MAKING THE RIGHT
CHOICE From Middle School to Sixth Form
From Middle School to Sixth Form Morrisby profiling June 2022 Y10 taster morning 4th July 2022 Sixth Form at The Perse September 2022 Morrisby Interviews Michaelmas 2022 Curriculum Fair October 2022 Tutorial evening and Careers Convention 10th Nov 2022 Sixth Form subject choices (provisional) November 2022
Mock exams January 2023 Parents evening Sixth Form subject choices (review) February 2023
GCSE exam series and exam results
•Morrisby profiling is an assessment system that takes into account pupils' aptitudes, learning and personal working styles •The assessment is taken online and pupils have immediate access to their results and profiles •Pupils have the opportunity to experience a morning as sixth formers. They have access to the Sixth Form Centre, find out more about sixth form study and get a chance to attend three subject-specific taster lessons. •Pupils get a chance to find out more about careers provision at The Perse, Sixth Form scholarships and A level choices. •They are also introduced to Unifrog, a service that allows them to research universities and courses on offer in the area of their prime interest.
•Pupils sign up to attend a short interview with the Head of Careers discussing their future aspirations and Morrisby findings. •Further advice on how to approach A level choice and an opportunity to discuss specific subject courses with their teachers. •Parents have an opportunity to hear about Sixth Form at The Perse and how to support children in their choice of A level courses. •Careers Convention offers a unique opportunity to meet a variety of delegates from a range of industries to find out first hand what each of the professions may involve in reality.
•Pupils submit their provisional subject choices •Further subject advice is available from tutors, Head of Year, the sixth form team and Head of Careers
•Pupils sit mock examinations in all of their GCSE subjects
•Subject teachers provide feedback on the pupils' performance in the mocks. •Further opportunity to discuss subject choices for A levels with subject specialists and to review A level choices •Focus on preparation and completion of GCSE public examinations. •On the day of the results being published, pupils can (subject to availability) request subject changes. Sixth form team available to offer advice.
Welcome to the Sixth Form
Options By the end of their 6th form study pupils follow one of the two main pathways (although there is some flexibility subject to timetable constraints to accommodate individual differences). Pathway 1 3+ subjects Universities usually make offers on 3 A level subjects. For some pupils, the option to study a course that will give them useful transferable skills, maintain breadth and possibly gain a qualification will be more attractive. Pathway 2 4 subjects Equally you can opt for four separate A level subjects. Please note that those wishing to study mathematics and further mathematics should choose this option. Should I be taking 3 or 4 A-levels? Pupils may opt to take 3 or 4 subjects from the outset. Some pupils start on four and then drop one subject down to three; some will see all four Alevels through to the end of the U6th year. Possible benefits of taking 3 subjects include increased opportunity for wider reading and the chance to take one of the new mini-electives. Four subjects would be attractive for those who want some additional academic depth or for those who are opting for maths and further maths. If I choose 3 subjects, do I need to choose an additional mini elective? Yes, you would need to choose one of the mini electives or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). What is EPQ and Rouse Award? EPQ is a stand-alone qualification worth half an A level and graded on A*-E scale. Rouse Award is an alternative internally run research programme. Both showcase your ability to organise, plan, execute and present an independent piece of research. These skills are essential to study at university and a few universities may make you a lower grade offer if you have a good grade in the EPQ. Both Rouse and EPQ can be used in your personal statement or interview to demonstrate your interest or aptitude
in the subject. Speak to Mr Fox if you would like to find out more about our research programme. Do I need to choose something from the “further academic enrichment”? Yes – we ask all pupils to choose something from this super-curriculum category, which includes AS further maths (sometimes known as 1.5 maths) and a number of language certificates. For many pupils, the preferred option becomes the Rouse Award. The only exemption from this option would be if you have chosen EPQ as one of your mini electives, but if this the case you are strongly encouraged to choose one on the nonRouse options. What does Sixth Form Enrichment involve? For the Upper 6th, the emphasis is on “enriching others” and there are a number of charitable outreach options, for example working in primary schools or assisting with community projects. What will the mini-electives be, and when can I choose one? The mini electives will be designed to take your skills and interests beyond the confines of an A-level specification, promoting skills that are valuable to a lifetime of successful employment. We also want to give you a role in shaping the provision based upon the areas where you indicate interest. Possible areas include an introduction to law, global politics and ideologies, a creative design option, critical thinking in the Arts and Humanities, a STEM-skills carousel and the opportunity to pursue a sports’ coaching certificate. In many cases, these electives would not be examined in a conventional way (but may still lead to some kind of certification); in all cases they would be on a smaller timetable allocation than a regular A level.
For an indication of what a timetable on Pathway 1 and 2 may looks like please turn overleaf. Please note, there are 80 periods per fortnight.
Pathway 1
Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3 Games
Rouse Award
Study Periods
Mini elective
Pathway 2
Subject 1
Rouse Award
Games
Subject 2 Subject 3 Subject 4
Study Periods
How to choose? Bigger picture Subject selection at sixth form will have consequences for university degree choices and options for the future. Therefore, it is important to: -
Check any relevant requirements – different universities will have different requirements Consider both individual subjects and combinations Seek advice o Subject teachers o Tutors o Qualifications and Progression Team (see overleaf) o Mrs W Hodgkiss (Head of Careers) o Websites (but read carefully!) o Universities (make sure you are very clear on what you would like to find out)
Primary Considerations A coherent and sensible combination of subjects will keep your options open, so start by considering the following questions:
Do you enjoy the subject? Do you find it genuinely interesting? So much so that you are happy to do twice as many lessons in that subject as you do now and more homework in it? Are you likely to pick up a book / an article / do some independent research in that subject? Do you enjoy discussing what you have learned?
Are you good at it? Do you have the skills required to succeed at this subject? Do they match your strengths? Sixth form study is significantly more intense and the material covered is of a far greater complexity and depth than what you are doing right now. It will also involve more developed skills of independent study and a real commitment to extending your academic interests and abilities.
The two aspects above usually go hand in hand. We are naturally better at what we enjoy doing and conversely, we enjoy doing what we are really good at.
Do you have to do it? Combination of subjects is important as well and different universities will have different requirements. Some universities have a list of preferred / non-preferred subjects on their websites, so do check or ask for advice from the Qualifications and Progression Team. Do not worry about ‘facilitating subjects’ as all subjects studied at The Perse will provide the required academic rigour. Studying the subject of your chosen degree at A level will invariably give you an advantage when applying to university.
Subject-Specific Considerations It is important to keep in mind that some courses will have certain requirements whilst there are many degrees where it is not essential to have studied a particular subject at A level and the strong grade matters more than the subject itself. Top courses commonly use A*AA and sometimes A*A*A* as part of their offer.
Humanities In general, there is more flexibility in terms of subject choices on arts and humanities side as fewer courses have vocational bias.
Sciences Most courses require at least two science A levels. For many science degrees mathematics or chemistry are required.
Engineering Engineering degrees will normally ask for physics and maths (further maths at Cambridge) and chemistry for chemical engineering.
Medicine Most medical schools will expect you to study three A levels including chemistry and biology amongst your other subjects. Some schools may welcome a contrasting subject (although this in itself is not necessarily a good idea – see below) and Oxbridge prefer students to have studied maths.
Economics Many universities would like to see some elements of mathematics being covered and it is important to be aware of the level of mathematics required.
Modern Languages Modern languages are not just a degree subject in themselves but are also often combined with or useful for those wishing to go on to study history or English at university.
Some potential pitfalls: • •
Wide range of disparate subjects and bogus breadth Contrasting / stand-alone subjects
Beware in particular of stand-alone subjects, e.g. one science amongst humanities. Sciences are complementary and mutually supportive in the set of skills required to succeed. A lone science thus will not have that support and pupils usually find it one of the most challenging A levels.
Entry Requirements There are no point entry requirements for our current pupils, however, at least a grade 7 but ideally a grade 8 should be achieved in each chosen Sixth Form subject. A grade 8 is required in biology, chemistry, physics, and maths at GCSE for those wishing to study these subjects in the sixth form, and a grade 9 is required in GCSE maths for further maths study.
Advice Qualifications and Progression Team Mr J Green
Director of Qualifications and Progression
Mrs C Knowles
Director of University Admissions and Progression (from September 2022)
Mr S Jack
Deputy Director of University Admissions
Mrs L Redfearn
Qualifications and Progression Administrator
Dr M Goodson
Assistant Director of University Admissions
Dr C Anderson
Medical Applications Adviser
Mrs N Copeland
Assistant Medical Applications Adviser
Mr A Catherall
Assistant Medical Applications Adviser
Dr S Black
Overseas Applications Adviser
Mrs W Hodgkiss
Head of Careers
A full list of subject advisers for the 2022-23 academic year will be available in September 2022.
Useful websites UCAS
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/coursesearch/
Unifrog
https://www.unifrog.org/
Morrisby
https://www.morrisby.com/
Informed choices https://www.informedchoices.ac.uk/ (Russell group)