downloadable from the School website from 22 January 2016: Please read the information carefully to help you decide which courses are the right ones for you. Bear in mind that there are different methods of learning, different assessment processes and different requirements for out-of-classroom study for different subjects. Choose the ones that are most suited to you. We take into account progress and achievements during Year 12 when advising about progression into Year 13.

5 A Level Courses New course from September 2015 or September 2016 Existing course where AS exams count towards the overall grade Art Biology Chemistry Economics English Literature English Language & Literature French Geography Government & Poliitics History Latin Maths Further Maths (must be taken with Maths) Music Physics Psychology Religious Studies Spanish

6 How to Apply External applicants only The Application Form (issued separately) must be filled in, signed by the student and parent, and handed in to the School Office F.A.O. Mrs L Hayburn, by Friday 5th February All applications will be considered carefully based on the information given. We are looking for students who are best suited to our School in terms of their academic aptitude and attitude to learning. Our Sixth Form is heavily oversubscribed and it is very helpful to us when considering applications if information could be provided to demonstrate suitability. If you are likely to be a suitable candidate for The Blue Coat School Sixth Form you will be invited to an Advisory Meeting with a member of staff to clarify and discuss your application. We tend to use for these invitations. Please state clearly on your application form if you do not have daily access to . Advisory Meetings take place after school between February half term and the Easter holidays, though sometimes they are scheduled after Easter. Please state clearly if there is a regular time that you cannot attend. If you have any queries please contact Mrs L Hayburn: sixthformadmissions@bluecoatschool.org.uk. You will hear about the success of your application by 7 th May 2016 If you are successful, it must be understood that we will endeavour to timetable your first four choices but this may not be possible, consequently we are asking you to prioritize your choices and give a reserve choice. Once the timetable has been finalized after Spring break, any changes will need to fit the timetable, so please do give thought to these choices as it may not possible for them to be changed at a later date. If you are not successful in April/May, please note that there is no appeal process at this time as all places are conditional. If you are still interested in joining The Blue Coat School, please come to the School on GCSE Results Day in August to register your interest. There may be places available, though these are likely to be limited. At this point please give us any further information that will help us to decide whether you would be suitable for The Blue Coat School. We will also need to know your exam results. Decisions are usually made in the days after Results Day. Results Day All students must have their Sixth Form place and choice of courses confirmed on GCSE Results Day, Thursday 25th August 2016, by bringing their results to the School. If you are unable to attend in person you must make arrangements for the school to receive copies of your results. If we do not receive copies of your results on Results Day then you risk losing your place.

7 In the Ofsted Inspection in November 2012, The Blue Coat School was judged to be outstanding in all areas. The sixth form is outstanding. The A and AS level examination results are well above the national average and all groups of students make outstanding progress. There are high quality lessons and the subjects students take are matched closely to their needs and interests. Teachers expectations are exceptionally high. They have excellent knowledge of their own subjects. The school s main asset is the quality of its students. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding, which means teachers are able to teach lessons without any disruption. In the sixth form, students can choose the subjects they take without restrictions from the school s timetable. The timetable is built around the students and as such meets their needs and interests outstandingly well.

8 Subject Pre-Conditions for Entry All students must attain a minimum of 5 GCSEs grades A*-B including grade A*-B in English (either English Language or English Literature) and Maths. SUBJECT PRE-CONDITION ALTERNATIVES IN ADDITION ART GCSE grade B or above in Art Distinction at BTEC and strong portfolio as judged by the Head of Department BIOLOGY GCSE grade B or above in Biology GCSE grade A in Core and a grade A in Additional Science or Further Additional Science A level Maths/Sciences recommended CHEMISTRY GCSE grade B or above in Chemistry GCSE grade A in Core and a grade A in Additional Science or Further Additional Science ECONOMICS GCSE grade A or above in Mathematics ENGLISH LITERATURE GCSE grade A or above in English Literature ENGLISH LANGUAGE and LITERATURE GCSE grade A or above in English Language GEOGRAPHY GCSE grade B or above in Geography GOVERNMENT & POLITICS GCSE grade B in History, Geography or a Humanities subject HISTORY GCSE grade A or above in History If GCSE History has not been studied, a grade A or above in either English Language or Literature is required LATIN GCSE grade A or above in Latin MATHEMATICS GCSE grade A or above in Mathematics FURTHER MATHEMATICS GCSE grade A* in Mathematics A grade A in GCSE Mathematics with an average of 85% on the written papers MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES FRENCH SPANISH GCSE grade A or above in French GCSE grade A or above in Spanish MUSIC PHYSICS PSYCHOLOGY GCSE grade A or above in Music GCSE grade B or above in Physics GCSE grade B or above in English Language If GCSE Music has not been studied, Associated Board of Royal School of Music Grade 5 theory and Grade 5 practical GCSE grade A in Core and a grade A in Additional Science or Further Additional Science RELIGIOUS STUDIES GCSE grade A or above in Full Course Religious Studies GCSE grade A or above in English or a Humanities subject

9 A LEVEL RESULTS - SUMMER 2015 Total A * A B C D E U Art Raw Cum % Biology Raw Cum % Chemistry Raw Cum % Computing Raw Cum % Economics Raw Cum % English Language + Literature Raw Cum % English Literature Raw Cum % French Raw Cum % Further Mathematics Raw Cum % General Studies Raw Cum % Geography Raw Cum % Government + Politics Raw Cum % History Raw Cum % Latin Raw Cum % Mathematics Raw Cum % Music Raw Cum % Philosophy Raw Cum % Physical Education Raw Cum % Physics Raw Cum % Psychology Raw Cum % Religious Studies Raw Cum % Spanish Raw Cum % Technology Raw Cum %

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