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

Author Archives Mrs L Johnston

Create a Bright Future with Sixth Form at King Edward’s

22nd June 2018Mrs L Johnston

It’s no secret that education budgets are under increasing pressure in the current climate, and many schools and colleges, including some in the local area, are being forced to offer less subjects in Sixth Form than they would ordinarily like to.

One subject area that is being squeezed nationwide is the Arts, so we’re all the more proud that within Sixth Form at KEVI, we’re able to offer a broad curriculum, with Art and Humanities subjects equally as prominent as Sciences and Maths.

Within our Arts provision, we not only offer the traditional A Levels of Art and Music, but also more vocational options, such as Art Graphics, Design Technology, Music Technology and Media Studies, all of which provide students with a range of transferable skills that can be applied to many, many careers, such as critical thinking, teamwork, research skills, and creativity; there’s also evidence that literacy improves through studying subjects like these.

Combined with the huge range of additional opportunities on offer within Sixth Form at KEVI, such as Debate Club, Youth Parliament, Peer Mentoring and School Council, students studying the vocational arts are well equipped to develop quickly into young leaders, more than capable of taking their burgeoning careers in any direction they wish.

And because we’re affiliated with the National Citizen Service, they can also gain valuable volunteering experience to help them stand out from the crowd.

As well as being intellectually stimulating, these subjects are becoming ever more relevant to 21st century life and because many projects within such courses are self-directed, students quickly become highly motivated, analytical and independent. Students develop themselves into critics and themselves become resilient in order to grow and learn from critique and feedback. Students are able to develop a wide portfolio of practical skills and experience using different tools and software, such as making and editing visual and sound-based media, for which the range of career path options is vast.

We remain committed to providing the broadest curriculum possible to our students. Why not come and see for yourself? Arrange a visit by contacting Susan Brown, our Post-16 Office Manager, on 01670 501 520.

Our full list of Arts and Humanities-based Sixth Form subjects is as follows:

Art, Craft and Design
Art and Design: Graphic Communications
Art and Design: Photography
Design Technology
History
Geography
Media Studies
Music
Music Technology
Psychology
Religious Studies
Sociology
Theatre and Drama Studies
Extended Project Qualification

Discover STEM success in Sixth Form and beyond at King Edward’s

15th June 2018Mrs L Johnston

There is no doubt that education has changed a great deal over the last several years, so much so that parents and carers, as well as students themselves, tell us they can feel overwhelmed by the choices available.

One thing we’ve seen is the option to start specialising at a younger age, with many schools becoming colleges or academies dedicated to certain subject areas. And while we maintain a passion and support for a varied range of subject areas, underpinned by comprehensive student support, the option to narrow your focus is no less available as part of Sixth Form at King Edward’s, where our approach has helped us stay in Northumberland’s top three for five years running, both for achievement and progress. We currently rank number one.

One subject area we champion is STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths, and we’re proud of the broad range of courses we offer, supported by a varied range of additional opportunities, such as our Pre-Med Society, for those wishing to pursue a career in medicine, and our Dissection Club. We even have our own Space Agency, KEVISA, with its own observatory.

Even in the Lower School, our STEM provision helped 30 of our students to become STEM champions earlier this year, when they took part in a STEM innovation challenge to build a wind turbine, in which they experienced working with virtual reality technology, electronics, robots and more, ultimately winning the prize for most efficient design on the day. Find out more on our website at kevi.the3rivers.net/kevi-stem-champions/.

Our job in Sixth Form is to support you to reach your goals, whatever they may be, and as part of that you’ll receive guidance from a committed team of Year Leaders, Mentors, and an Office Manager dedicated to Post-16 provision. We also offer additional support programmes for students applying to Oxford or Cambridge, or competitive and specialist courses such as medicine and veterinary medicine. Currently two of our alumni are prominent and active members of the CDI – Cambridge University’s Development institute, a charity where engineering is placed at the heart of improving the quality of life of people in poorer countries and we have supported our former students with their Summer placements.

Our students achieve consistently high exam results that allow them to progress on into their chosen next steps. 83% of our students go on to university, with more than a third of them attending institutions within the prestigious Russell Group, and a further five per cent go on to Higher Apprenticeships and other School Leaver programmes. This number is increasing as the breadth of quality HE alternatives is increasing.

Why not arrange a visit to find out more by contacting Susan Brown, our Post-16 Office Manager, on 01670 501 520

Our full list of STEM A Levels is as follows:

Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Core Maths*
Design Technology
Economics
Food Science and Nutrition*
Further Maths
IT*
Maths
Music Technology
PE: Sport & Physical Activity*
Physics
Psychology
Sociology

*Level 3 equivalent courses

Year 12 Mock Exam Timetable

13th June 2018Mrs L Johnston

Published mock exam timetable for new Year 13

Year 13 Celebration Evening

25th May 2018Mrs L Johnston

The Senior Students; Layla, Tom, Jena and Christie hosted the annual Celebration Evening on Thursday.

The evening is a well-established tradition in Sixth Form that the evening is run by the Senior Students for their peers. Of course the evening couldn’t have happened without the unfailing support of the ever-present Miss O’Neill, Susan and Fiona. They have guided the Senior Students through the whole process to ensure an enjoyable and successful evening had by all.

The Year 13 Celebration Evening is an evening of reflection, a coming together of the Sixth Form community to take pride in the achievements and accomplishments of one another and of Sixth Form itself. Of course, as the evening was hosted by the students, there was the odd humorous comment thrown in for good measure!

The tradition of prize giving within King Edward’s in a long one, many of the trophies that are awarded have a long and esteemed history. Some of the awards have been donated by former students and staff, who are proud of their association with the school and want that legacy to continue. Other awards are proudly supported by The Foundation Governors, The Edwardians and Pirimal. Other awards given out on the evening are subject prizes. Each subject in Sixth Form select three nominees for attainment and three nominees for progress, with the overall winner announced out of the three.

Overall, the evening was a huge success and there was an enormous sense of pride in the room. The evening really lived up to its name and was a real celebration on the endeavours of the year group.

Debate at King Edward’s

7th May 2018Mrs L Johnston

Debate is an excellent opportunity for those who want to gain confidence in articulating themselves and be able to produce better quality arguments. Every week we send out a debate motion to members, which varies as much as possible to ensure that the topics are new and equally challenging. We also try to keep up with issues that crop up in the news when possible, should anything interesting arise. Every debater will have up to 5 mins to have their say, and those not speaking during that time have the chance to deliver points of information. Towards the end of each debate we take questions from the floor, meaning that anyone who is just watching the debate can project their own opinions. Meetings tend to last around 1.5 hours.

Debate society is a low pressure environment, there is no requirement that you feel any good at debating and although all are encouraged to take part we aim to do this in as stressless a way as possible. The society is always a vibrant place to be, providing a forum for you to express yourself. This is particularly good for sixth formers who want to take a break from the traditional style of learning in lessons and instead want to engage in a more open, conversational and creative form of education.

Apart from our weekly meetings, we do also participate in competitions outside of school and have even done so on a national scale. In 2017 a delegation of 8 travelled to Liverpool to compete in the European Youth Parliament Nationals, which took place over a number of days and involved debating contemporary issues facing the EU. During the same year the society sent a team with interest in law to take part in the Bar Mock Trial event in Newcastle Crown Court, posing as barristers and witnesses etc.

We are thrilled to boast an increase in membership to around 60, with roughly 25-30 coming each week, and we would love to welcome you to our society.

Debate is held on a Thursday after school at the Advanced Study Centre and is open to all year groups. If anyone has any queries and would like to get in contact, please either email [email protected] or pop in to one of our meetings.

Contributors: Seth Gooding, Sam Oxley & Nicole Souter

Tyneside Higher Education Conference

7th May 2018Mrs L Johnston

On Wednesday 25 April, our Year 12 students attended the UCAS Tyneside Higher Education Exhibit at the Metro Radio Arena. With over a hundred university representatives, employers and gap year specialists, this was a unique opportunity for our students to explore and gather information on the wide range of post-18 opportunities available after school or college.

For some students, it was the chance to spark an interest in certain institutions and opportunities, whilst for others it was more about kick-starting research or refining choices. In some cases, having those face to face discussions gave students the perfect opportunity to ask those burning questions that Google just can’t answer. Tickets for entry also came with a unique barcode which students could hand over to an exhibitor to scan in order to receive further information.

This was my first experience at the Higher Education Conference. My first thoughts were “what an amazing opportunity, to have this many representatives in one place.” I was incredibly impressed with how enthusiastic our students were, maturely conducting conversations with exhibitors and using the event to really gain a greater understanding of what is on offer for them. I personally found the exhibits by The University of Law and BPP Professional Apprenticeships highly informative. With a strong focus on vocational learning and employability, the University of Law offers various degree programmes and apprenticeships in Law and Business at a number of locations. BPP Professional Education and BPP University are among the largest providers of apprenticeship training in the UK. They work with a large number of well-known employers – such as BT, Ford, KMPG and Santander – offering a free recruitment service to help secure roles and provide expert tuition and flexible learning.

Speaking to the students, the event seemed to ignite a mixture of excitement and nerves. For some it cemented in their mind where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do, for others it left them feeling a little overwhelmed. Either way, it was an afternoon well worth attending.

Students will get the chance to follow up with many of the employers and institutions at the King Edward’s annual Careers event, KEVI Inspires in November.

Contributor: Jessica Mares (Post 16 Mentor)

Busy Bees! Look After Yourself on the Inside

7th May 2018Mrs L Johnston

Hello Busy Bees – as you juggle all the balls of revision/work/life/family/friends etc etc… here are some tips to help you not just survive, but perhaps even to thrive! These simple ‘BEES’ practices will make all the difference…we promise!

Breathe

We breathe all of the time (obviously!) – but when did you last actually think about your breathing? Try this exercise, and focus on the oxygen flowing inside and around you to make you strong and give you energy. Breathe in for 5 counts…hold for 5 counts…breathe out for 5 counts. Do this 5 times and notice your heart rate slowing, your brain clearing & your focus returning. Do it at your desk, before the exam, even in the exam between questions.

Also try putting a ‘breath’ into your day – go for a walk, have a bath, sit outside…take time to be with the people who really care about the answer to the question ‘how are you?’

Eat

Just in the same way as we wouldn’t drive a car without fuel, or use our phones without charging them, we need to give our bodies the energy they need to work at their peak performance – especially in intense times. Eat regularly – plenty of protein (meat, beans…), slow-release carbohydrates (oats, nuts, brown rice), vegetables and fruit. Drink PLENTY of water (caffeinated drinks don’t help you here!) and steer well clear of ‘energy’ drinks – all the evidence points to them as causing loss of concentration and sleep – not what you need!

Exercise

Believe it or not your human body is a finely tuned piece of engineering – and it needs to be ‘worked’ in the right way. We are programmed to have a fight or flight response to everything – a hangover from when we were competing with Sabre-toothed tigers for prey!! As we respond to the stresses we face in this day & age (eg. exams rather than tigers!), biochemicals are released, which if not ‘burned off’ can cause anxiety, knots in our stomachs etc. Exercise helps our bodies to stay calm and handle stress better – taking a walk, going for a jog, swimming a few lengths or a half hour gym session will really help. Try and get 30 mins a day if you can.

Sleep

Quite simply you need to sleep! If possible, your bedroom should be your space to sleep and relax – and nothing else. Turning off your screens an hour before you sleep, keeping your phone in another room will MASSIVELY enhance your sleep. You might want to think about agreeing with others in whatsapp/messenger groups that you won’t contact each other after a certain time – and stick to it! If you find your brain ‘whirring’ when you lie down, write a list of what you want to remember for the next day. Aim to get a minimum of 8 hours a sleep each night – it will do wonders for what you will be doing the next day.

You can do this – and if you hit a tough day, remember BEES – Breathe, Eat, Exercise & Sleep. Don’t forget the support available to you in school – we are always here to help!

Contributors: Fiona Long (Post 16 Mentor) and Beth Rookwood (Sixth Form Chaplain)