Cockermouth School Sixth Form aspire enjoy include respect community
aspire enjoy include respect community
Welcome to our Sixth Form Cockermouth School Sixth Form is a popular and successful place that offers all of our students the highest quality educational experience; an experience founded on superb teaching, strong support and hard work. Our Sixth Form is a vibrant place and we are proud of the energy and positive contributions that our students make to our school. We have high expectations of our Sixth Form students regarding the work they must do to achieve academic success, and we are clear that they play a role in leading the school community and being role models for younger students. We are a high-achieving Sixth Form and we are delighted with the academic achievements of our students; whether they follow a traditional route of A Levels, or take advantage of the vocational courses that we offer. The progress made by our students is such that we are recognised as being in the top 10 percent of Sixth Forms nationally and the diverse range of destinations of our students reflects the fully inclusive nature of our school. Whether your aim is to attend Oxford, Cambridge or other top universities; or to achieve a high-quality apprenticeship or well-paid local employment, we will support you and stretch you to achieve your very best. All students are valued equally at Cockermouth School. Our Sixth Form team is dedicated to helping students maximise their potential whilst here. The advice and support that our students receive is of the very highest quality and enables them to succeed in all areas of Sixth Form life. We value the specialist teaching that is integral to academic success and we also challenge our students to enrich their experience of Cockermouth School by supporting our school and local community. For us, true success is measured by what is achieved both inside and outside the classroom. Dr Rob Petrie BSc PhD Headteacher The advice and support that our students receive is of the very highest quality. inspirational learning through exceptional and stimulating teaching 3
Head of Sixth Form A warm welcome to Cockermouth School Sixth Form. We are a successful, friendly and inclusive community and we strive for academic success for all our students. We look forward to meeting you on our Open Evening and during the individual advice and guidance meetings, to which all prospective students are invited with their parents. Students studying in Year 11 at Cockermouth School will apply to Sixth Form in school; students who have not been at Cockermouth School during Year 11 will need to complete an application form online, which can be accessed on the school website. We also believe that happy, well-rounded, well-supported students are the most successful. We deliver a full programme of advice and guidance to help students choose subjects that they will enjoy, to which they will be well suited and that will equip them well for any future career plans they may have. We have a strong commitment to support our young people, and ask that they are fully committed to doing their best when they study with us. All students are asked to sign a Learning Agreement which sets out our expectations. A copy of this is available on the school website. Mrs Charlotte Dumbill MA (Oxon) Head of Sixth Form We deliver a full programme of advice and guidance to help students choose subjects that they will enjoy. our dedicated staff are highly skilled, highly qualified, passionate specialists 4
High expectations, high achievement 5
6 Discover and develop your potential
Key Principles We believe that success at Key Stage 5 is built on five key principles: 1 Aspirations should be set high. Students are encouraged and inspired to work hard and develop their academic skills and curiosity. 2 Students need to be committed to their studies and willing to do their best, both inside and out of the classroom. 3 Students should be well-supported, listened to, and offered appropriate advice and guidance to enable them to make a good transition into Sixth Form, and again to help them set and realise their future aspirations beyond school. 4 Learning does not end in the classroom and enrichment activities must be an intrinsic part of our excellent Sixth Form provision. 5 As the oldest members of the student body, sixth formers must see themselves as young leaders, role models to younger students and ambassadors for our school in the wider community. 7
Entry Requirements We want to develop our students into fully rounded individuals who are responsible, self-assured, happy and mature young adults. All students will need to have achieved English and Maths GCSE at a minimum of Grade 4. For automatic acceptance onto A Level courses, students will need to have achieved the entry requirements for the subjects they wish to study. For most subjects, this is Grade 6 in the most closely related GCSE + English or Maths at Grade 5 or 6. For vocational subjects, the entry requirement will be Grade 5 in the qualifying subjects. We may consider students who have just missed the qualifying grades if there is clear evidence of good attitude to learning and strong aptitude for the subjects they wish to study. The final decision will be made by the Head of Department and will be informed by their professional judgement. High expectations and dedicated support empowers students to learn and achieve personal excellence. For details of entry requirements for all courses, please see the Subject Information Booklet or the Sixth Form Entry Requirements sheet, both of which can be accessed on our school website. students are encouraged to take on challenging levels of responsibility 8
Sixth Form is exciting, challenging and ultimately rewarding 9
10 Inspiring excellence through enquiring and reflective minds
Academic Curriculum We pride ourselves on offering a broad academic curriculum that will prepare students well for the next stage in their education, and for their adult lives beyond school. We offer all key facilitating subjects at A level, as well as a number of other academic A Level courses, alongside some vocational subjects at Level 3. Students will choose either an academic pathway, a mixed pathway with two academic subjects and one vocational, or a vocational pathway with two or three vocational subjects. Students are encouraged to speak to the relevant subject teachers in class or during our Open Evening to ensure that they have a clear idea of what studying a particular course will entail. Full details of all the courses on offer can be found in our Subject Information Booklet on our school website. Students are generally taught in small groups and develop excellent working relationships with their teachers. They are encouraged to read around and beyond the syllabus, to follow their own interests and deepen their understanding of the subjects they are studying. All students have periods of timetabled supervised private study. This helps them to develop the independence they need to be successful in their advanced studies at school and beyond. Our Sixth Form curriculum is designed to nurture individual interests and instil a passion for learning. we are proud of our friendly, warm and welcoming sixth form 11
Enrichment Enrichment is an essential part of Sixth Form life; it inspires students to broaden their horizons, and encourages them to try something new and give something back to our community. Work Experience can include placements organised by students in the school holidays, or placements overseen by school on a Wednesday afternoon in local primary schools, the hospital, veterinary and dental practices and other local businesses. Through our Enrichment Programme, students are encouraged to develop a broad range of skills and competences, such as confidence, resilience, organisational skills, leadership, teamwork and communication, to help them succeed in life beyond school. The programme has three strands: Volunteering can include placements at the Food Bank, with Age UK, and work for local and national charities. Many students also volunteer in school, supporting younger students on our paired reading and form attachment programmes, or in our Learning Support Department. Mrs Candy Regan Head of Year 12 Personal Development can include academic enrichment such as an Extended Project or the study of an online course (MOOC). Other opportunities include music, art, drama, sport, Young Enterprise, debating and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, to name but a few. 12
Trips & travel We offer a number of educational trips to challenge and inspire our young people. In recent years these have included Operation Wallacea to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, World Challenge to Vietnam, physics trips to the Large Hadron Collider in Cern, geography trips to Iceland and language trips to Spain and France. On these trips, students have gained insight into how their studies relate to the world beyond school, and a number of them have been inspired by their experiences to follow particular career paths such as conservation, nuclear engineering and international development. Students benefit from an incredibly supportive learning environment and outstanding student welfare provision. 13
Destinations Through both Years 12 and 13 we run a well-developed Futures Programme to help our students plan for the next stage in their education. We also arrange for mock interviews. The majority of our students progress to university, including Oxford, Cambridge and Russell Group institutions. 41% of University students are at Russell group & top 20 institutions 10% Apprenticeships 5% Gap Year 2% Further Education 2017 Total students: 109 83% University The main focus is on securing excellent progression for our young people. Our specialist Sixth Form tutor team supports students with personal statements, CV writing and preparing for life post Sixth Form. We run an Oxbridge programme and ten students have taken up places at Oxford and Cambridge in the last two years. A significant number also take up Higher Level Apprenticeships including some with degree programmes. Mr Duncan Murray Head of Year 13 17% Apprenticeships 6% Gap Year 2% Further Education 4% Other We invite in a number of speakers from a range of universities, apprenticeship providers, former students and representatives from local business to speak to the students to help inform their choices. 39% of University students are at Russell group & top 20 institutions 2016 Total students: 126 71% University students take advantage of a wide range of academic, social and cultural opportunities 14
Student Profiles Joe Greenwood Year 12 student For my A Levels, I am studying Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and Chemistry. Following my time at Cockermouth School, I hope to study Aerospace Engineering subsequently I would like to work in either the United States or Europe for a major aerospace company, such as SpaceX, Boeing Lockheed Martin or Airbus. For my enrichment activities I am learning to drive and later hope to gain other qualifications, such as Powerboat licenses. I am also helping Year 7 students in their Computer Science lessons which is something I really enjoy. My advice for a Year 11 student would be as always, hard work will deliver results. I would advise an aspiring Sixth Form student to keep as many options open to them as they can, to do extra research and attend courses in any field they find interesting in the long summer after GCSEs. For example, I attended a couple of Smallpeice engineering courses as well as knowledge of subjects, these gave me exponentially improved teamwork and co-ordination skills, whilst also allowing me to visit and really see what several universities are actually like. Above all, I would recommend you keep a close eye on how you are performing, be prepared to ask for help and ensure you have a good balance between work and play. Kelly Henderson Year 12 student I am studying A Levels in Art, Craft and Design and Spanish alongside a Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care. When I leave school I am considering teaching Health and Social Care after studying at university, or doing a teaching apprenticeship. For my Enrichment I am helping out with Year 8 and Year 9 classes lower down the school and do Form Attachment to gain experience of working with children. At lunch times I help supervise the study/homework rooms for the younger students in school. What do I enjoy about Sixth Form? The people and the atmosphere. Teachers treat you a lot more like adults and trust you to get on with things. The free periods and private study time is really useful for me as I can get a lot of my work done in those lessons. This will definitely help me when it comes to revision for the exams as I will be able to fit in certain periods dedicated to revision and be able to get on with it quietly. I also enjoy break times and lunch times in the common room. It s a really friendly atmosphere and everyone talks to everyone. My advice for Year 11 students: use your free time wisely, as it means you will have more time to yourself outside of school. If you are nervous about coming to Sixth Form, don t be, as everyone is really friendly, you get loads of help if you need it and the teachers are really supportive. Tom Roberts Year 12 student I am studying A Levels in History, Psychology and Computer Science. With these subjects I hope to be able to study at a university and then become a teacher or take on a higher apprenticeship with Sellafield in project management. Both depend on the grades I get at the end of Year 13. For my Enrichment so far, I have been assisting teaching in lessons of Computer Science and ICT. I have also volunteered to run supervised study rooms for Year 11 and Year 10 students. Sixth Form is completely different to lower years in school. Being allowed to go into town for lunch and having free periods are both bonuses, and having our separate area of the school just for Sixth Form is good. Before picking your A levels you need to make sure you enjoy them because there is a lot of work that comes with them. Don t underestimate the amount of content you will need to learn for your subjects, but you will get help and support to make the right choices. A positive attitude will help you discover so many opportunities.
Cockermouth School Castlegate Drive Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 9HF 01900 898888 reception@cockermouthschool.org www.cockermouthschool.org @cockermouthsch CockermouthSchool Cockermouth School is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England. Company No: 09679536 Headteacher: Dr Rob Petrie BSc PhD Chair of Governors: Mr Paul Moody Photography & Design by Jolt Media: www.jolt-media.co.uk