Welcome to Sir Roger Manwood’s School Sixth Form Open Evening

Welcome Mr L Hunter Headteacher

Pastoral Staff Miss F Peycelon Head of Sixth Form Mr M Stedman Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Academic Side of Sixth Form Shemuel Sheikh Katherine Davis

Extra-curricular Side of Sixth Form Jack Sears Lucy Roper Shemuel Sheikh Joshua Wood Sabrina Curwen Aidan Michaels

New to Manwood’s ? Katherine Davis

Sixth Form Traditions Sabrina Curwen

Mr L R Thompson Deputy Headteacher

Sixth Form Entry Requirements At least six GCSE examination passes at C grade or above, including English and Mathematics, and with at least a B grade in those subjects which the student wishes to study at A level. If you take a subject not studied to GCSE, you must show strength in a related discipline.

A Level Reform Starting September 2015 – replacing AS/A2 system in existence since At the moment, reform of all the A levels will take three years to complete. There will be a period of up to three years when students will take new A levels in some subjects, and old A levels in other subjects.

When Are A Level Subjects Changing? September 2015 Art & Design, Business (formerly Business Studies), English Literature, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology September 2016 Geography, Modern Foreign Languages (French, German, Spanish), Music, Sports Studies and Religious Studies. September 2017 Design & Technology (Product Design and Textiles), Film Studies, Government & Politics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology

How Will The New A Levels Be Different? New A levels will be fully linear, students will sit the A level exams at the end of two years of study in Yr.13. The AS qualification will exist but it will no longer count towards the final grade of an A level and will instead be a separate qualification in its own right. Coursework/practical will be removed from many subjects. There is still ongoing discussion as to whether these can be taught alongside full A level course. There will be no change to the standard of the A level and the AS level. Grades will remain the same as non reformed subjects.

Non Reformed A Level Syllabuses 4 units of assessment in the majority of A Level subjects – 2 AS plus 2 A2 An A* grade introduced to the grading of A Level (not AS). Awarded to students who achieve grade A overall at A Level and also achieve 90% or more across their A2 units. The A2 papers are more challenging – they focus on synoptic assessment, more extended writing. Some courses (not all) have a coursework or practical element. Exams for each unit take place in May/June. Students may resit AS units in Summer of Year 13. The higher of the marks count towards the final grade.

What Will Our Approach To The New A Levels Be? For the first year of the new A levels, students, as now, will study four AS levels in Year 12 and will be examined in all subjects at the end of Yr.12 regardless of whether they are following the old or new specifications. However, we may also consider asking students to decide in Jan/Feb which subject they wish to drop and enter them for the AS level only in that one subject. Students following existing A levels will automatically be entered for the AS exam. We still need further information and time for reflection before finally deciding on our standard A level package.

The Sixth Form Curriculum A) Year 12 4 AS Level Subjects Enrichment Programme Games (Optional) or Volunteering Tutor Period Mentoring Period B) Year 13 3 A Level Subjects Enrichment Programme Games (Optional) or Volunteering Tutor Period Mentoring Period 4 x 9 = 36 periods 1 x 1 = 1 period 2 x 1 = 2 periods 1 x 1 = 1 period 41/50 periods per fortnight 3 x 9 = 27 periods 1 x 2 = 2 periods 2 x 1 = 2 periods 1 x 1 = 1 period 33/50 periods per fortnight

Exceptions A number of students may opt to continue with all four AS Level subjects in to the Upper Sixth and therefore to full A Level. Thus these students complete 4 A Levels or 5 A Levels if Further Mathematics is studied. Some students may opt to study GCSE Italian over the two years of the Sixth Form as part of the Enrichment Programme. The Extended Project (worth half an A Level) – a separate qualification that students may add to their programme. A project on a topic of the student’s choosing which may or may not be linked to their A Level subjects; to develop research and independent learning skills.

Enrichment Programme: Yr.12 Presentation skills Futurelearn courses Choosing a future path: talks on university and on apprenticeships Student finance Debating Revision techniques Preparation for the EPQ

Enrichment Programme: Yr.13 Talks by ex students – gap year and feedback on university courses Talks by University of Kent - interview techniques and student finance Middle East Crisis – key concepts How to deal with stress Debates and presentations Standalone university – style lectures e.g. history of art, history of music and history Revision techniques

Preparing for University A) Good Independent Learners Private study in Year 12 is supervised In Yr.13 students have a choice of using the Library or Sixth Form Common Room. Students with study periods after lunch may go home early with the agreement of the school. B) UCAS Guidance Sixth Form Tutorial Staff The Mentoring System Information Evening for both parents and students in the Spring Term of Year 12.

Informed Choices

What Follows on from this evening? The Sixth Form Prospectus is available on the School Web- site ( If you are already a member of the school : Complete the application form you will be given – indicate your preferred options at AS Level, in order of preference. The fifth choice is a reserve choice. Applications must be completed by the end of January. Further guidance will be available if you need it. We will ask you at a later date to confirm your choices. We will then use the information to inform our planning for next year’s timetable.

What Follows on from this evening? If you are applying from outside: You need to access the Kentchoices4u Web-site and using your personal access code complete the online application form. If you are from an Independent School and do not have access to Kentchoices4u you can make a direct application to the school via We will contact your present school to request predicted grades. If your predicted grades meet our entry criteria we will invite you into school soon after receiving your application. You will have the opportunity to see the school in session and ask questions of our students. There will also be a discussion with the Deputy Headteacher to discuss your subject choices and future aspirations. We will make you a conditional offer based on GCSE performance. There will be Induction Day in Late June and September.