Times of the School Day
Time Activity
0800 Holy Mass (voluntary)
08:30 Registration, Form Time, Assembly (Tuesday)
08:35 Mass, Form Time, or Learning Support (Mon & Wednesday)
09:10 Period 1
09:55 Period 2
10:40 Break 11:00 Period 3
11:45 Period 4
12:30 Period 5
13:15 Lunch
14:20 Period 6 / Registration
15:05 Period 7
15:50 End of school
Sixth Form Code of Conduct
All the provisions of the whole school Code of Conduct apply to Sixth Form pupils unless stated otherwise below.
As the senior pupils at The Laurels and The Cedars, Sixth Form girls and boys are held to higher standards of maturity and responsibility than other pupils. They must model sensible, orderly, and well-mannered behaviour while in school and while travelling to and from school. Respect for all other members of the school community, and practical concern and support for younger pupils will be hallmarks of their behaviour. They will treat school buildings and property with exemplary care.
Any breach of common sense, common courtesy or the law, is a breach of school rules. Compliance with school rules is a condition of boys’ and girls’ continued membership of the school. They are expected to adhere to them whilst under school discipline, i.e., throughout the day, on their way to and from school, and during at any school-organised activity.
Fostering Mutual Respect
Just as the security and prosperity of a city-state of old relied upon strong walls and defences, secure and prosperous communities in every age are formed by strong bonds of mutual respect
Our Sixth Form will be a place in which each boy and girl flourishes if we all work at making it a calm, purposeful and happy environment, and this, in turn, requires of each of us a daily effort to
• treat each other with kindness and consideration; avoiding negativity, cynicism and sarcasm
• listen to and enjoy hearing about other people’s opinions, likes and dislikes
• look out for those around us, supporting them as best we can.
One’s capacity to form durable, happy and mutually-enriching relationships – be they personal friendships, professional relationships, or marriage – rests upon our learning to understand, appreciate and love others in their differences – of sex, temperament, character and opinions. This requires time and effort, but it reaps rich rewards.
Comparing ourselves to others
We compare ourselves to others all the time. We cannot help making such comparisons, and it is not in itself wrong to do so. When someone advises you to ‘stop comparing yourself to other people’ , they are using a shorthand phrase for ‘don’t draw uncharitable, negative, unrealistic or delusional conclusions when comparing yourself to someone else’ .
So, if you get 30% in an assessment, it would be uncharitable and delusional to taunt someone else because they came bottom of the class. At the other extreme, if we are envious of the person who came top, we risk placing a false barrier – of bias, negativity and unkindness - between ourselves and them.
The whole of our life is a journey towards greater and deeper self-knowledge, and a greater and deeper acceptance of our own and others’ weaknesses, limitations, talents and strengths. Paradoxically, only when we begin to really accept ourselves as we are, and accept others as they are, can we begin along the path of self-improvement. Then, the burden of our weaknesses and limitations becomes lighter and they are easier to overcome Then too, paradoxically, do we find it easier to accept and make allowances for the weaknesses and limitations of others, and to enjoy and admire the talents and gifts we see in others.
Gossip
Gossip is speaking negatively about someone behind their back. It can involve spreading rumours or falsehoods, or disclosing personal, private information about someone to others who have no right to know it. Gossip destroys the mutual trust that characterises all sound relationships. By breaking up relationships, gossip atomises communities. There is no place for gossip in our community and anyone who repeatedly gossips will be expelled from it
Entitled and discriminatory behaviour includes words or actions that implicitly or explicitly demean others. Leaving the Common Room full of litter and disorder reflects a demeaning attitude towards those in our community who clean and maintain it. Making sexualised or derogatory comments about a person’s physical characteristics, clothing or mannerisms – even under the guise of ‘jokes’ or banter, is demeaning of the dignity and respect due to each and every girl, boy, and member of staff in our school community. Fundamentally, such behaviour – whether it be a manifestation of male chauvinism specifically, or more generally, the insecurity of the bully – it is a defect of character which, if not corrected, will guarantee a lifetime of failed relationships. It will not be tolerated in our Sixth Form community.
Fostering a professional and purposeful academic environment
As in any other professional environment boys and girls are expected to act in a professional manner. Just as in large company or government agency, outward displays of affection, such as holding hands, kissing, or sitting on each other’s lap, would be out of place, so they are in the Sixth Form.
The Sixth Form Common Room and Study Area are public spaces which Sixth Form pupils have privileged use of. Other than limited use of smartphones, any behaviour or language which would be deemed inappropriate in the rest of the school is inappropriate in the Common Room.
In the Sixth Form, private study is as fundamental to success as are taught lessons. Pupils must make the same effort to be
• on time, and appropriately equipped
• mentally prepared for a study period as they would be for any other lesson.
Approved laptops or tablets, and calculators, are the only personal electronic devices that can be used during study periods.
Pupils should ask permission before using headphones or earplugs. Permission will only be granted for listening to study-related information e.g., watching a documentary on YouTube or a podcast.
Mobile phones are not permitted in the School Library or the study room.
Permission must be sought before leaving the room during a study period.
The care each person takes to
• avoid distractions and being a distraction (e.g., by fidgeting or moving around unnecessarily)
• put away books and materials back where they belong after use
• sit on all four legs of a chair
• maintain an environment of silent study is a great service to the school community and sets a high standard of behaviour for younger pupils.
Attendance and Punctuality
• Good attendance and punctuality are key to academic success. Poor attendance and punctuality are often symptoms of deeper problems which may be major obstacles to a person’s wellbeing and fulfilment. Establishing firm habits in these areas is vital for later life.
• Attendance and punctuality are especially important at The Cedars because our Sixth Form is small: If one Sixth Form pupil is missing from an A-level class can often mean 25% of the class –or more - is absent. His absence is therefore likely to have a direct impact on the learning of others.
• Taking care of one’s diet, exercise, and sleep are important ways to look after one’ fitness and general health. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of others.
• Medical appointments, driving lessons, holidays etc. must, as far as possible, be scheduled outside of school time. Students may not miss part of the school day to go to part-time employment.
• Pupils must make every effort to be early for school and punctual to lessons during the school day, particularly after break and lunch.
Absences
Absence due to illness, or lateness should be communicated to the School Reception no later than 8:45am
Phone: (020) 8185 7770 Email: absence@thecedarsschool.org.uk (& cc Mr Narbrough mnarbrough@thecedarsschool.org.uk and his or her tutor.
A written explanation is needed for every period of absence.
If a student has a medical appointment, parents are asked to inform the school in advance using the absence e-mail address and cc’ing Mr Narbrough.
Requests for short-term absences for any reason other than sickness or a medical appointment should be made to Mr Doran (cdoran@thecedarsschool.org.uk). Permission for absence of more than a few days must be made in writing to the headmaster (cc’ing Mr Doran), giving as much notice as possible.
Regular or extended absence and/or lateness can jeopardise a pupil’s place in the Sixth Form.
Break and Lunch times
Sixth Form boys and girls have the privilege of being allowed out of school at lunch time. They must sign out and sign in again at Reception before 1415.
Representing the school
Boys and girls will be prepared to represent the school whenever selected, including weekend fixtures. Any request to be excused from a fixture must be made by the pupil's parent or guardian in writing to the teacher in charge of the team. Such exceptional requests must be made well in advance and in any case not less than 48 hours before the fixture is due to take place. The same principle applies for all other school extra-curricular commitments.
Food and drink
Except for water, which may be drunk in lessons at the discretion of the teacher, food and drink may only be consumed during breaks in the dining hall or Common Room. Sixth Form boys and girls should model the consumption of a balanced and nutritious diet. Mess from Sixth Form eating (especially mess from takeaways) will result in privileges being taken away.
Chewing gum is strictly forbidden and must not be brought into school.
Valuables including any type of electronic equipment, must not be brought to school except when express permission has been given by a teacher for a specified activity.
Tobacco & Vaping
The school’s rules on tobacco and vaping do not change when boys and girls enter the Sixth Form. Pupils may not bring tobacco, vapes or any smoking paraphernalia to school. Pupils must not be seen smoking or vaping wherever they represent The Cedars Sixth Form.
Use of Personal Electronic Devices in School
Smartphones
Permission to bring smartphones into school is a privilege granted to Sixth Form pupils in view of their greater maturity. Smartphones and electronic devices are brought onto the premises at the pupils’ own risk.
Phones may only be used in the Sixth Form Common Room. The express permission of a member of staff must be request and explicitly granted for a brief and specific use of a phone at any other time or in any other part of the school.
Inappropriate use of phones as outlined above, or in any other way, will always result in their confiscation until the end of the school day. Parents will be notified. Repeated misuse or excessive use of smart phones in school could result in the complete loss of this privilege.
Wi-Fi, Laptops and Tablets
A Wi-Fi network is available for Sixth Form use in the Common Room and Study Area.
Subject to the conditions below, pupils will be allowed to bring a personal laptop or tablet device for use in school.
• Through a contractual arrangement signed by parents, pupils and the School,
o monitoring software is added to the device by IT Support which allows the monitoring of internet use while in school.
o Such software is not tampered with, switched off, or deleted.
o Pupils are strictly forbidden from accessing the internet via a hotspot, bypassing the school WiFi’s security filters.
• Wi-Fi access will only be available for laptops and tablets, not to smartphones.
• The provision of laptops and tablets is granted to help study. While at school such devices are for schoolwork only. The use of electronic devices, including internet use, is monitored.
• Sixth Form pupils must read this document, as well as School’s Acceptable Use of IT. They are expected to use all IT facilities – including their personal devices – following these terms. Inappropriate use may result in disciplinary action.
• Where, in the judgement of Head of Sixth Form and in consultation with colleagues, a student is seen to lack the self-discipline and maturity to use electronic devices effectively, the privilege of using them in school will be withdrawn, either temporarily or permanently.
No device will be given internet access until the Consent Form and Acceptable Use Agreement are signed and returned.
Dress Code
We dress not only for ourselves but for others, and as befits the occasion. Sixth Form pupils engaged in the serious business of academic and personal development will reflect both personality and purpose in the way they present themselves. Taking care of one’s appearance is a mark of respect towards others; those with whom we work, and those we represent and serve in our School and in the wider community.
The whole educational project tends towards personal flourishing through the acquisition of virtue and the development of character. It is therefore fitting that our dress code allows young men and women - conscious of their dignity and confident of their own identity - to express themselves in the way they dress.
Boys
• A suit and tie, or alternatively, a jacket/sports jacket or blazer, tie, and tailored trousers.
• Trousers will be well-pressed and with a crease. Flannels, corduroy, chinos, or denim/jeans are not permitted.
• Shirts must be well-ironed and with a collar. Casual shirts, polo or t-shirts are not permitted.
• Top buttons will be done up and ties visible.
• V-neck or crew cut pullovers may be worn, but zip-up fleeces, hoodies or casual tops are not permitted
• Gilets and coats must not be worn around school – they are for the outdoors.
• Shoes need not necessarily be lace-ups, but must not be casual/recreational e.g., Sandals, trainers or anything resembling trainers.
• Earrings are not permitted, nor is it admissible to cover earings with a plaster.
In colour, design and cut, all clothes and shoes must be sober. Garish or extreme combinations (including socks) are inappropriate.
• All clothes must be clean, in good condition, without discernible rips, tears or holes.
• Hair must be straight-forward, non-ostentatious in style. There are no differences in expectation between Sixth Form hair and the hairstyles of Lower School boys.
• Boys should be clean shaven. Beards and moustaches are not allowed unless an exemption for medical or religious reasons has been approved by the headmaster.
The judgement of the school in all matters relating to dress is final. Girls
• A trouser suit or a skirt and blazer. Skirts must be of appropriate length and not excessively short.
• Trousers will be well-pressed and with a crease. Flannels, corduroy, chinos, or denim/jeans are not permitted.
• Shirts must be well-ironed and with a collar. Casual shirts, polo or t-shirts are not permitted.
• Cardigans or V-neck or crew cut pullovers may be worn, but zip-up fleeces, hoodies or casual tops are not permitted.
• Gilets and coats must not be worn around school – they are for the outdoors.
• Shoes need not necessarily be lace-ups, but must not be casual/recreational e.g., Sandals, trainers or anything resembling trainers.
• A single, discreet earring is permitted in the lobe of each ear.
In colour, design and cut, all girls’ clothes and shoes must be sober. Garish or extreme combinations (including socks) are inappropriate.
• All clothes must be clean, in good condition, without discernible rips, tears or holes.
• Hair must be straight-forward, non-ostentatious in style. There are no differences in expectation between Sixth Form girls’ hair and the hairstyles of Lower School girls.
• Make-up must be discreet.
• Hair covering may only be worn for religious reasons.
Jewellery
A single bracelet may be worn, but rings or other items of jewellery are forbidden, as are piercings other than in the lobe of the ear. A plain necklace such as a chain and medal under the clothing may be worn, but must be removed during Games lessons. Badges must not be added to bags or clothing.
The judgement of the school in all matters relating to dress is final.
Rewards and Sanctions
Sixth Form Commendations
As well as being a mark of appreciation for a Sixth Form pupil’s hard work, achievement, or contribution of school life, Sixth Form Commendations contribute to the body of evidence that will be used when writing UCAS and other references.
Commendations will be awarded for exceptional
• academic work, such as an essay, presentation, test, or assignment.
• effort in academic, sporting, or other extra-curricular activities
• contribution to the life of the school in music, drama, sport, or other school event
• example in living up to the school’s ethos.
Sanctions in the Sixth Form
Establishing good routines is fundamental to success at A level. Therefore, we will always hold boys and girls to account for not keeping them. Specifically, subject teachers will issue a non satis to pupils for:
• Lateness to lessons
• Not having necessary materials for class, or a reading book during form time.
• Not completing or submitting sub-standard work (and be redone within 24 hours)
• Inattentiveness, immaturity, or tiredness, where the student does not react decisively after the infraction has been pointed out.
A referral is a given for a more serious breach of school discipline. These might include, for example, receiving two or more non satis within a short time frame (e.g., 7 days)
Repeated breaches of the Sixth Form Code of Conduct, or a single serious infraction of it may result in a temporary internal or external exclusion. Two such exclusions may result in permanent exclusion
Assessment, Reporting and Progression to A Levels
Assessment and Monitoring
Success at A Level is a function of several factors:
• strong prior attainment at GCSE
• sound and steady study habits
• thorough preparation for the examination requirements and assessment criteria of their chosen A Level subjects
• a collaborative and positive approach to relations with teachers and fellow students
• a real interest and enthusiasm for one’s chosen subjects.
Regular monitoring of class and homework, formal assessments and close collaboration between teachers, tutors and parents, enable us to identify where the balance of these factors lie at the start of their A Level studies, and to monitor when and what additional support and targeted intervention is required at regular intervals, to ensure that each of our A Level pupils stay firmly on the path to academics success at A Level.
Assessment Calendar 2024-5
Michaelmas Term
ParentPortal publication
27 September Early UCAS Subject Reports (U6) NA
23 Sept - 4 Oct
11 October
7 October – 18 October
7 November
2nd – 10 December
Hilary Term
20 – 31 January
3 – 11 March
3 April
Trinity Term
23 April – 2 May
2 – 6 June
Assessment Test 1 (AT1) 7 Oct
UCAS Subject Reps & Predicted Grades 11 Oct (Grades only)
Assessment Test 2 (AT2) 4 November
L6 and U6 Parents Evening
L6 Interim 1& U6 Trial 1 exams (AT3) 15 January
Assessment Test 4 (AT4) 3 February
L6 Interim 2 and U6 Trial 2 exams (AT5) 1 April
L6 and U6 Parents Evening
Assessment Test 6 (AT6) 6 May
L6 End of Year Examinations (AT7) 25th June
Progression to A2 (Upper Sixth)
In order to continue their studies into the Upper Sixth, pupils must achieve as a minimum, a grade D in each of their end of year Lower Sixth examinations
In the case of Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics, a grade C will be the usual minimum grade for progression to A2.
Decisions about progression are made on a case-by-case basis and mitigating circumstances are taken into account.
Attendance at lessons
Starting out well
• If you know you are going to miss a lesson, tell your teachers in advance.
• If you do miss a lesson, it is your responsibility to ensure you catch up the work.
• Five days after a missed lesson, ‘I was away that lesson’ becomes an invalid excuse.
Use of class time
Experience shows that a sloppy attitude towards classwork always results in underachievement in exams.
So:
• You must arrive to class punctually and with all the required equipment.
• Look as if you mean business: abide by the dress code, sit up in class, look interested.
• Take an active part in lessons. This primarily means focusing your thoughts on what you are studying Clear signs of active engagement are:
o Not waiting to be told to take notes: an active pen is a good sign of an active brain.
o Asking questions so that you understand fully what you are learning
o SPEAK UP IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.
o Being disposed to learn from others. Not treating a discussion like a tennis match, still less like a war. Rather, listening and trying to understand the viewpoint of others. Asking them questions. Showing appreciation for interesting ideas.
• Never speak when someone else is speaking – it is bad manners.
• If you are quiet by temperament, we respect that. Try, all the same, to make at least one contribution in each lesson: ask a question or seek a point of clarification.
• Be appreciative of advice and constructive criticism of your work: have a green pen and be especially diligent in responding to feedback.
Personal Organisation & the Quality of Work
The two clearest signs of a well-motivated student are their effort to be well-organized, and the care they take to produce work to their best standard.
• Make a general schedule for the week that includes paid work, socialising, clubs, etc. This will help you
o get everything done and meet deadlines
o acquire the right balance between work, rest, and relaxation.
• For every 45-minute lesson, you must be doing 90 minutes of personal study.
• Use this diary to record assignments, track progress etc.
Organising notes
• Follow the advice of subject teachers about how to organise your notes.
• The following system for organizing notes is ‘tried and trusted’:
o Get a large (‘Lever Arch’) folder for each subject. Keep them at home.
o Keep current notes and materials in a single file which you bring to school. Use dividers to separate out the subjects. Move notes to the subject files when you change to a new topic.
• Whatever system of notetaking you adopt, make sure to have an effective numbering system. Files/folders can be dropped, and papers can end up in a heap. Numbered pages are far easier to reorder!
Personal Study
• Decide where and how you work best.
• You may need to work on your concentration span. Set realistic targets for increasing this until you can do a solid hour without a break.
• Try to do as much study as possible at school where you have resources and teachers at hand.
• Aim to study as much as you can before dinner; most people find it harder to work after they have eaten.
• The best alternative to staying up late and burning the midnight oil is to go to bed at a sensible time and if necessary, get up early. Yes, it’s a pain, but you will work twice as efficiently once you get started.
• Do work on the day it is set. Do it to the best of your ability in the time you have.
• Never be ashamed of your best. You will almost certainly find some things hard. Failures are always successes when they teach you what you did wrong.
Meeting Deadlines
Acceptable reasons for not meeting deadlines might include:
• Serious injury – involving temporary or permanent disability
• An ‘act of God’ – lighting strike, hurricane, famine, earthquake, etc.
• A family crisis or illness – in which case you will always email/phone school. Anything else is an EXCUSE for why one has failed to manage one’s time effectively. Some excuses must never even cross your mind, let alone your lips:
• OTHER COMMITMENTS: ‘I was working until … so I didn’t have time …’ If you can’t manage to balance the demands of Sixth Form studies with a part-time job, then CUT DOWN YOUR HOURS, GIVE UP PART TIME WORK COMPLETELY, OR GIVE UP A LEVELS. [The chances are you don’t really have to do any of these; you just need to manage time better.]
• PLAYING ‘THICK’: ‘I couldn’t do it – it was too hard.’ This is usually a poor excuse. Your teachers get paid to help you if you find something difficult. All you need to do is come and ask for help. If you leave a piece of work until the night before – and THEN find ‘you can’t do it,’ you cannot expect much sympathy. The only way to prove you cannot do something is by doing it! Give it your best shot, poor though you think it is NEVER miss a lesson because you cannot meet a deadline; missing TWO appointments because you missed one is … stupid!
‘Burning the midnight oil’ - i.e., staying up late - is not advisable, but it is an admirable proof of one’s commitment to one’s studies – so do it rather than come to class ‘empty-handed’. We want to write the word RELIABLE on every report we write about you (especially UCAS). If we cannot do so, it will be your fault.
Techniques for Effective Independent Study
For success at A Level, the balance between teacher-set class and homework and independent study must move decisively in favour of independent study. So, as a rule of thumb, for every 45minute period, you must be doing 90 minutes of independent work. Here are some ways in which you can do this effectively: Revisit notes (not just the most recent)
• Add to them
• Annotate them
Make revision resources
At A Level, revision must become an everyday activity:
• to consolidate material just learnt
• to work steadily on a body of personalised revision materials
• to facilitate the revision process: maximising time and minimising anxiety
The goal is to regularly ensure material covered in class moves from one’s short-term memory to one’s longterm memory.
• Re-write notes more briefly so that it can more readily be committed to long-term memory. Many people find making up their own revision cards soon after a learning a new topic to be very valuable
• Convert information from one form into another to consolidate understanding: tables, spiderdiagrams, word-clouds (wordle.net), bullet points, continuous prose, etc.
• Most pupils who make good revision materials leave the job half-done. The final – and key step - is to make schemata of topics. This allows you to see links within and across topics. Without this last step, it is very hard to develop higher thinking skills of evaluation and synthesis –which is the ‘stuff’ of A and A* work.
Past Papers
• Attempt a question without referring to your notes or books. Do it in timed conditions.
• Refer to your notes/books/other sources to improve your answer.
• Mark the answer against the mark scheme.
Wider Reading
• Read articles relevant to an area of study in the subject (use Google Scholar to find these) to add to your folder along with annotations or a brief summary (e.g., on a large post-it note)
• Become an expert in a topic you particularly enjoy
• Read a biography of an important figure related to your studies
Self-directed Learning
Among the main reasons for underachievement among Sixth Formers, two stand out:
• the failure of a student to take ownership of his learning, and
• the failure to address problems when they first arise.
The best way to avoid falling into these pitfalls is to establish routines of Reflect - What did I do well today? What did I do badly, or not do? What can I do better tomorrow? Talk – with friends we trust, teachers and, especially, tutors to get a broader perspective Take action – agree a strategy and stick to it.
1. VESPA
Working towards success at A Level
Gradually and calmly, work yourself steadily to the right of the spectrum in the five areas given below:
2. Fostering ambition
Gradually and calmly, develop a stronger sense of the person you want to be (more than the job or career you want to have, or the place or position you want to get to).
• Understand your personality preferences
• Recognise your strengths & weaknesses
• Learn to play to your strengths & acquire realistic strategies for handling your limitations
3. Establishing an effective relationship with your tutor
Progress in 1 and 2 above is made much more manageable Sharing ideas, asking for advice, putting someone else’s recommendations are signs of strength, not of weakness.Not