King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form - Prospectus 2015/16

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“The numerous opportunities provided to me at KES have allowed me to gain a place at medical school. The teachers work tirelessly to provide students with the best possible education, giving them the best possible future.”

Holly Myers, Head Girl 2013, studying medicine at the University of East Anglia

Contents Welcome 7 Introduction 9 The curriculum 10 Courses and subjects 12 Entry requirements 13 Subjects 15 Life in the sixth form / Teaching facilities 16 Private study and use of free time 17 Student welfare and support / The Queen’s Gold Medal 20 Cultural activites / The house system 21 Sport and recreation 22 Other opportunities at sixth form 6

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Welcome

Welcome to King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form.

The academy opened in September 2014 and we have ambitious plans for the success of each student and for KES as a whole.

Learning in the sixth form will no doubt present you with some of the very best days of your life. At KES, we understand how to get the best from you as a student and we have a rich history of doing so. We know that you will want a balance of support and freedom, where you are guided to find your own path and ideas.

University is the destination for almost all of our students and we know that we prepare our students to succeed in the world of independent learning and research – we do this in preparing students for the best universities, every year.

Learning is a gift that will remain with you for life, long beyond sixth form and university. It will enrich your career, family life and personal interests. We know at KES that the syllabus for a subject is just the starting point. We offer an inspirational setting within which to explore wider ideas, share our reading, socialise and enjoy time together. I feel that we succeed in igniting a passion for learning in our sixth form students because our highly qualified and experienced staff share just this passion.

I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to the King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form.

Craig Morrison Principal CWA Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust founded by the College of West Anglia, an established high quality provider of education with campuses in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Our family of academies helps us fulfil our desire to establish a vibrant education system that inspires young people and supports economic development of the region. As a successful education provider we believe we can contribute to all phases of education within our local community, focussing on raising standards and improving transition and progression for every child.

Like all strong families, the CWA Academy Trust family of academies seeks to offer mutual support to one another, develop shared learning and understanding, collaborate to achieve better outcomes, recognise unique qualities and differences, be positive and aspirational, focus on the successes of individuals and develop a culture of healthy competition.

David Pomfret Chief Executive CWA Academy Trust

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Introduction

King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form has a proud history of supporting our students to become successful and achieve excellent examination results. This can be seen by the number of Norfolk Scholars (students who achieve at least 320 UCAS points) we produce, one of the highest in the county.

In addition to a wide programme of over 25 sixth form courses, students enjoy the opportunity to take part in enhanced leadership opportunities across a number of subject areas and within the community, as well as contributing to our house system. Similarly, building strong partnerships with parents is an essential feature of our work, and our organisational systems seek to ensure that parents are fully involved in the learning process.

The majority of KES Sixth Form students go on to higher education in a wide range of institutions and disciplines. We have an excellent record of helping students gain places at Oxford or Cambridge. In 2013, three of our students secured places at Oxbridge.

We hope you decide to join us and become part of our friendly, successful community, whose motto, for more than five hundred years, has been: ‘Doctrina in horas crescat’ Let him hourly increase in learning

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The curriculum

Each sixth form student will normally be expected to study four subjects in year 12. Most of the time will be spent in lessons but there is also study time enabling students to follow their own research; students are actively encouraged to plan their own study time. All courses are modular, with a two year A-level course, for example, being made up of four or six modules.

There is an extensive range of opportunities outside of the academic courses offered. Each September we hold a freshers’ fair where students can sign up to a range of activities including: becoming a prefect and subject leader; debating club; Duke of Edinburgh Award and a host of trips. We benefit from a number of outside speakers coming in to sixth form, such as representatives from major charities or an international diplomat involved in the Middle East.

We expect at least 90% attendance and family holidays should not be taken during term time. If difficulties arise please contact the Director of Sixth Form as soon as possible.

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Courses and subjects

King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form offers students the opportunity to study A-levels or vocational courses.

A-levels A-levels are one of the main routes to higher education and university, although they are also useful if you want to go straight into employment. We give you free choice of subjects: there are no formal option blocks. We shall advise you, when we make conditional offers from mid-January onwards, if we cannot accommodate your combination of choices.

Students have to choose four subjects to study in Year 12. If you have only modest GCSE grades you might be advised, after discussion, to drop one subject if you find four too much.

From September 2015 A-levels will be linear, with all assessment at the end of two years of study. The AS level will be retained, but has been redesigned as a high quality stand-alone qualification and will not count towards the final A-level grade. Instead, all exams for the A-level qualification will be taken at the end of the course covering content from the whole two years.

Vocational courses A vocational course such as a BTEC allows students to prepare for a specific career, or higher education. They combine vocational (practical) and academic study and have greater emphasis on assessment through assignments rather than exams. Studying a level 3 BTEC is equivalent to studying one A-level.

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Entry requirements

We require a minimum of five GCSEs at grades A* to C in five different subjects including English Language and Mathematics and expect four of these grades to be at A* to B level. We accept short course GCSE grades as part of the entry requirements.

We do accept equivalent level two qualifications, such as BTEC and OCR Nationals, but they will only count as one grade as we look for achievement in five separate disciplines.

We reserve the right to make exceptions to these conditions through the discretion of our governing body, who will consider any exceptional personal circumstances upon application by the student concerned. There is a further right of appeal to the Norfolk Admissions Team.

For full details on entry requirements please visit www.kesacademy.co.uk

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Subjects

GCSE required in the subject

Minimum grade required

Art and Design: Fine Art

Yes

B

Art and Design: Photography

Yes

C

Biology

Yes

B

Business Studies*

No

Chemistry

Yes

Classical Civilisation

No

Computing

Yes

Design Technology: Graphic Products

No

Design Technology: Product Design

No

Drama and Theatre Studies

No

Economics*

No

English Language

Yes

B

English Literature

Yes

B

French

Yes

B

Geography

Yes

B

German

Yes

B

History

Yes

B

Information and Communication Technology

No

Mathematics

Yes

B

Further Mathematics

Yes

A

Music

Yes

C

Auditions may be required

Physical Education

No

Physics

Yes

B

Minimum of C grade in GCSE Maths is also required

Pscyhology

No

Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics

No

Spanish

Yes

BTEC in Health and Social Care - Level 3

No

BTEC in Sports Studies - Level 3

No

B

B

B

*Important notice It is possible to study both Business Studies and Economics, but the overlap between the courses may be too significant to make them distinct options for some universities.

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Life in the sixth form

The sixth form is part of the main academy and teaching takes place in classrooms around the academy. There is a well-equipped sixth form study room overseen by a dedicated member of staff, containing computers and printers, with space for 85 students.

Sixth formers are welcome in the academy library for private study, with Year 13 students timetabled for registered study periods, as are Year 12 to a lesser extent. We have student councils for Years 12 and 13 to put forward their views on the running of the sixth form and to contribute to the academy council.

Teaching facilities

The academy has excellent classroom facilities, including: a teaching block for maths; well-equipped science laboratories; up-to-date computing facilities available to students in a dedicated sixth form study room; a well-equipped sports hall and gym; advanced technology supporting modern languages, and a well-stocked library where students can undertake private study.

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Private study and use of free time

Sixth form study is much more testing than studying GCSEs and it is vital students commit fully. Hence, we require them to accept the following expectations: • In Year 12 the usual timetable of four subjects offers approximately five private study periods per week. Students can use some of these to take part in subject leadership, which can be added to their résumé of community service.

• In Year 13 the usual timetable is either three or four subjects. During the academy week we require that students top their studies up to twenty periods by committing to timetabled study in the sixth form study room.

Therefore, in addition to timetabled lessons, it is important that all students should spend at least three hours daily in private study from Monday to Friday.

Weekend study is also essential.

Homework in the sixth form is more than just completing the work set; additional reading for all subjects is essential for good grades.

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Student welfare and support

Each student belongs to a tutor group; the tutor is there to assist each student through their life in sixth form. There is a 20 minute slot each day after lunch when students will spend time with their tutor. The sixth form team works to support students and the sixth form office is always open to anyone who needs help.

Like all sixth forms and colleges, KES Academy is in receipt of a bursary fund to support students from low income families. These funds can be used to help contribute towards travel costs, cost of academy trips, academy meals (using a cashless catering system), stationery and any necessary books or revision materials extra to those paid for by department budgets.

The Queen’s Gold Medal

Each year the Queen personally awards the Royal Gold Medal to the student with the best A-level results, a tradition which goes back without a break to 1864.

Previous winners include: • Xuesong Yu, winner in 2013, who is studying maths at Imperial College London • Andrew Cole, winner in 2012, who is studying medicine at UCL • Tom Clark, winner in 2011, who studied history at Peterhouse, Cambridge

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Cultural activities

Events and clubs vary from year to year but have included: • Drama productions and theatre trips, academy musicals, music making from baroque strings to rock bands • Public speaking, general knowledge and business and enterprise competitions with regular success in national and regional events • Poetry writing • Art visits • A weekly current affairs quiz between tutor groups • Debating competitions between houses and an economics club

The house system

KES Academy has a thriving house system, which creates and encourages opportunity for competition for all students in the academy, including the sixth form. On entry to the academy or sixth form students are placed in one of four houses: • Edinburgh/York • Gloucester/Windsor • Lancaster/School • Keene/Thoresby Students have the opportunity throughout the year to represent their house in a range of events.

Competitions are usually held on a Friday afternoon, after the academy day has finished, and cover an array of activities, including: football, netball and hockey, dodgeball, table tennis and cross country, as well as the annual sports day and swimming gala. Away from the sports field, there are competitions in art, music and languages, a modern foreign languages spelling bee, chess and cooking.

The overall winners each year receive the Dornay Cup, a trophy steeped in the history of the academy; there are individual prizes for achievement, participation and commitment to the house.

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Sport and recreation

At KES Academy we have a superbly equipped sports hall, a new multi-use games area and floodlit tennis courts with a tennis pavilion. Our expertise in this area is built upon a long term county-wide reputation in many sports.

In football we run first, second and third teams in school leagues, the County Cup and the National U18 Cup. If there is sufficient interest we will organise a tour. In rugby we enter the National Daily Mail Cup and play friendlies, whilst in netball we enter a team (the Pink Ladies) in the local adult league. We also enter teams of girls and boys in hockey at county level, and enter the English Schools’ Basketball competition.

There is an expanding tennis programme for both boys and girls and we have successfully introduced a cricket academy, which provides the opportunity to gain coaching qualifications, play prestigious fixtures and attend a ten day tour to Barbados.

We work very closely on joint programmes with King’s Lynn Football Club, West Norfolk Rugby Club, Pelicans Hockey Club and CWA Fury Basketball Club.

We also offer a number of national coaching and officiating qualifications in a wide range of sports.

Many students take the Sports Leaders UK Level 2 Award in Community Sports Leadership in Year 12, which leads into the Step into Sport volunteer programme. A level three qualification has recently been introduced for Year 13, an accreditation which also carries UCAS points. We also offer advanced leadership opportunities in Year 13, which are stepping stones for those students wishing to pursue PE, sport or coaching courses at university.

Students are encouraged to take the Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze and Silver levels and each year we have had a group of sixth formers who gain the Gold award in association with the programme run at the College of West Anglia. We are now preparing to offer Gold in the academy.

We have developed international links and have partnered with schools in China, Nigeria and the USA. We offer opportunities to visit and experience new cultures, whilst developing leadership and coaching skills.

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Other opportunities at sixth form Creative arts

There are plenty of opportunities for sixth form students to take part in the musical and dramatic life of the academy. Lessons are available in a wide variety of instruments (orchestral and popular), from our peripatetic teachers at a very modest charge.

It is hoped that all competent performers will join the academy ensembles.

Singers are encouraged to join the choir and musicals are becoming established in the academy. Any sixth form band will be able to play in concerts, assemblies and gig nights. After-academy rehearsals can be arranged in the department. Drama productions take place throughout the year and sixth form students are welcome to help the younger students in their free periods.

Responsibility and service Sixth formers may be chosen for the responsibility of becoming a prefect, which will allow them to contribute to the efficient running of the academy.

We encourage sixth formers to be actively involved: • As leaders or participants in our house competitions • In wide ranging community service/Duke of Edinburgh programme both inside and outside the academy • In playing a leading part in the many charity fund-raising activities • In a range of leadership programmes, which lead to a nationally recognised qualification We are pleased to be affiliated with one of King’s Lynn’s Rotary Clubs, who encourage charitable giving through their support of the KES Interact group.

Students in the sixth form also serve the academy by training with the Samaritans to support the younger students. Sixth formers are significant role models and ‘the listeners’ as they are known, are selected from the student body.

Sixth formers also help to safeguard students during breaks and lunches and as learning leaders in the classroom.

Support of charities The sixth form is active in raising money for many local causes, including the Purfleet Trust in King’s Lynn, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the Big C and Macmillan Cancer.

The Interact Club, the junior arm of Rotary at the KES Academy, also raise funds for worthy causes such as Children in Need and the Samaritan’s Purse.

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Gaywood Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QB Telephone: 01553 773 505 Email: office@kesacademy.co.uk www.kesacademy.co.uk

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