Mrs L Johnston | Sixth Form at The King Edward VI School

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#NCW2019 #NAW2019

7th March 2019Mrs L Johnston

Over the course of National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week 2019 we have been posting various subject guides across our social media platforms. These have been very popular, and it is a question teachers are always asked; “what job can I get with [subject]?” These fantastic subject guides really do link Careers to our curriculum.

Art & Design
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Computer Science
Design Technology
Economics
English
Geography
History
Languages
Maths
Physics
Psychology
Sociology

The resources are produced by an organisation called Success at School, who provide quality Careers Education materials for schools and colleges, and well as an online presence to support young people and parents in researching options. The website can be accessed here: https://successatschool.org/

We hope students and parents have found the additional activities for National Careers Week interesting and useful. Although, however cliche it sounds, every week is really careers week at school and sixth form!

Senior Student Nominees 2019

6th February 2019Mrs L Johnston

The election process for 2019 is well underway with a great selection of nominations. The role of Senior Student is a prestigious role that has prominence across the school and within the wider community. Although the titles of Head Boy and Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl are awarded, the reality is a team of four working on behalf of and representing the student community.

As part of the process all interested students had to put themselves forward and get their nomination formally approved and supported by another student and a staff member. Following this, students had to provide their manifesto; their vision for the role, that could be delivered in the form of a two minute speech. All candidates then had a ‘gruelling’ interview schedule with members of the Sixth Form team to further develop their vision and understanding of the role and commitment required.

For the Sixth Form team the interview process is ‘the best bit’ as we get to really explore our Sixth Form through the eyes of our students. It is impressive how articulate and passionate the nominees have been. The prospect of the role is one all nominees are relishing and will really take forward with supporting the wider school community, not just Sixth Form. The ambition and intent palpable, in a good way!

The most pleasing aspect, is that unanimously all nominates honestly share our view of Sixth Form as an inclusive and supportive community that seeks to work with and prepare students for the next stage, whatever that may be. All candidates have expressed a gratitude to The King Edward VI School and the Morpeth Partnership of schools as a whole, in shaping them as active citizens. The candidates want to give something back to the school and help it move forward.

The elections involve all students from Year 11 and Year 12, as well as all staff from across the school. All candidates will make their election addresses in assemblies next week and voting will take place on Friday 15 February,

We wish all candidates the very best of luck and look forward to working with the new Senior Students.

Exam Protocols (Mock Exams)

30th January 2019Mrs L Johnston

Information for Sixth Form Students, Parents and Carers

Exam timetable

Once students have been issued with their candidate timetable they should read through this carefully to check that all entries have been made and are correct. If there are any problems, students should speak to their subject teacher as soon as possible.

On the day of the exam

Students should:

report to the venue printed on their exam timetable 15 minutes before the start of the exam.
be in full Sixth Form dress code
bring all required stationery in a transparent plastic bag or pencil case
wait quietly outside the venue until they are called into the exam room by the invigilator. Students will be called into the room in candidate number order.
follow the instructions of the invigilators at all times
be silent at all times when in the exam room. If students have a query they should raise their hand and wait for an invigilator to come over
ensure mobile phones and all internet enabled devices (including smart watches) are turned off and are in their bags
remove their wrist watch and place it on their desk

FAQs

What happens if a student has more than one exam at the same time?
All students with a clash will have a cover sheet on their exam timetable detailing the arrangements.

If an exam is delayed from a morning to an afternoon session the student will be supervised over lunchtime. They should bring some revision or reading material, their lunch and a drink, as they will not be allowed to leave the room and buy lunch in the school canteen. They will not be able to use a mobile phone or communicate with any other students.

Where are exams held?
The main locations for written papers are the Lower School Hall, rooms X1 and X2, and the Gym. Venues and seat numbers are printed on students timetables so that they know well in advance of an exam where they should go. Students sit in candidate number order, as required by examination boards.

What time do exams start and finish?
Exam start times and durations are printed on students’ exam timetables. Students should report to their venue 15 minutes before the advertised start times. The length of examination papers varies and on some occasions may finish after 3.25 pm. Students and parent/carers should be aware of this and make appropriate arrangements for getting home. Students will not be allowed out of an exam early for any reason.

What happens if a student cannot find his/her place in the exam room?
The student should wait at the side of the exam room until an invigilator is available to help.

What should students bring to the examinations?
Students should bring at least 2 black biros, 2 writing pencils, a ruler, coloured pencils, eraser, any mathematical equipment etc. in a transparent plastic bag or pencil case. Non-transparent pencil cases will not be permitted in the examination room.

For exams where a calculator is permitted, students are responsible for making sure that their calculator meets regulations. Calculators must not:
• be designed or adapted to offer any of these facilities: language translators; symbolic algebra manipulation; symbolic differentiation or integration; communication with other machines or the internet
• be borrowed from another candidate during an examination for any reason
• have retrievable information stored in them – this includes: databanks; dictionaries; mathematical formulas; text.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they bring everything they need to the exam.

What should students not bring with them?

Mobile phones, MP3/4 players, iwatches/smart watches and any internet enabled devices. Possession of such items could lead to disqualification from the exam even if they are turned off.
Tippex or correction pens. Students should cross through any work they do not wish to be marked.
Notes, textbooks etc.
Food or chewing gum

May students bring a drink?
Yes, however no more that 750 ml of still water may be brought in a screw top clear plastic bottle with all labels removed. No fizzy drinks, cans or pouches.

What standards of behaviour are expected during examinations?
All students are given a copy of a ‘notice to candidates’ produced by the examining bodies, which gives general guidelines for conduct, which must be observed. A copy is also available here: written exams

The school and the examination boards regard breaches of examination regulations very seriously. Parents / carers should please impress on your son/daughter the importance of good behaviour in an examination, as any activities that may disturb or upset other students will not be tolerated. The head of centre and exams officer have the power to remove disruptive students.

Students who try to communicate with other students inside the venue, or who create a disturbance in the examination room will be removed from the examination venue, and the circumstances will be reported to the examination board. This may result in the student not receiving a grade for the whole of that examination.

Furthermore students should not ‘doodle’ or write any additional/inappropriate comments on their exam paper. Exam papers that contain any ‘doodles’ or additional/inappropriate comments may not be marked by the exam board.

What if my son/daughter misses an exam?
Parents / carers may be asked to pay the entry fee where a student fails to attend an exam without good reason.

What do I do if my son/daughter is unwell at the time of one of the examinations?
Please telephone the school if your son/daughter will not be attending an examination or if he/she will be present but is unwell. It is often helpful for the invigilator to be aware that a candidate is not feeling well. For Sixth Form absence, please phone the Advanced Study Centre answer phone 01670 501520.

If the student will not be attending the exam they should go to the doctors, and get a letter to prove that they were unfit to sit the exam. If the student is unable, through illness, to sit a paper the board may, after examining the doctor’s letter and any evidence of performance on other papers, decide to award a grade. It is essential that you see your doctor on the day of the examination or previously. Retrospective information is not accepted by the examination boards and any doctors’ letters must be forwarded to the exams officer without delay, as there is a tight deadline.

If a student did sit an exam, but was unwell it is possible to request special consideration from the exam board on the grounds of illness. To do so we would need a letter from your doctor as evidence, this should be forwarded to the exams office as soon as possible after the exam.

What should I do if my son/daughter is going to be late?
A parent/carer, or the student themselves should phone the school immediately on realising that they may be late for an exam and ask for a message to be given to the exams officer. Parents/carers should take students mobile phone off them and ensure that they do not have any access to the internet or communicate with any other students sitting the exam. Parents/carers should supervise students until they report to a member of staff in the appropriate exam venue. Depending on the time the student arrives at the exam we may need a statement from the parent / carer to confirm that this procedure has been followed to send to the exam board.

Depending on how long the exam has been in progress, it may be possible for the student to be admitted. However, we are bound by examination board regulations on this matter. Normally students with a genuine reason and who are brought straight to the centre may be admitted within the first 30 minutes of the start time and will receive the full time allocation, after this time the board will decide whether to accept any paper sat.

Students who arrive after 10am for morning exams or 2:30pm for afternoon exams, or who arrive after the end of the exam will not be admitted.

What do students do if they finish early?
Students should use all of the available time on their exams and spend any time at the end carefully checking their answers. Students are not permitted to leave before the end of the exam. They must sit quietly at their desk so as not to disturb other candidates.

What do I need to do if a student has problems that may affect his/her examination performance? Any illness, or family circumstances, which may affect examination performance, arising shortly before or during the exams, should be notified as soon as possible to the exams officer so that an application for special consideration can be made to the exam boards.

Sixth Form Class of 2018 in a League of their Own

24th January 2019Mrs L Johnston

The hard work and determination of the students and staff within Sixth Form at The King Edward VI School continues to be recognised. National performance data published today (14/1/19), sets Sixth Form at King Edward’s apart from its contemporaries.

The performance data released focuses on Value Added. Common in the world of Economics, Value Added within education seeks to measure the educational gains made over time i.e. the progress each and every student makes from their starting point. Within Sixth Form GCSE performance in the benchmark indicator and we measure the attainment gain over their two years.

At Key Stage Five, Sixth Form at King Edward’s is ranked top for progress in Northumberland and second in the North East (The school ranked top have 12 A Level entries compared to King Edward’s 732!) Of all schools nationally Sixth Form at King Edward’s is ranked within the top 100. However if we scrutinise the data further and consider state schools with over 100 students in Key Stage Five, Sixth Form is ranked 12th in England, this includes both state and independent schools.

We are incredibly proud of our students and staff, who with their relentless drive for excellence secured outstanding results. Progress data, such as that released today is incredibly important as it reflects effort and attainment by each and every student in each and every assessment. This has enabled students to secure places at prestigious national and international universities and jobs with renowned employers.

Sixth Form at King Edward’s are currently recruiting for Year 12 starting in September 2019. For further information regarding entry or to arrange a visit please contact [email protected]

Post 16 Information Evening

10th January 2019Mrs L Johnston

Thursday 10 January 2019 saw our annual Sixth Form showcase event. This is an event we are really proud of and it allows us to share our vision and ethos for Post 16 study and give you a flavour of what and how we do it.

As part of the event the Ms Savage, Headteacher, Mrs Johnston, Head of Sixth Form and Ms Familton, Head of Year, supported by our Senior Students, delivered a formal presentation. A copy of the presentation can be accessed via this link.

Post 16 Information Evening allows our expert teaching staff to discuss with students and their parents the realities of Post 16 study and what the A Level/Level 3 courses are like. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening and we hope that those who attended found it informative and inspiring.

If you could not attend the evening, but would like to visit our Sixth Form or would like to discuss an application with a member of the Sixth Form team, please do not hesitate to contact us via email at [email protected], over the phone or any of our social medial channels.

Applications for Sixth Form in September 2019

10th January 2019Mrs L Johnston

Any student wishing to apply for entry into our Sixth Form should complete this online application form.

Students should check the entry requirements in the Sixth Form at King Edward’s prospectus, these are found on page 15 and 16. The entry requirements are a guide, and our informed judgement on what level of attainment at GCSE will mean successful progress and attainment at A Level. Do not let the entry requirements deter you from an application; be aspirational and let the entry requirements be a motivator for your Summer exams. Every application, after results, will be judged on its own individual merit. All applicants will be considered and be invited to interview after results in August.

To create our timetable we organise subjects into pools, this is reflected in the application form. You should check that your chosen combination of subjects are possible within the timetable. Use the latest option pool document to check. Applicants are invited to choose three A Level/Level 3 subjects from the four option pools. These pools are provisional at present. If your combination of subjects does not work, make a note on the application form and we will investigate and try our best to meet the need. In the very small number of incidents where combinations of subjects cannot be accommodated, applicants will be invited for a meeting to discuss.

Bridging Week will take place during the week beginning 8 July, where students will try their chosen subjects for a week. This is an excellent week where students will get to know Sixth Form and our staff. We are aware that some students will be on the NCS Summer programme during this week. Please just keep the Sixth Form team informed once you have your offer of a place.

Following GCSE results in August, all students should confirm their final subject choices using an online form which will be available on our website on results day.

Applicants from Other Schools

If you would like a personal discussion and a tour of the school, please contact us via our email, [email protected]

We will send out further information during the year, but we would expect you to attend Bridging Week and a presentation afternoon on Friday 5 July.

Follow our social media channels to get a taste of Sixth Form life here at King Edward’s

Sixth Form Newsletter Autumn 2 Edition

14th December 2018Mrs L Johnston

We are delighted to share our final newsletter of 2018.

Wishing everyone all the cheer of the season on behalf of everyone in the Sixth Form Team and King Edward’s.

Year 11 Key Dates:
Offer Letter External Student/Parent presentation Bridging Week GCSE Results Day Online confirmation of entry Post 16 Induction	After Easter 5 July 2019 (afternoon) 8 – 12 July 2019 22 August 2019 22 – 30 August 2019 Week commencing 2 September
Year 12 Key Dates:
Year 12 Parents’ Evening UCAS Exhibition Visit UCAS Registration Roll Over (Y13 begins) Mock Exams Work Experience UCAS and Intervention Year 13 lessons begin	4 April 2019 3:30-6:45pm 30 April 2019 11.30 to 13.30 Week commencing 3 June 2019 Week commencing 10 June 2019 Week commencing 8 July 2019 Week commencing 15 July 2019 Week commencing 15 July 2019 Week commencing 9 September