Bushey Meads Sixth Form A Centre Of Excellence

Welcome Ms Weddle - Assistant Head teacher in charge of Key Stage 5 Ms Smallwood – Head of Sixth Form

6th form

Sleepless nights

Panic!

The stress!

Help is at hand…

The Sixth Form Team Assistant Head teacher in charge of Key Stage 5 – Ms Weddle Head of Sixth Form – Ms Smallwood Assistant Head of Sixth Form – Mrs Hoskins EPQ Coordinator – Mrs Neale Learning Mentor – Mrs Miller Key Stage 5 administrator – Mrs Crane Based in the Sixth Form Centre in order to provide day to day support and guidance

A-Level is an Iceberg A-Level is a massive jump in independent learning. It is closer to University learning than it is GCSE There is no spoon-feeding going on. Think of your A Level course as an Iceberg. The lessons are the small but defining part above the surface but the important weight and depth are under the water The Lessons Independent Work

EPQ An independent project based on a student’s personal interests A stand alone AS qualification. The only AS qualification with an A* grade Develops the skills of research, follow through and completion Highly regarded by universities and employers alike

EPQ This term students will: Develop a title / theme/ idea for their project Complete initial research Next term selected students will: Complete research After AS exams selected students will: Finalise projects / products Present their projects to an audience

How to be a successful 6th Form student

What do I do if something goes wrong? Student one. ‘I worked really hard on my Spanish homework. It took me hours! When the teacher had marked it and gave it back to me, he said it was only a D grade. I can’t believe it. I got an A at GCSE. Why is it so hard? Maybe I should just give up…

STOP! Negative self talk will not do you any favours! Yes, AS level is really tough. However, at this level, you will only really begin to learn by making mistakes. It’s a common error. As new 6th formers, you don’t know how to be successful yet.

THINK! Don’t think of negative feedback as evidence of failure. See it as an opportunity. You have to keep going. Yes it’s painful, but, learning is a journey. At this level, the road can be a little bumpy.

Success Stories Ella – ex-Bushey Meads student Results Media Studies – A* English - B Fine Art – A* Destination. Birmingham University to study English

How did she do it…? Ella was a classic Bushey Meads student. Good results at GCSE and ideal to study 4 AS levels. However, she struggled with exams at every turn. She revised hard but something was missing on the day of exams. She had many disappointments. However, she just kept going. Ella has gone on to be successful because she has developed the tools to deal with difficult situations.

Success stories Nikhil. Another classic BM student. His A2 predicted grades were good, enough to secure his place at University but he needed to turn those predictions into results. Nikhil panicked and was convinced he would never be able to attain his target grades. So he employed a range of strategies to ensure success. He targeted students’ who he could work with. He created revision sessions. He worked in the study centre and worked at Watford Library. He also managed to raise over 3,000 for his travels abroad. After all, all work and no play…

What can I do? Be pro-active Re-write my notes after lessons. Re- work my essay responses/ ideas so that I understand them Speak to my teachers, asking where I can improve. Cut negative self talk. Be honest – am I really working at the level I need to be at?

Perseverance It is hard to do something difficult. It is easy to give up when the going gets tough… But learning to cope with difficulty, to become independent and adaptable is a vital part of education.

AS Level History How to be an Independent Learner Read: Improve your Contextual knowledge – Use books, the internet, textbooks and documentaries to improve your knowledge of the topics we are studying. Respond to feedback - have a 2nd go at mock exam papers – can you improve, do you know what you need to do to improve? Talk to Learn - Can you talk for 30 seconds on why Hitler got into power or why Suez ended in disaster for Britain? Create - Create a spider diagram of each unit to help consolidate your knowledge or make a list of subject specific language you should use in your work. Ask – If you don’t understand, then ask! Use the Extranet – there is a whole world of useful information on there…including the weather!

Intervention & Assessment Settling in Check Early October, all teachers asked to make a judgement on how students have started the course. All concerns interviewed by 6th form team.

Intervention & Assessment Assessments 3 Assessments over the academic year. Can be viewed on the Learning Gateway 22nd Nov 2013 13th Feb 2014 9th May 2014 Mock Examinations: WB Jan 13th Results to parents: 7th Feb Consultation Evening 12th Feb 2014 Report 4th April 2014

What can Parents do to help? Support your son or daughter: Ask them about their courses – encourage them to talk Ask them about homework – why aren’t they doing any? Provide them with a place to work Check the Learning Gateway

Student Session Attendance Summary

Student Lesson Attendance

Mrs Crane : 020 8955 8801 Mrs Millar : 020 8955 8851