Post16 Prospectus 2016

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PROSPECTUS MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXPERIENCES, MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS AND INSPIRING SELF BELIEF

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Transcript of Post16 Prospectus 2016

Page 1: Post16 Prospectus 2016

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I am delighted you are thinking of taking up a place at Highgate Wood

School and hope we will be able to welcome you in September.

We are proud to have a popular sixth form where students make

exceptional progress and are able to develop themselves fully as

individuals. We enjoy this success thanks to a committed team of

excellent subject teachers, a carefully planned programme of guidance

and support and some great facilities. But our track record of academic

achievement and success, which continues to improve year-on-year, is

not just down to our teachers and our resources. It is also down to the

young people who make up our sixth form.

Our students are an amazing collection of individuals - creative,

hardworking, highly motivated and inspirational. Each of them, in their

own way, helps enrich and improve the life of the school and the lives of

those around them. If you are someone who will meet our challenging

entrance requirements, is prepared to work hard and give your best, and

you are willing and able to make a significant contribution to our sixth

form and school, then we look forward to receiving your application.

Patrick Cozier Headteacher

Choosing where and what to study after Year 11 is probably the most

important decision you have ever had to make. It’s a choice that will not only

shape the next two years but could influence the course of your whole life.

You will be studying subjects you enjoy in a completely different way to GCSE, whilst

developing as a person and deciding where your next steps should take you. You’ll

discover new freedoms, new responsibilities and a world of choices and

opportunities. You will be challenging yourself as an individual, gaining new

independence and getting to know who you really are.

Some of our students aspire to study medicine or law, apply to Oxbridge or different

Russell Group universities. Others will want to pursue their studies at elite colleges

for the arts, for music or technology. Some will be considering a swifter entry into the

world of work, or possibly a gap year before taking a degree course. Whatever your

aspiration or dream, we will be there to help, support and guide you.

The success of our students and the effectiveness of our provision has made us an

increasingly natural choice for students from other schools as well as those for whom

Highgate Wood is already very familiar. We hope that you too will be excited by what

you learn about us in this prospectus and also through our Open Evenings and course

handbook. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Nick Charlesworth Head of Sixth Form

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Solving a problem?...

It’s a great feeling when

you finally get it right!

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A major programme of Post-16 reform was launched in 2014 which,

by the time it is completed in September 2017, will have changed the

nature of all academic and vocational courses delivered by schools

and colleges in England.

Under the new system AS and A-Levels will be separate qualifications

and the majority of courses will be fully linear, which means that

examinations will be required by each qualification at the end of that

course. The assumption is that all the newer courses will be more

rigorously examined and their content will be more challenging.

As these new courses are introduced students will be taking a mix of

the older and the newer style A level qualifications. This is something

that is happening to all sixth formers across the country.

At Highgate Wood School Sixth Form most students will continue to

study four AS subjects, and sit examinations for these at the end of

Year 12. This approach offers flexibility and breadth, ensuring each

student is able to follow the courses that meets their interests and

maximises their options for further study. It also ensures that

students will meet the requirements of leading universities, many of

which have suggested they will prefer students to have sat AS

examinations as these offer a clear indication of academic progress

and potential.

Art and Design Biology Business Chemistry

Computer Science Economics English Language English Literature

History Physics Psychology Sociology

Dance Drama & Theatre French

Geography German Music

Physical Education Religious Studies Spanish

Design & Technology Further Maths Government & Politics

ICT Maths Media Studies

Music Technology Philosophy Statistics

New A Level courses from September 2015 2015

New A Level courses from September 2016 2016

New A Level courses from September 2017 2017

A LEVEL REFORM TIMELINE

Making the correct decision on

courses at Post 16 is critical. You need

to get the right balance of subjects to

give you a breadth of experience, and the

very best chance of success overall. You need to make sure that the

courses you take match your current aptitudes and enthusiasms, and

you must be confident that your courses will allow you to pursue the

plans you have for the future. With this in mind, we pride ourselves

on the expert guidance we provide to our students, both during the

application process and at the point of enrolment.

At Highgate Wood School Sixth Form we want to ensure that all our

students succeed in all their courses. We have clear entry criteria for

each subject, and this is provided in the Course Handbook. This

requirement is underpinned by a demand for all our Sixth Form

students to have achieved a good set of results across a range of

subjects at GCSE. For students taking four A Levels an Average Point

Score across 8 GCSEs of 5.6 or above, indicating an average grade of

between a B and a C, is required. For students taking a mixed

programme of A Levels and BTEC courses we need an Average Point

Score across 8 GCSEs of above 4.8, indicating an average grade of very

slightly below a C.

An APS calculator is available on the 6th form website.

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Great atmosphere

Our students often comment on the great

atmosphere within their Sixth Form. Here the

school motto “Everyone Matters” is brought to

life by an ethos of genuine caring,

consideration, friendship and mutual support

amongst the senior student body of the

school.

Financial Support

Highgate Wood School, along with all other

schools with Sixth Forms, has been given the

responsibility by government of providing

discretionary bursary payments to some

students.

This fund has been designed by the

Government to be available to those students

most in need of financial support in post-16

education.

Committed teachers

Our success is built on first class teaching

and our reputation allows us to keep on

attracting great staff.

An inspiring teacher can transform a subject

and you’ll find plenty of them here; hugely

talented, highly qualified people who know

their subject inside out and are dedicated to

helping you fulfil your ambitions.

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Wide Opportunities

Students in Highgate Wood School Sixth Form

have the opportunity to take part in a huge

range of extra-curricular activities, from the

challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh Award or

enrolling in World Challenge, to contributing

to the work of the school as councillors,

contributing to the Sixth Form newspaper or

even as members of the 6th form football

team!

Student Leadership

We have a Student Leadership programme

offering over 30 volunteering opportunities in

the school and local community, including

organising peer mentoring, running lunchtime

clubs, classroom support and paid duties

around the school. These activities not only

help the community, they also provide the

evidence of experience that is so useful for

UCAS and employment applications.

Raising Aspirations

As members of The Brilliant Club, Highgate

Wood School Sixth Form is able to provide op-

portunities for students to visit the UK’s top

universities, including several Russell Group

universities where our Sixth Formers have

attended tutorials with post-graduates stu-

dents there.

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Travel and Adventure

There are many opportunities for students to

connect with others around the world.

We are proud recipients of the International

Schools Award, and our students are able to

travel the world through the World Challenge

programme as well as visit local and

international destinations as part of their

courses.

Scholars Programme

Some of our students are Highgate

Wood School Scholars, attending top universities

and producing a 2,500 word undergraduate

assignment as part of that programme.

It is an extremely useful initiative for students

who wish to gain some first-hand experience of

university life.

Induction Programme

Our fun-packed induction programme ensures

that new Year 12 students hit the ground

running - in more ways than one!

As well as a series of team-building and

getting-to-know you activities, students in

their first weeks at Highgate Wood School also

receive help and guidance on how to work

smart and meet the challenges of post-16

education.

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Model UN

Highgate Wood School has an enviable

reputation with Model UN, regularly winning

accolades for best delegates and best overall

performance.

Model UN provides students with hugely

valuable experience at public speaking,

debating and carrying an argument - all skills

recognised in business and higher education.

Support and Advice

Our programme of support and advice to

help students decide on the next stage of

their lives has been praised by Ofsted and

by the national press. We are committed

to ensuring all our students are fully

prepared for successful university

application and personal progression.

Model UN

Highgate Wood School has an enviable

reputation with Model UN, regularly winning

accolades for best delegates and best overall

performance.

Model UN provides students with hugely

valuable experience at public speaking,

debating and carrying an argument - all skills

recognised in business and higher education.

Future Networking

Our Sixth Form is part of the Future First

scheme. This programme enables students to

connect with Highgate Wood School alumni

who have already forged careers for

themselves and are enjoying success in a wide

range of professions, from medicine to

construction and from computer programming

to art and design.

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In 2011 Ofsted observed that some of

Highgate Wood School’s best teaching happens

in the Sixth Form, and that continues today. We

are delighted that we have been consistently in the

top 20% of schools in the country for the progress made

by students in the Sixth Form, and this leads to very successful outcomes both in

terms of exam results and the destinations available to our students.

Our pass rate at A Level is now well-established at 100%, with the vast majority of

over students achieving grades A* - C and well over half of them managing to reach

the top A* - B grades.

Highgate Wood School’s post-16 courses are timetabled for nine hours per fortnight

and teaching is generally split between two experienced, specialist teachers. Having

two teachers provides students with a variety of teaching styles and safeguards

continuity should a teacher be away from school for any reason.

Sixth Formers are also supported by an experienced tutor team, including Heads of

Subjects from across the school—English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, History,

Media Studies, Business and Economics. They, together with their subject teachers,

are able to carefully monitor students’ progress and provide support and guidance

when it is required.

Feedback from our students tells us that they value the engagement they are able to

have with teachers and peers, and really enjoy their time with us.

They especially appreciate the extremely supportive approach that

we provide for learning. Sixth Form students refer to the very high

expectations their teachers have regarding the quality of work

required, and how they are guided and encouraged to be able to meet those challenging

targets. Students are also very complementary of the various extra-curricular enrichment

activities, including overseas trips, that are available in so many subjects at post-16 that allows

them to take their knowledge and understanding well beyond the simple limits of the course or

the qualification, and to share the passion and enthusiasm their teachers have for the work

they have undertaken to do.

It is largely because of the faith our students have in their teachers, and the confidence teachers

have of their students, that Highgate Wood School Sixth Form

continues to thrive and enjoy some of the best results

not just in the local area but in the country as a whole.

“Smaller classes and good teachers help

you to understand, learn and improve.”

“The Sixth Form has helped me to

grow in self-confidence and

achieve my best.”

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Students from Highgate Wood School Sixth Form are

now taking degrees in an extraordinarily wide-range

of disciplines at universities all across the country. It

would be hard to find any good university in the UK

that did not boast at least one member of Highgate

Wood School’s alumni. Cambridge, Oxford, London,

Belfast, Sheffield, Sussex, Leeds, Loughborough,

Bath, Bristol, Essex and East Anglia are just a few of

the locations where our students are now

embarking on the next stage of their learning

careers.

This success is largely due to the achievements of

our students in their examinations. It is also helped,

however, by the expert advice and guidance we are

able to provide. The Sixth Form team carefully guide

the students through the UCAS process, and we

have a dedicated careers officer to give information

on other pathways. The Head of Sixth Form also

manages an additional support programme for

Oxbridge, Medicine and Law applicants.

Our programme of student guidance and support

has been praised by Ofsted and featured in the

national press. It is one of the many strengths of the

Sixth Form and allows our students to progress

through the often stressful process of moving to the

next stage of their lives with confidence and a sense

of certainty and calm.

Some of the destinations of Highgate Wood School students in recent years:

Bristol University: Economics and Finance, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, History, Sociology, Physics

Brunel University: Psychology, Sport, Economics, Business & Management

Camberwell College of Arts: Graphic Design

Cambridge University: Natural Sciences, Philosophy

City University London: Law, Psychology, Nursing

Coventry University: Theatre, Engineering

De Montfort University: Media Production, Fashion, Psychology, Design

Edinburgh University: Architecture

Falmouth University: Illustration, Advertising, Music Tech, Photography

Goldsmiths, University of London: Computer Science, Social Work

Kings College London: Chemistry, Anatomy and Human Biology, Medicine, Mathematics, Business Management

Leeds College: Animation, Music Production, Music

Leeds University: History, Politics, Sociology , International Relations

London Metropolitan: Architecture, Music Tech, Sports Coaching

London School of Economics: Anthropology, Law

Loughborough: Product Design, Industrial Design, Technology, Politics

Manchester Metropolitan: Fashion, Law, Film, Media Studies.

Manchester University: English Literature, History, Sociology, Politics, Geography, Neuroscience, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics.

Newcastle University: Psychology, Business Management

Nottingham University: Modern Languages, Geography, History

Oxford University: Biological Sciences, History, Media & Culture

Plymouth University: Criminology, Criminal Justice Studies

Queen Mary: History, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering

Queens University Belfast: Drama

University College London: History

University of Bath: Mathematics, Physics

University of Birmingham: Accounting and Finance, History, Biochemistry,

University of Bournemouth: Digital Design, Media Production, Events Management

University of East Anglia: English Literature, Philosophy, Finance

University of Essex: History, Marketing, Economics

University of Exeter: Computer Science, Biological Science

University Of Keele: Criminology, Computer Science, Sociology

University of Kent: History, Law, Linguistics, English Language, Drama, Sociology

University of Reading: English Language. Politics, Philosophy, Biological Sciences.

University of Sheffield: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Politics, Sociology

University of Sussex: Psychology, Zoology, English, Art History, Criminology, History, Music, Sociology, American Studies, Cultural Studies, Media Production

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Highgate Wood School Sixth Form

Montenotte Road

Crouch End

London N8 8RN

Tel: 020 8342 7970

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.hws6.com

Twitter: @highgatewood

From Tottenham and Wood Green.

W3, 41 and 91 – 20 minutes from

Tottenham, 15 minutes from Wood

Green.

From Finsbury Park and Islington.

W7, 91 and W5 – 15 minutes from

Finsbury Park, 20 minutes from

Holloway Road

From Archway, Highgate and

Finchley.

Tube to Highgate and a 10 minute walk.

134 or 43 – 20 minutes from Archway,