Collingham Independent GCSE & Sixth Form College Prospectus

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COLLINGHAM

Collingham independent GCSE & SIXTH FORM COLLEGE


Our College

Respecting individuality is at the heart of everything we do. At Collingham, there is no such thing as the average student. Founded in 1975, Collingham is an independent GCSE and Sixth Form college. We have about two hundred students from different backgrounds and across the ability range. The elegant main building, originally a large private house, provides an inspiring learning environment that is both homely and spacious. There are twenty-four classrooms set over seven floors, including a large study room, three science laboratories, an art studio and a photography dark room. The GCSE Department is situated at 16 Young Street, just off High Street Kensington and the former home of English novelist William Thackeray. Each student’s timetable is tailored to accommodate the requirements of the individual with no restriction on subject combinations. Key to this is our small class sizes which allow students to receive specialised individual attention in seminar-style lessons. The average class size is five, and there are no more than eight students in an A level group, nine at GCSE. All students have the opportunity to get involved in extra-curricular activities, including music, a drama club, theatre visits, ski and art trips. At the end of the academic year, Enrichment Week provides a range of activities for students to enjoy, including film making, debating, mountain climbing and water sports.

“A gem.”

(The Good Schools Guide)


WELCOME TO COLLINGHAM Visitors to Collingham often comment on the mixture of friendliness and ambition which meets them – and this is just what we are all about. We aim to gain the best possible results for our students by encouraging a real sense of academic focus and purpose, in an atmosphere which is caring and positive. We are proud of the professional and personalised learning environment that we offer, our tradition of excellent academic delivery and first-class pastoral care. Dr Sally Powell - Principal

Collingham encompasses a range of academic ability and places the focus firmly upon individual needs. We are fortunate in our position overlooking a beautiful and serene garden square in an elegant period building, but still at the heart of central London life. The atmosphere, the building and the quality of the staff make for a unique learning experience.


Academic Excellence We provide expert tuition and are uncompromising in our commitment to high academic standards.

Students and tutors work hard together in a friendly atmosphere where expectations and boundaries are clear and understood.

The focus in the classroom is on active participation, with students encouraged to take notes, contribute to discussion, and answer questions. The small class sizes mean that tutors can differentiate classroom questions, as well as homework, to suit the individual and to ensure that each student is being appropriately stretched and challenged.

Collingham tutors offer excellent subject expertise, enthusiasm and approachability. All are graduates in their subject, many with postgraduate qualifications. Some are also examiners.

We recognise that it is just as important for our students to learn how, as well as what, to study. We offer support with study skills, including essay, revision and examination technique, enabling students to address these vital areas.

Collingham’s small classes mean that students receive a considerable amount of individual help and attention. They develop confidence in discussion, an essential skill for university and beyond and any difficulties can be speedily identified and rectified, to enable rapid progress. Our lessons are two hours long with a short break halfway through. This allows for effective coverage of the syllabus and ensures that topics are fully addressed without unnecessary interruption.


Good independent study skills are vital to academic success at GCSE, A level and beyond. Collingham students are encouraged to develop and maintain positive study habits. Homework is set and supervised. Study Room sessions are timetabled and monitored throughout the college. We strive to foster a strong work ethic and expect all students to give of their best. Collingham organises various courses outside normal term-time teaching. At Christmas, specialist tutors run one-day workshops; a combination of seminar work and individual tutoring which enables students to address specific problems. During the Easter holidays, Collingham provides intensive tuition in small groups to meet the demand for revision support.

“The positive encouragement given to students is a notable feature, and behaviour is consistently excellent” (ISI Report)


INSPIrING CrEATIVITY Inspiring creativity is a key element in our teaching, providing students with opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and talents. Collingham offers a range of creative subjects, including Fine Art, Photography, Drama and Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Media Studies and Music. Across the departments, we aim not only to obtain excellent results but also to bring out the individual creativity of all our students. Whatever the area of interest, our staff are guided by the principle that, given appropriate guidance and sufficient individual attention, all students are capable of producing creative works of a very high calibre. The Collingham Art Department is a flourishing centre for the development of the visual arts. Students are encouraged to experiment and explore, deepening their understanding of, and response to, the visual world, enabling them to produce artwork that is both unique and technically accomplished. Collingham offers media and film facilities for film/TV production, a Digital Editing Suite, DTP software for page layout and Publication Design and screening facilities. There is also a photography dark room in which students can still enjoy the magical process of chemically developing their prints. Drama and Theatre Studies encourages students to develop their interest in the theatre and we ensure that we fully exploit our enviable position close to London’s theatre land, as well as educating students about the importance of the city’s fringe theaters. Collingham’s drama students benefit from the small group practical work that takes place which helps to build confidence and co-operation skills. We offer LAMDA tuition for all students, regardless of whether or not they have chosen Drama for GCSE or A level study. The classes, which are conducted on a one-to-one basis, allow students to develop confidence and skill in performance and public speaking and everyone has the opportunity to take a graded performance exam. LAMDA qualifications add interest to UCAS personal statements and can even add UCAS points to an application.


STEM We are uncompromising in our commitment to academic standards across all disciplines, especially Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

At Collingham, we recognise that it is imperative we provide a framework which equips students with the aptitude and practical skills necessary as they move forwards and into the workplace. Today, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) now has an undeniable presence in the educational landscape as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To enable our students to succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, we are focused on encouraging students in STEM disciplines, a field in which women and minority groups can often be under represented. To support this, Collingham awards a number of science scholarships to help fund the fees of gifted and talented students who are likely to gain particular benefit from our academic provision and the more general opportunities the college has to offer. At its core, this focus is about taking an inidependent, student-led approach. We fully support students to establish both the firm foundations and the aspirational vision that they need to achieve the top grades required to pursue STEM subjects at universities of excellence.


ELECTUS PROGRAMME The Collingham Electus Programme is designed to stretch our most able students in their AS year beyond the requirements of the examination syllabus, by engaging them in a cross-curricular programme of activities in the Autumn and Spring Terms and offering them the opportunity— under the guidance of our specialist tutors—to write a Collingham dissertation on the subject of their choice during the summer vacation. The chief aims of Electus are to enable students to continue to learn about areas of the curriculum they may not have taken forward to A level, and to foster pleasure in independent learning and a sense of personal achievement through completion of the dissertation. Participation in the programme also enhances a student’s profile for the UCAS application process, particularly Oxbridge entry. We ask each student to present a summary of their work to the other members of the Electus cohort early in Year 13, thereby developing all-important skills in public speaking. Some recent Electus activities include: • • • •

Marcus du Sautoy Lecture at the Royal Institution Lecture on Refugees and Humanitarianism at UCL RSC production of King Lear at the Barbican Bedlam: the asylum and beyond Exhibition at the Wellcome Collection • Trip to Victoria Miro Gallery in Mayfair • An Evening with Derren Brown at New College of the Humanities


CArE AND SuPPOrT We take the time to support our students and work together to overcome any problems. The quality of our pastoral care is one of our most distinguishing features. “ Many students said how much they look forward to coming in to school each day... Pastoral care is excellent.” (ISI Report)

All students at Collingham have a Personal Tutor responsible for their welfare. The Personal Tutor monitors progress, provides a sympathetic ear and can give advice on both academic and personal matters. The role is mostly one of guidance and encouragement, but with a focus on firm direction. Additional individual tuition is available in most subjects. These sessions can be used to support a student’s progress on an on-going basis, helping to address particular problems and build confidence in challenging areas, or simply over a short term to cover examination technique or to give the student the boost they might need to fulfill their potential in the run up to the exam. From GCSE through to A level, parents continue to play an intrinsic part in their child’s academic well being and are a vital part of the ‘three-way team’. Half-termly reports and termly parents’ evenings allow progress to be followed closely. Parents are immediately informed by e-mail of all absences, meaning that the root cause of absenteeism can often be quickly addressed.


Beyond Collingham

For most of our students, Collingham is the gateway to their university of choice. Personal Tutors are there to ensure that students benefit from the very best careers advice and to offer plenty of practical help with university application. From college to university, we work closely with our students every step along the way. Collingham prepares students for a wide variety of future pathways. Students generally go on to a broad range of UK universities, including Oxbridge and Russell Group universities, although we also assist students in applying for entry to American universities, including providing tuition for SATs. Great care is taken with the university application process, helping all students to achieve places that suit their aims and abilities. For students who are called for interview, we hold mock interviews to build the confidence necessary for success. Parents are encouraged to become fully involved in this process and there is an Open Evening in the summer term to discuss university entrance procedures.


Subject Choices We offer a wide choice of subjects, both at GCSE and A level, so that all students can follow courses that express their personal talents and interests, as well as preparing them for the future. There is no restriction on subject combinations. The majority of A level students follow two-year courses, taking four AS levels in the first year, with most students going on to take three A2 levels in the second year. From the very start, emphasis is put on developing the necessary analytical and writing skills to achieve the highest possible grades in the exam room. Collingham also offers intensive one-year A level courses in certain subjects, such as Art, Classical Civilisation, English Literature, Government and Politics, Philosophy, and Photography. Students may also follow short A level re-take courses which run from September to January. These revise the key material, address the particular problems that the individual has encountered and prepare the student to improve upon their grade. Students who have previously not benefitted from small classes, individual attention or focus on examination technique, invariably improve their A level grades in the January session. At the GCSE department, most students study six or more subjects, including English, Maths, one modern foreign language and at least one science subject. Two-year and one-year courses are available. Each course takes the student through the GCSE syllabus and is combined with regular exam practice.

GCSE

A Level

Ancient History

History

Arabic

History of Art

Art

Italian

Biology

Japanese

Business Studies

Latin

Chemistry

Law

Chinese

Mathematics

Classical Civilisation

Media Studies

Computer Science

Music

Economics

Philosophy

English Language

Photography

English Literature

Physics

Film Studies

Portuguese

French

Psychology

Further Mathematics

Religious Studies

Geography

Russian

German

Sociology

Government and Politics

Spanish

Greek

Textiles


COLLINGHAM

Collingham independent GCSE & SIXTH FORM COLLEGE


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