Deyes 6th Form Prospectus

DEYES HIGH SCHOOL Deyes Lane, Maghull Liverpool L31 6DE Tel: 0151 526 3814 Fax: 0151 526 3713

DEYES

A Specialist Science College

Sixth Form Prospectus

Welcome to Deyes High Sixth Form

Deyes High Sixth Form continues to evolve as a specialist Sixth Form Centre within Deyes High School. As the largest school Sixth Form in Sefton, we have gained a powerful reputation for success and excellence. Our students have been consistently successful in their progression, many of them to highly competitive courses in higher education including those at Oxford and Cambridge.

Deyes High Sixth Form aims to make the difficult transition from GCSE to Post-16 courses as smooth as possible. We know,

through our vast experience of guiding students, how problematic and confusing those next steps can be. Deyes High Sixth Form has a strong pastoral system that facilitates and guides you through your Post-16 courses. You will be placed into small tutor groups where you will meet your personal tutor on a daily basis. You are also given the opportunity to have a regular meeting with your tutor as an individual. Therefore, from the very beginning, the pastoral staff are able to advise you and monitor your progress closely and continuously.

We value every individual at Deyes High Sixth Form and support all students in their journey to success. Every individual is a member of a community where the emphasis is on opportunity and development. We offer all students the opportunity to achieve success through a range of subjects and activities.

A strong partnership between students, parents and staff will allow you to take full advantage of life at Deyes High Sixth Form.

Our vision is for everyone to be smart, well motivated and responsible; to enjoy a fulfilling, rewarding experience, and to develop sensitivity to the needs of others. Each student will follow a range of courses appropriate to their needs, underpinned by independent learning approaches. This will enable young people to learn about the world and themselves ensuring that they have the best chance to become confident, independent and successful.

Dr. G. Clarke Deputy Headteacher and Key Stage 5 Director

• A tradition of excellence and strong academic success.

• Outstanding pastoral support for the personal development and well-being of all Sixth Form students.

• A massive range of AS/A2 courses with an innovative Level 2 'T12' one year course to suit every student’s needs.

• Refurbished Sixth Form facilities that include new ICT facilities, common room, Sixth Form personal study area and Sixth Form café.

• Excellent teacher-student relationships that allow students to fulfil their potential.

• The Library Resource Centre as a modern learning environment for Sixth Form students.

• Over 100 extra-curricular opportunities for all students to experience a wide variety of activities.

• A welcoming and friendly community that supports students from other schools.

• A laptop leasing scheme that gives every student the opportunity to have their own computer for personal study in Sixth Form and at home.

• Well-resourced departments and faculties that give students a modern and innovative learning experience to suit their individual needs.

DEYES High School

Flexible Learning The choice and breadth of courses at Deyes High Sixth Form is a major strength, which allows our students to pursue a range of interests to a very high level. We offer many subjects that you will not have previously had the chance to study.

All students follow a personalised learning programme that may include GCSEs, AS/A2 Levels and Vocational qualifications. All students are prepared for General Studies. The skills taught as part of the tutorial programme provide the backbone for General Studies tuition. Students have the opportunity to progress to full A Level if they perform well at AS Level General Studies.

Students can opt into a vast range of complementary courses to supplement their main learning. Accredited courses include Core Studies, Critical Thinking, ORACLE, CSLA and many more.

Life at Deyes High Sixth Form Our vision is for everyone to be smart, well motivated and responsible; to enjoy a fulfilling, rewarding experience, and to develop sensitivity to the needs of others. Each student will enjoy an experience that enables them to learn about the world and themselves, ensuring that they have the best chance to become confident, independent and successful.

Moving into the Sixth Form at Deyes High School will be one of the most exciting and challenging periods of your life. It is an opportunity for you to specialise in the subjects you enjoy and it will help you prepare for your future career. It is very different to the school life you have experienced - you are given more freedom and accorded the status of young adults. Consequently, you will need to think about how you manage your time to achieve a careful balance between study, social activities, leisure interests and part-time employment.

Our students enjoy their time at Deyes High Sixth Form and our good levels of success are due, in part, to the strong working relationships between the students and their teachers.

The breadth of the curriculum available allows our students to move successfully on to a myriad of professions and careers. We are very keen to ensure that you have the best advice about the courses you choose, so during your application and enrolment process you will receive guidance on your choice of courses, ensuring your selection contributes to your future career and meets your interests.

Achievement and Success Deyes High Sixth Form continues to strive to improve all aspects of achievement for every student. We have a long tradition of examination success and we are proud of our record of high academic achievement. Students regularly gain the highest of grades in their courses and achieve above the national averages in their final examinations.

Our students respond well to the culture in our Sixth Form and every year many of them gain final A Level grades well above those that their GCSE grades indicated they should achieve. Many subjects in the Sixth Form enjoy a 100% pass rate at A Level. This allows the majority of our students to move on to a higher education course with a number of students taking up places at Oxford University and Cambridge University each year.

We are not complacent however. Your own examination success will be extremely important to both you and us and we are constantly looking at ways to help students gain even greater success in the future.

Guidance and Support At Deyes High Sixth Form we are very proud of the supportive relationships between teachers and students. You will find that you are always supported in all aspects of life at Deyes High Sixth Form. Your subject teachers are dedicated to helping you achieve your potential and they will give you extra advice and help whenever it is needed.

Our pastoral support and tutorial system will allow you quickly to form a strong relationship with your personal Group Tutor, who will follow your progress closely and who will discuss this with you individually. It has been recognised by OFSTED (2007) that the 'personal development and well-being of Sixth Form students is outstanding'.

Our tutorial support system involves daily meetings with your Group Tutor and regular tutorials which focus on developing good study habits and the skills you need to be successful.

You will be expected to monitor your progress towards your target grades, which are set at the beginning of the year. You will be expected to use your student organiser to monitor your termly progress against your target grades and set an action plan for each term. Regular discussions with your tutors will help you to identify and understand what you need to do to achieve your target grades.

DEYES High School

OFSTED Comments (November 2007) • “Personal Development and wellbeing of students in the sixth form is outstanding.”

• “Students' exemplary behaviour and positive attitudes to work make a strong contribution to their learning. Relationships are good and this, along with the students' strong community spirit, are key strengths of the sixth form.”

• “Sixth form students work above and beyond the norm in their support of younger students in the school and in their extensive charity work.”

• “There is a good range of academic courses. The school has very productive collaborative arrangements with neighbouring educational institutions.”

• “The range of enrichment activities helps to promote the students' growing maturity and sense of responsibility.”

Opportunities for All We are always looking to build on our success and to develop Deyes High Sixth Form further. We listen to our students and we are keen to involve them in the running of the Sixth Form.

The Sixth Form Council helps with the co-ordination and organisation of the Sixth Form, including arranging the End of Year 13 Prom and producing the Sixth Form Leavers’ Yearbook.

Representatives are chosen from each tutor group to form the Sixth Form Council which holds regular meetings with the Sixth Form Pastoral Team. This allows easy communication between students and teaching staff.

The Sixth Form also has a strong and well-respected Prefect Team which assists in the day-to-day organisation of the school and Sixth Form. They are an important and integral part of the school and

DEYES High School

local community. Year 13 students can apply to become Senior Prefects and also have the opportunity to apply for the prestigious positions of Head Boy, Head Girl or one of the Deputies.

There will also be a range of activities and opportunities for students to enhance their experiences further, such as musical and drama productions, volunteer work, charity work, Duke of Edinburgh and many sports teams. Overall, the school and Sixth Form offer over 100 extra-curricular activities to all students which allows everyone to pursue their own interests further.

We also prepare students to be part of a global community. By establishing links with schools in Spain, China and Africa, students not only have the opportunity to understand different cultures but they also get the chance to visit some of these countries. This is supplemented by a number of fantastic opportunities to travel abroad with curriculum areas to places such as the USA, Spain, Germany, Poland and many more.

• “Students are well supported and well guided by their tutors so that the proportion of students who complete their courses is high.

Academic monitoring is also a strength.”