Our recent Sixth Form Open Evening was busy and really brought home to all of the us the importance of making the right choice for Sixth Form study.
The changes to funding mean that there is no room for error in succeeding in Year 12 as places are not guaranteed to be financed if you require a third year of study. The changes to A-Levels means they are more challenging and the move away from AS means it is back to all-or-nothing at the end of Year 13. The changes to vocational courses means the exam element will make them far tougher to hit the highest grades.
Looking further ahead, the universities are now taking an even closer look at GCSE grades as – with AS grades largely disappearing – they are the only ‘guaranteed’ achievement levels so every grade matters more than ever in Year 11 – whether it is your best or worst subject. Likewise, the higher-level apprenticeships use grades as a key deciding factor for interviews and placements and high competition means that it is important to deliver your best first time.
Carrie Cain, Assistant Headteacher, said: “We are hugely proud of our Sixth Form, and the last 12 months have seen a fantastic overhaul in facilities, standards, support and provision. As a smaller Sixth Form, we can guarantee that no individual is lost in a 200+, 300+ 400+ crowd, we still offer a full suite of subjects, and our partnerships with local school, top employers and universities are key building blocks in our work in tying education in with the world of work. No one at our school gets left behind and our results stand up against all local counterparts.”
Matt Allman, Headteacher, added: “We were keen to offer guidance to students and parents in making their choices by not only showing what we can offer, but also where they can check out the realities of all school’s performance and provision. It is easy for myths on schools’ results to influence, for a hard sell by a skilled speaker to blur edges, or for glib headlines to wash-over the fine print. Whatever decisions are made from our Open Evening, we hope we have offered integrity and reality to everyone’s decision-making, and that they can make an informed choice to get their best possible place.
Any students or parents who wish to gather further details on our Sixth Form should contact Carrie Cain, Assistant Headteacher either via phone on 01543 267 400 or via email at office@friaryschool.co.uk.
