APS Prospectus 2020

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Prospectus

Welcome Thank you for your interest in Alexandra Park Sixth Form.

Our sixth form is thriving; we have more than 550 students studying A Level and BTEC courses. Since opening in 2004 we have worked tirelessly to develop our provision to ensure the best possible outcomes for all students. Ofsted confirmed that “the effectiveness of the Sixth Form is outstanding”. This judgement was based on the “outstanding teaching” that students receive, the “exemplary care”, guidance and support that is provided to them and the “outstanding progress” that they make, both in terms of examination results and in moving to Higher Education, training or employment.

Last year’s results were outstanding; more students than ever earned A*-C grades and more than 40% went to Russell Group universities. More than 80% of our students were accepted to their first choice university and more than 80% are going to a university ranked in the top 30%. A national comparison classifies this as an “outstanding” achievement and independent analysis concludes that in terms of the value we add to students our results place us in the top 10% of Sixth Forms in England and Wales.

We are immensely proud of our students’ university successes. They are reading a range of subjects including Architecture, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Dentistry, Economics,

Engineering, English Literature, History, Law, Medicine, Physics and PPE at institutions across the country. Oftsed recognised the success of our Sixth Form in ensuring students have ‘high aspirations’. This is shown, in part, by the success of our students applying to Oxbridge.

Alexandra Park Sixth Form provides students with an exciting opportunity to continue their education in a calm and caring environment which has a culture of learning at its heart. We view each student as an individual and will do all we can to help them realise their full potential.

St.John Starkie Director of Sixth Form

The Sixth Form Curriculum At Alexandra Park Sixth Form we offer our students a broad and balanced curriculum of more than 30 different subjects. Course descriptions are available from the Sixth Form website, including specific subjects’ entry criteria. To study any course at A Level you must have at least a grade 5 in both English and Maths and a minimum of three other GCSE grades of 5 or above.

The majority of our A Level subjects demand a grade 6, in that or a related subject.

All students will concentrate on Level 3 courses (A level or BTEC) starting four subjects in Year 12. The pursuit of four subjects offers flexibility and breadth, ensuring each student can pursue a course which meets their interests and maximises their options for further study. In Year 13 students are required to complete at least three subjects at BTEC or A level. High achieving students are given opportunities to complete additional qualifications such as the Extended Project.

Humanities & Sciences Languages Technology Social Sciences & Maths

Arts

BTECs

Art & Design

Business Studies

Business

French

Biology

Product Design

Drama

Music (Technology)

Classics

Mandarin

Chemistry

Textiles

Economics

Spanish

Computing

Music (Performance)

English Literature

Turkish

Mathematics

Geography

Further Maths

Health & Social Care

History

Physics

Media Studies

PE

Philosophy

Science

Politics Psychology

Music Photography

ICT

Religion, Philosophy & Ethics Sociology

Experiences Outside the Classroom We encourage departments to pursue opportunities for their Sixth Form students outside the classroom.

In recent years this has included international trips to New York (Product Design), Iceland (Geography), French Guiana (Science), The Alps (Skiing), Switzerland (Hadron Collider –Physics) and Athens (Classics).

All of our students undertake enrichment during Wednesday afternoons where they are encouraged to choose one of a number of exciting activities. These currently include Mandarin, Debating, Ist XI Football, Kayaking, Sixth Form Newspaper, Sports, Fundraising and Global Issues. Opportunities grow every year and we are keen to respond to the interests of our current students as well as encouraging them to discover new activities which will broaden their interests.

We organise tutor groups into houses which encourages a healthy sense of community and competition. Students can apply for the much sought after roles of House Captain and Senior Student as well captains of teams and leaders of societies. Our Sixth Form students are also regular performers in our drama and musical productions, and our impressive range of choirs and orchestras.

University Guidance Our extensive links with academic institutions have ensured a wealth of exciting study-based opportunities in the UK. The following are now part of an established programme we offer our students: Cambridge University (Maths), Oxford University & Highgate School (Chemistry), King’s College, London (Medicine), Brilliant Club (Mentoring by doctorate students from leading universities) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

We have also established a partnership with the Prince’s Teaching Institute aimed at developing our A level teachers by giving them opportunities to collaborate with academics from leading universities.

Students receive regular updates on mentoring opportunities offered by universities. We encourage them to become keen participants on these programmes, particularly those considering medicine, law or Oxbridge applications.

We encourage students to set themselves high expectations for future education and careers.

For those planning to go to university a signiďŹ cant emphasis is placed on the UCAS application process, completing personal statements and, where relevant, preparing for interviews. Our students are given opportunities to attend open days to guide them in their choice of university.

Furthermore we have formed close links with Future First and the Arcadia Group to provide valuable work experience opportunities.

University Destinations The vast majority of our students progress to university after completing their A levels. Our students have been extremely successful in securing places on a variety of courses at a range of institutions across the country. This year more than 80% of our students secured places at their ďŹ rst choice of university and 80% of those have moved on to undergraduate study at Russell Group / Top 30 universities. Our students regularly secure places at Oxford and Cambridge University, reading a wide range of subjects: English Literature, Classics, Law, History, Maths, Modern Languages, Music and Natural Sciences.

University Destinations First Choice Insurance Clearing Gap Year

University Subject Choices Arts Business, Economics Humanities Science, Maths & Engineering Medical Studies

University Destinations London Midlands North South East South West

Student Profiles The featured students on this page are now studying at top universities on very competitive courses. It’s easy to look at their success and imagine that they were born to it. But their grades are testament to an enormous amount of hard work from the very first day of their year 12 courses.

We are proud of their successes and the achievements of their peers but recognise that whilst we provide an outstanding eduction they went the extra mile, took every opportunity presented to them and have been justly rewarded.

Ava Mitchell Ava could have studied any subject she chose at university. She is an extraordinary mathematician and took five subjects to AS level. Fortunately many of her broad interests are combined in one course, Human Sciences, the study of the biological, social and cultural aspects of human life. Unfortunately it is only taught at one university: Oxford. Given Ava’s exceptional intellect her teachers were never in doubt that she would earn her place there. Ava devoted herself to her studies and throughout her second year in the sixth form was rarely to be found without a textbook in front of her.

Rapha Ridley To read medicine at university students must not only get exceptional grades at A level. They must also prepare for and excel in special tests that take place months before their A level exams. Beyond the rigorous requirements of the curriculum they must also show that they are excellent communicators.

No teacher was ever in doubt that Rapha would do everything possible to get the best grades and had the people skills to match her extraordinary academic ability. However she earned a place at Oxford to read medicine, one of the most competitive courses at any university and never let the pressure show!

Jeremy Atkinson Despite working incredibly hard for two years for four A levels to read physics at a world class centre Jeremy never let the stress show. He excelled in maths, further maths and physics but managed to maintain an extraordinary range of extra-curricular activities and take part in an internship at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Jeremy’s workload was immense but he smiled through it all showing something beyond resilience: a joy of learning.

Sharon Owusu Sharon’s love of classics extends far beyond the canon and includes a range of writers, poets and playwrights outside the A level curriculum. Her dedication to learning, sense of humour and love of her subject have earned her a place at Cambridge, one of the most competitive universities in the world, to study the subject she loves.

Benjamin Brockdorff-Kennedy Ben is now reading Engineering at one of the best universities in the country. He took a characteristically pragmatic approach to his studies, completing assignments early, practising drills in maths and physics and making sure that he felt so comfortable with the content that he could then relax and enjoy his time in sixth form. Far from martyring himself to work he was organised enough so that it didn’t completely dominate his time at school and allowed him to pursue other interests. This level of maturity is rare but makes for a very happy student!

A Level Results 2019 The grades students earn at A level improve year-on-year in terms of both attainment and progress. Last year, despite the challenges of the new curricula, our students made so much progress beyond their target grades that they put us in the top 10% of sixth forms nationwide. We keep our A level offer very broad so that as many students as possible can access courses that are appropriate for them.

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

Top 10% Nationally

0% A* - A

A* - B

A* - C

Grades

APS

National

A*-A

26%

25%

A*-B

60%

52%

A*-C

87%

76%

A*-E

100%

98%

A* - E

W W W. A L E X A N D R A PA R K . S C H O O L

“ The effectiveness of the Sixth Form is outstanding (Ofsted 2011).

Headteacher: Michael McKenzie Director of Sixth Form: St.John Starkie Alexandra Park School, Bidwell Gardens, London, N11 2AZ Phone: 020 8826 4880 Email: office@alexandrapark.school

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This judgement is based on consideration of the 'outstanding teaching' that students receive, 'the exemplary care, guidance and support' that is provided to them and the 'outstanding progress' that they make, both in terms of examination results and in moving on to Higher Education, training or employment.”