1. WELCOME TO HEATHFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE SIXTH FORM

2. Level 3 Study
AS and A2 levels were revised for first examination in 2009.
First A* grades at A2 level were awarded in August (90% on A2 Units, A in AS units)
AS level grades: A-E, U
A2 level grades: A*-E, U
BTEC grades – Distinction* (A*) Distinction (A), Merit (C) , Pass (E), Fail (U)
No more exams or re-sits in January

3. PROGRAMME OF STUDY
Year 12 students will study the equivalent of 4 or 5 level 3 subjects (AS or BTEC).
AS courses are one year of study progressing to one year of A2 studies
BTEC courses are 1 or 2 years of study equivalent to AS and A2 (Single or Double)

4. A-levels: how they are changing from September 2015
Essential information for parents
These slides give a summary of how and when GCSEs and A levels are changing in England, and briefly explain why they are changing.
The slides are designed as a resource to help teachers when explaining the changes to others – in particular, parents of students who will study towards the new GCSEs and A levels.
There is a large amount of information here, and it will not all be relevant to the parents of your students. Please use the slides selectively as helpful for conversations with particular parents.

5. A levels
Equipping students to progress to success at university and in their careers.
More involvement from universities in the development of A levels to make sure that students are well prepared for higher education.
No change to level of demand or grading structure.
The AS will be separate from the A level, so that the AS marks do not count towards the A level grade. Students will still complete the AS and use their results to help decide which subjects to continue to A level.
Responding to concerns from universities that some undergraduates lacked the skills needed for degree-level study, universities have been involved in developing the new A levels to make sure students are better prepared for higher level study.
Overall, A levels will not become more demanding, but subject content is being updated and strengthened to make sure it is entirely fit for purpose in meeting the expectations of universities and employers.
Like the new GCSEs, the new A levels will be examined at the end of the course only, with no formal examination at the end of year 12 (the AS). By increasing the time available for high quality study, students will be encouraged to develop greater intellectual maturity by understanding subjects in more depth and learning to make more links between topics in different parts of the course.

6. A level reform timetable
September 2015 (first A2 exams 2017)
English language, English literature, English language and literature, history, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, art and design, economics, sociology, business, computer science.
In all other subjects the AS will count towards the A-level grade.
Changes in the most important subjects are being introduced as soon as possible, to allow as many students as possible to benefit from the new A levels.
Changes to a number of important subjects are being introduced in 2016, allowing sufficient time to develop new content for those subjects. For all 2016 subjects, awarding organisations are now developing their specifications for accreditation by Ofqual later in the year.
Ofqual will announce which of the remaining subjects will be developed for first teaching in 2017.

7. 2015 A levels – key features
Mathematical and quantitative content – strengthened in relevant subjects : science, computing, economics and business.
Science - increased emphasis on practical skills and experiences, including the use of key techniques and apparatus.
English literature - an ‘unseen text’ in the exam, and more in- depth study of a fewer number of texts overall, with three pre works.
English language – only minor changes.
The strengthened mathematical and quantitative content is a response to concerns raised by universities that students did not have the necessary numeric skills. It is also a clarification that the mathematical skills expected of students is at least at level 2 (GCSE C or equivalent) and will be applied in the context of the A level subject.
In science, an increased emphasis on practical skills. There will be a minimum of twelve practical activities, and the opportunity to use and develop key techniques and apparatus, to ensure students have the necessary practical scientific skills and experiences. These will include a broader set of skills – for example, making and recording observations, and applying investigative approaches and methods to practical work. Ofqual are setting new arrangements for assessing and marking these practical skills.
In English Literature, a reduction in the number of texts from a minimum of twelve, to eight, with three pre-1900 works including a Shakespeare play, and a post 2000 work. Students will be also be examined on an ‘unseen’ text, to encourage students to read widely to broaden their knowledge and their critical understanding of literature (as per changes to the GCSE). AS students will be required to study a minimum of four texts, including one pre-1900 text but not an unseen text.
In English language, only minor revisions have been made, for example to clarify and expand the range of language levels required for study, and to clarify the requirement for A level students to study social, historical, geographical and individual varieties of English. Students are now required to understand an expanded range of language levels (e.g. phonetics, phonology and prosodics).
In English language and literature, minor changes have been made. There is a new requirement to study a non-literary text (e.g. essays, journalism). This allows students to make connections across literary and non-literary texts and apply an integrated analysis to both. A new reference to specific language levels (e.g. phonetics, phonology and prosodics) has been included in the knowledge and understanding section to bring it into line with the content in English language.

8. 2016 A levels – key features
History - increased breadth, with a new requirement to study topics across a range of 200 years.
Computer science – a thorough overhaul and updating of content,
with more programming and algorithms, and clearer links from key
stages 1 to 4.
Art and design – a new emphasis on drawing skills.
Economics - more real world and financial economics.
In Modern Foreign Languages, there is stronger balance between communication skills and intellectual skills, emphasising the critical and analytical thinking needed for A level study. This places modern foreign languages alongside other humanities subjects and aims to better equip students for progression to university or employment.
The new A level will be more stimulating and interesting for students, requiring their critical engagement with literary works and cultural and social concerns in the countries where the language of study is spoken.
Students will carry out independent research and present their findings, using foreign languages spontaneously to discuss their findings. Greater emphasis has also been placed on the importance of linguistic accuracy.
In Ancient Languages, the current A level specifications are essentially fit for purpose, intellectually rigorous and challenging. There is some fine-tuning, in particular to discourage memorisation of set texts in English translation.
In Geography, there is a clearer progression from GCSE, and a greater emphasis on the skills needed for progression to undergraduate study or employment. The revised content addresses the concerns of subject experts in higher education, for example concerns around the imbalance between physical and human geography. Core topics now emphasise understanding of human and physical processes through the study of global systems and global governance; changing places; landscape systems; and water and carbon cycling. Fieldwork and specified geographical skills will be required as part of this core learning. The new themes aim to ensure that students engage with relevant, contemporary geographical study and issues.
The revised content prescribes 60% core content, which all A level and AS level specifications will need to cover. This will provide higher education departments with a common base of assumed A level subject knowledge. The 40% non-prescribed content allows awarding organisation to create distinctive specifications and introduce new material providing greater choice for schools.
In history, a new requirement to study topics from a chronological range of 200 years, to replace the previous requirement to study more than one period, and a small reduction in the proportion of British history to be studied from 25% to 20%.

9. HEATHFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Sixth Form Expectations
Registration and Coaching
Expectations
A Entitlement to Coaching
Responsibility for progress
Study Periods, Supervised Study and Independent Study
Effective use of
2 – 3 Hours Per Night
Balance between academic work, leisure and part time work Time Management
9 Hours should be the limit
Attitudes
Intellectual curiosity
Enthusiasm
Growth Mindset

10. Thinking shapes behaviour
The way we think about ability shapes
attitudes towards:
Revision
Homework
Independent study
Attendance & punctuality
Concentration in class
Organisation
Internal & external examinations
Social skills
Relationships
Sport
Leadership

11. Two types of thinking about ABILITY
Ability is FIXED
– you have it or you don’t
Ability GROWS with effort
- practise makes you more able

12. Effort?
A growth mindset puts in effort…because they consider that it pays off
A fixed mindset avoids effort…prefers effortless success….because it ‘proves’ the fixed talent is there.

13. What makes people successful?
In 1991, Anders Ericsson
(Psychologist at Florida State University)
carried out a study into what caused success …..
Studied violinists at renowned Music Academy of West Berlin in Germany.
Source: Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: the story of success (2008)

14. Three groups identified
Group 1 - Top group - super talented -expected to become international soloists
Group 2 - Middle group - very good - expected to play in world top orchestras but not as soloists
Group 3 - Bottom group - training to be music teachers

15. Each group were interviewed
Long interviews with students in all three groups revealed same experiences
- age began to play violin similar –around 8 years old
- similar number of music tutors (4 tutors)
- similar number of additional instruments played (average of 1.8)
- similar age when deciding to become a musician (average 15 years old)

16. BUT… one key difference
Average number of hours practised for EVERY member of the top group was far greater than the other groups.
Group ,000 hours
Group 2 - 8,000 hours
Group 3 - 4,000 hours
No member of the top group had practised any
less than 10,000 hours. Not even one!
Source: Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: the story of success (2008)

17. Is 10,000 hours enough?
Many people drive every day, every week, every month - for years.
Most people clock up at least 10,000 hours of driving yet rarely do we end up excellent drivers.
The key to success is NOT just the NUMBER of hours but WHAT WE DO in those hours.

18. A case study UK National table tennis champion, Matthew Syed
Matthew Syed in his book 'Bounce' describes being
coached by a world famous Chinese player
The first day of coaching revealed why the Chinese
dominate the world of table tennis.

19. A case study
Chen Xinhua, the new coach, presented Syed with far more challenge in his training eg did not train with a single ball back and forth, instead a bucket of balls were spread on the table and fired at him quickly and at different angles and speeds Incidentally this example is also about seizing opportunity. The Chinese coach had married a women from Yorkshire and so moved to the UK and Syed asked Chen Xinhua to be his coach.

20. Purposeful Practice
Chen Xinhua made Syed's side of the table wider so he had to run more, stretch more and be even quicker.
Syed claims that the training was much harder than he had been used to and so he made more progress than ever before.
With even more challenging hours spent practising, Syed progressed more and his world rankings increased.

21. Case study
Serena and Venus Williams - the famous sister tennis champions - were trained with challenge.
Their father would get them to train to hit a ball with a baseball bat rather than a racket.
The sisters would aim their serves at traffic cones, not just a large area of the court.
Training was made up of challenge ie purposeful practice.

22. A case study
Ericsson's study of violinists revealed that as well as 10,000 hours spent practising, the top violinists introduced harder pieces and pushed themselves harder in practice sessions than other (very talented) violinists.
Source: Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: the story of success (2008)

23. Attendance in Sixth Form: does it matter?
‘attendance has a significant positive effect on academic achievement’
‘61% of the variation in grade can be attributed to attendance’
Nigel Halpern - London Metropolitan University

24. Attendance Policy Student Expectations
If a student misses lessons, for whatever reason, illness or otherwise, there is a clear expectation that the student must the teachers concerned with an explanation and apology for missing the lesson. The deadline for this is at the end of the college day. The student should copy their tutor and Amanda Hollyman( Key Stage 5 Administrative Support) into the .

25. Attendance - Consequences
If overall attendance across all subjects falls below 90% then there will be a meeting with student and parents to attend with the Head of Sixth Form. A support plan to enable that student to improve their attendance will then be agreed. Failure to meet attendance targets set can result in a student being asked to leave the college. This will be checked on a weekly basis.

26. MONITORING SYSTEMS
- Individual target setting and monitoring by coaches - Target setting and monitoring within subjects - Cause for Concern - Praise – letters home and certificates - Report system - Head of Sixth Form monitoring - Self referrals - Parental concerns Coach/Parents evening – 15 October Teacher/Parents evenings – 4 February 2016
- Reports produced and sent home (via student) in
January prior to parents evening

27. COMMUNITY SUPPORT
All Year 12s mentor a Year 7 student In addition: Classroom Support
SEN Support Paired Reading Scheme
Maths and English Peer Intervention Tutor group support Voluntary work with the local community

28. ASSESSMENT
All subjects assessed externally through a combination of examinations and (in some subjects) coursework.
Mock Exams – w/c 5 January
Final Public Examinations in May-June
Final AS level results published in August.

29. MINIMUM TARGET GRADES
- based on GCSE point score - are used to calculate the MINIMUM expected grades each student should be capable of achieving - students will be given these grades in September (top 20%)
- will be moderated by classroom teachers in discussion with students over this term

30. PROGRESSION
In order to progress to Year 13 students should: - pass at least 3 AS subjects at grade D or above - have shown a positive attitude towards work and the college during Year have good attendance.

31. YEAR 13 Year 13 courses start in term 6 after AS examinations.
Students study the equivalent of 3 or 4 subjects at A2/2nd year BTEC level.
Year 13 courses start in term 6 after AS examinations.

32. Next Steps and University Applications
Information from coaches and in assemblies throughout year, PSHE lessons at end of Year 12 and start of Year 13 – Extended Learning Day – February 2016
Students start researching courses from February 2016 and start completing UCAS forms and personal statements from May 2016.
Applications can be sent from September 2016 and should be sent as early as possible.
Students strongly encouraged to attend Open Days at universities throughout Year 12 and beginning of Year 13 – students to liaise with staff regarding lessons missed – most universities run open days at weekends
Mrs Hollyman, Sixth Form Administrator – future absence forms must be completed.
Students should gain relevant work experience during holiday periods

33. Priorities for Students
Maintain excellent attendance and punctuality Establish an effective study timetable for college and home Organise folders and notes Keep up to date with homework and coursework Seek help when challenged – growth mindset Seek to enhance sixth form experience by taking part in other activities and opportunities

34. It’s not all work…
Students are encouraged to support the sixth form team in arranging fun activities. Future events include 6th form cabaret and a Sixth Form Ski Trip – April 2016.
We are very proud of the charity support that Sixth Formers provide, we will be raising funds for Think Pink in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness (October).

35. Sixth Form Support
Coaches (October Meeting) Subject Teachers Mr Howard, Deputy Headteacher
Ms White, Head of Sixth Form Mrs Holmes and Mrs Vigor, Student Support Officers Key Stage 5
Mrs Hollyman, Sixth Form Administrator