B E L FA S T R OYA L A C A D E M Y SIXTH FORM PROSPECTUS
Contents
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Welcome from the Principal
University & Careers Advice
Trips & Events
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Join us for Sixth Form
Help along the way – Pastoral Support
Oxbridge Programme
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Curriculum & Subject Options
per vias sapientiae Along the roads of wisdom
10 Dedicated Sixth Form Facilities
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Leadership & Development
Leavers’ Destinations
Welcome from the Principal
Joining Sixth Form is an exciting time for pupils as you exercise increasing freedom and independence in your education. Our Sixth Form is very much part of the wider BRA community and lives out the values of the whole School. The quintessential aspects of Belfast Royal Academy are very much part of the Sixth Form identity: you will be part of a diverse community, pursuing excellence across many different areas and you will be known, liked and valued. However, there are features of the Sixth Form that are distinct. So much of what we do in the last two years of the School is about setting you up for life beyond the Crombie, ready to take on what the world has in store. We want you to leave exceptionally well qualified, with a strong sense of who you are, carrying values which enable you to be kind and fair-minded. To do that, you need more independence; you need help to make decisions, not have decisions made for you. You need to learn how to think and not what to think. You will not only be participants in the life of the School, but leaders. Over the next two years, you will grow intellectually, physically and emotionally. We know that it will be busy, and we know too that it is vital that you are well supported in all you do. It is an exciting and thrilling time. I hope this guide will give you a sense of what life in the Sixth Form at Belfast Royal Academy involves and the wealth of opportunities available to you.
Mrs H. Woods B.Sc., B.Ed., P.Q.H. (N.I.) 4
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Join us for Sixth Form
As a Sixth Form pupil, we can guarantee that you will have both a challenging and stimulating experience. For young people who love their learning, we offer a strong academic focus, excellent pastoral care and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. 6
While the majority of our Sixth Form have been pupils at Belfast Royal Academy since Form 1 and have completed GCSEs with us, we do have opportunities for talented and capable pupils to join us for the completion of their schooling in our Sixth Form. Your Sixth Form years are the most important, exciting, and perhaps the most rewarding years of your school life – and no one ever regrets the experience of a wonderful education for those all-important A Level years. We are proud to welcome pupils from other schools into Sixth Form and help them to integrate quickly with their peers. Sixth Form is a very different learning experience, designed to prepare you for your chosen path after school whether that is employment, a higher education course, an apprenticeship or a further education course.
At Belfast Royal Academy, we create an environment in which pupils achieve excellent examination results whilst also developing their personal and leadership skills, alongside enjoying the opportunity to become involved in other areas of school life, including Sport, Music, Performing Arts and a wide range of extracurricular activities. We also offer a range of enrichment courses and opportunities within the Sixth Form: work experience, primary school experience, word processing and ICT, UCAS preparation and careers education information advice and guidance. These activities allow our pupils to further develop their academic, personal and interpersonal skills, while simultaneously giving them the opportunity, with professional help, to look closely at tertiary education and the world of work. Pupils in Sixth Form enjoy more independence, are provided with leadership opportunities and are trusted with more responsibility. We encourage our Sixth Formers to develop a mature attitude to life and study – you will learn to manage your time more effectively and to use your initiative in many different situations. We nurture self-reliance and selfmotivation whilst still providing strong pastoral and academic support.
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Sixth Form Curriculum & Subject Options
One of the major advantages of our Sixth Form curriculum is the breadth of choice.
After a broad and balanced curriculum at KS3 and KS4, pupils are now facing some important choices to best prepare them for their future university courses and careers. We offer a wide range of A Level subjects and pupils can also avail of subjects on offer in other schools within the North Belfast Area Learning Community. As a result, we are able to offer pupils a free choice of subjects to study and then build the timetable on the basis of pupil demand.
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All pupils in Lower Sixth (Year 13) study three or four subjects to AS Level and most continue with three subjects in Middle Sixth (Year 14) to the full Advanced Level A2 qualification. A number of pupils continue with four subjects to A2 Level. Some pupils complete their A2 Mathematics in Lower Sixth and go on to study Further Mathematics as an additional A Level in Middle Sixth. In their Lower Sixth year, pupils have the option of taking additional enrichment courses, including work experience in local primary schools. In addition, all pupils have a Tutorial period once a week which includes elements of Religious Education and UCAS preparation. Games are optional for pupils in the Sixth Form. Pupils who do not participate in games have a Study period instead.
Subjects currently offered at AS and A2
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ART & DESIGN (CCEA)
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HISTORY (CCEA)
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BIOLOGY (CCEA)
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LATIN (OCR)
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BUSINESS STUDIES (CCEA)
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LIFE & HEALTH SCIENCES (CCEA)
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CHEMISTRY (CCEA)
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MATHEMATICS (CCEA)
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COMPUTER SCIENCE (PEARSON)
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MOVING IMAGE ARTS* (CCEA)
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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY (CCEA)
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MUSIC (CCEA)
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DRAMA & THEATRE STUDIES
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NUTRITION & FOOD SCIENCE
(AQA)
(CCEA)
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ECONOMICS (WJEC)
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE (AQA)
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ENGLISH LITERATURE (CCEA)
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PHYSICS (CCEA)
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FRENCH (CCEA)
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RELIGIOUS STUDIES (CCEA)
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FURTHER MATHEMATICS (CCEA)
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SOCIOLOGY (WJEC)
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GEOGRAPHY (CCEA)
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SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
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GERMAN (CCEA)
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GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
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SPANISH (CCEA)
(CCEA)
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TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN (CCEA)
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PEARSON)
DEVELOPMENT (CCEA)
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE (CCEA)
*Offered at St. Malachy’s College as part of the North Belfast Area Learning Community
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Dedicated Sixth Form Facilities
University & Careers Advice Providing guidance for Higher Education courses and choosing a career pathway are a fundamental part of being a pupil at Belfast Royal Academy.
The Sixth Form Study Area is a supervised quiet space for pupils to read, research and undertake homework and revision when they are not in class. We also have two dedicated Sixth Form Common Rooms which provide an excellent relaxed social area in which our older pupils can meet, socialise and dine. Our Sixth Formers also have their own specific dining areas within the Common Rooms, where they can purchase hot and cold food, snacks and drinks. Sixth Form pupils can also avail of a wide range of services and support in the Careers Suite, as well as extensive computer facilities in all departments.
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Our Sixth Form Study Area provides Sixth Formers with an environment conducive to independent study.
Over the two years, our Sixth Form are provided with expert guidance and support from a team of experienced Careers and UCAS advisors, subject specialists and other agencies to ensure that they choose the most appropriate route and develop the necessary career management and employability skills they will need for the future. This enables our pupils to make informed choices and decisions which will affect their future education, training and employment. Our aim is always to ensure that pupils identify educational paths which reflect their ambition and enthusiasm and which ensure that they are personally and academically fulfilled and challenged.
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Help along the way – Pastoral Support Sixth Form pupils are supported in all areas of school life. There is extensive pastoral support available to all pupils, and in addition to the Principal and three Vice-Principals, there is a Head of Sixth Form and Heads of Year for both Lower and Middle Sixth boys and girls. It is the Head of Year’s responsibility to oversee the progress of the whole year group and support and assist individual pupils with any issues. As well as being a source of inspiration, the Head of Year is responsible for the guidance and personal welfare of the pupils in their year group, and is fully aware of attendance and academic progress in addition to any individual circumstances or needs a pupil may have. Heads of Year and Head of Sixth Form also meet regularly with the Pastoral Vice Principal in order to ensure continuity of approach across the school.
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Leadership & Development Of course, whilst of chief importance, academic success is not the only goal of a successful Sixth Form experience. Wherever a pupil’s talents or interests lie, BRA’s extensive extracurricular activities, Careers and work experience programme, in addition to their Prefect responsibilities, will offer our Sixth Form pupils incredible opportunities to excel and develop their leadership skills. At the beginning of each academic year, our Middle Sixth pupils vote for and appoint a Head Girl and Head Boy, Deputy Head Girls and Boys and a team of Senior Prefects. All other pupils are made Prefects. The position of Prefect is an honour and a privilege and has a key role in terms of school organisation and liaison with staff. All Prefects and Senior Prefects set the standard by which the other pupils measure themselves and ensure that the ethos of the school carries across all areas of school life.
They are expected to establish and maintain exemplary behaviour, attitude and appearance at all times and provide a positive role model for younger pupils. The Prefects and Senior Prefects are also involved in many duties around the School on a daily basis, and on public transport in the mornings and afternoons. These activities form part of the Sixth Form experience and help prepare our pupils to leave BRA as well-rounded, capable and grounded young people, well equipped to succeed in whatever path they choose in life.
Belfast Royal Academy provides many leadership opportunities for pupils and this is particularly true in Sixth Form.
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Trips & Events
Experiences beyond the classroom are an important part of education at Belfast Royal Academy.
Our exciting annual programme of trips and tours provides unforgettable experiences for pupils – enriching their lives and expanding their capabilities and interests. Travelling to new places, experiencing different cultures, trying out new activities and challenging themselves are all life-enhancing experiences. We recognise the immense value of these excursions, and we offer pupils a vast range of opportunities to experience the world outside Belfast and Northern Ireland.
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Oxbridge Programme For pupils with the required academic ability and flair, we also provide an Oxbridge programme. This includes advice on the choice of university and college, interview preparation and subject specialist classes. Our academic departments organise ambitious tours and visits that take our pupils all around the world. These may vary from year to year, but recent examples include a walking trip to part of the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain organised by the Spanish Department, a History trip to Paris, the Big Scripture Union Weekend in Castlewellan, an annual ski trip to the Alps or North America and even a trip to Iceland! These are just some of the highlights of the wide-ranging trips and tours available during the school year and holidays. They are supplemented by many more weekend and day trips throughout the year. All of these trips and experiences are designed to challenge, inform and motivate our pupils - to take them out of their comfort zones and help them to discover new personal interests and capabilities. They inspire, bring subjects to life, raise global awareness and build life skills through challenges and immersive experiences.
In recent years Academy pupils have obtained Oxbridge places in Mathematics; Physics; Chemistry; Medicine; History; Politics, Philosophy and Economics; Law; Natural Sciences and Engineering.
Leavers’ Destinations Almost all of our Sixth Form go on to take degree courses, some after a Gap year out.
In recent years, over 90% of Belfast Royal Academy’s Middle Sixth pupils achieved places at their chosen universities with approximately half going on to Russell Group Universities. Every year pupils are successful in gaining places to study at Oxford and Cambridge, and many are accepted
onto some of the most competitive Medicine and Law courses in the country. Local universities remain very popular, with many pupils being accepted to both Queen’s University, Belfast and the Ulster University. We strongly believe that our pupils should choose courses that they are passionate about and that fit their ambitions. We also encourage pupils to look at wider options, including overseas universities and apprenticeships.
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Belfast Royal Academy, Cliftonville Road, Belfast, BT14 6JL belfastroyalacademy.com