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

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Preparing for A Level Success

26th September 2019Mrs L Johnston

The tutor programme and academic mentoring uses the principles of VESPA, as set out in The A Level Mindset (Oakes., S. and Griffin, M. 2016) to support student success. This article will hopefully reinforce the message.

Top 10 Tips

Adapted from The Student Room

1. Set a goal

A Levels are hard work. You need to be motivated to knuckle down and get all your studying and revision done if you want to succeed. But it’s pretty difficult to push yourself if you don’t have goals and constantly remember why you’re doing these courses.

2. Believe in your potential

Anyone can get better at anything. You’re probably not going to do brilliantly in every test and piece of homework but if you put the study hours in, act on advice your teachers give you and practise lots of questions, your marks will improve.

3. Work hard but keep a balance

It’s important to attend lessons, get homework done and revise for tests. And if you take study a bit further by doing some extra reading or practise questions, your effort will most likely be rewarded with good grades. But remember that life is about more than studying. You need a social life and time to unwind.

4. Be organised and stay organised

Get files for each subject and file your work away in date order. Keep hold of those teacher handouts and make sure you use some sort of calendar to make a note of deadlines, exams and anything else.

Check out the ‘Lifesaving Folder Organisation Hack for Sixth Form & Back to School’ vlog by UnJaded Jade for some great hints and tips.

5. Review your work regularly

Something you learn in September might not be examined until 20 months afterwards so it’s inevitable that some work will be forgotten. Checking what you’ve learned regularly and testing yourself on it is the best way to keep it fresh in your mind.

6. Use your teachers

Most teachers know a lot about the courses they teach, meaning they know how to score high marks in exams and they know the common mistakes. Most teachers also like to help, so they are probably the most important resource you have. Make sure you make the most of their expertise.

7. Avoid comparing yourself to other students

There will probably always be someone who does a bit better than you at something. Comparing yourself to them will only be de-motivating. The only person you need to compare yourself to is… yourself. Learn from the mistakes you make and your work will gradually improve.

8. Don’t think ‘free’ periods are ‘free’

Most A Level students are not in lessons all day long. They have ‘study’ or ‘free’ periods. It’s very tempting to use all these for relaxation and socialising. But if you can use just some of them for study then you’ll buy yourself more free time at home.

9. Past papers are your friends

There are only a certain number of questions that can be asked on a specification. Inevitably the same old questions about the same old things keep popping up. The more you practise questions and check your answer against the mark scheme, the more you’ll gear your work to what examiners really want.

10. Look after your health

Studying A Levels can be stressful. There’s so much to think about and a lot is expected of you. The pressure can build up quite quickly and may feel overwhelming at times. That’s why it’s important to look after your physical and mental wellbeing.

Also check out the useful vlog ‘My Sixth Form Experience + A-Level Survival Guide’ by Tabitha Elizabeth

Enrolment for Sixth Form 2019 Entry

22nd August 2019Mrs L Johnston

Congratulations! We hope you are very pleased with your results, it was a tough exam season and you should be proud of your efforts.

If you have been offered a place to study with Sixth Form at King Edward’s please complete this online Enrolment Form to confirm your place. Here you are asked to confirm your subject choices, there is also an option to request a change of subject. Change of subjects will be done on Wednesday 4 September through a one to one meeting with one of the Sixth Form team. Students who are joining Sixth Form from other schools are invited in at 9am with all other applicants invited to attend from 10:30am.

Students who no longer wish to take up their offer of a place with Sixth Form at King Edward’s should also formally decline their place via the Enrolment Form If you require any further guidance and support please contact Janet who will be available Friday 23 August in school until 12 or from 4 September.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new term as a Sixth Form student. Induction will take place on 4 September for those who have not yet completed this (invites have been sent out). The new term and lessons officially start on Monday 9 September.

Enrolment Form

A Level Success for the Class of 2019

15th August 2019Mrs L Johnston

The King Edward VI School A Level students has achieved excellent results today. Over 30% of all entries (666 entries) were A*- A grades and 81% A*- C grades. Students on average achieved a B grade and a number of students performed outstandingly, including 38 students who achieved all A-A* grades, 9 of which achieved all A*grades.

The school is delighted that almost three-quarters of students are now moving into higher education at a number of high performing universities including Oxbridge, many Russell Group and Ivy League institutions.

Headteacher, Clare Savage commented:

“These incredibly positive results represent all the hard work of our students throughout their time at King Edward’s. It is also an illustration of the dedication and commitment of the staff and parents who have supported the students to enable them to perform so highly.

As they prepare to move on to further study or work, I would like to thank our students for the significant and positive contribution they have made to our school. They have excelled in so many fields and we have been so impressed by all of their achievements. We wish all of our students every success in their future endeavours.”

Leanne Johnston, Head of Post 16 thanked the students for their efforts and congratulated them on their successes.

“The progress each and every student has made throughout Sixth Form is exceptional with many exceeding their target grades, which is fantastic.“

We celebrate each and every student’s individual successes and endeavours, and are genuinely delighted at the range of destinations and opportunities our students explore after Sixth Form. Our departing Head Boy, Luke Bailey, is taking up a place at Harvard University. Another student who is headed for the USA is Rory Leonard, who will take up a place on an athletics scholarship at the University of Arkansas.

Several students have secured outstanding apprenticeships such as PWC and Plan B with Gateshead College. Some of our students are taking gap years, with departing Head Girl working the ski season and others using the key skills they have developed and heading straight into employment.

As a year team Ms Familton and Jess are incredibly proud of our students and wish them all the very best.

2019 Bridging Event

10th July 2019Mrs L Johnston

Bridging 2019 Lesson Resources Folder

Hard to believe that Bridging has been and gone and we’re now all waiting with great anticipation and possibly a little trepidation the August results! All course offers that students currently hold from Sixth Form at King Edward’s are conditional upon confirmation of GCSE results.

Those that attended Bridging made such a positive impression on the Sixth Form team and the teaching staff. Many teachers commented on the enthusiasm with which students approached their lessons and learning, and are very much looking forward to new cohorts of students starting in September. Particular mention to the large number students who have applied for a place with us who did not study their GCSE’s at King Edward’s. Making the decision to change schools is a tough one, often bound together with lots of emotions. These students from other schools approached Bridging wholeheartedly and really integrated into our Sixth Form community. We look forward to getting to you know better in the coming months.

We very much hope that Bridging allowed students to get familiar with their new surroundings, making the Advanced Study Centre their new base and taking full advantage of our exclusive Cafe VI. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to connect with new students and witness burgeoning friendships, watching them try out A Level subjects that will help them on their way to realising their ambition. The aim of Bridging is to begin that journey of development, increasing self awareness and making informed decisions about futures.

During the week we partnered with Live-n-Learn, who spoke to students about developing their A Level Mindset. The aim of these sessions, was to give an indication of the breadth and depth of our Enrichment and Personal Development Programme, which is unique to King Edward’s. At the same time offering practical tips, strategies and advice on managing the transition and the differences between school and Sixth Form. We will continue this with our VESPA programme of learning in the new term

Year on year, comments from both students and staff relate to the transitional phase between Year 11 and Year 12 and how ‘big’ the jump is from GCSE to A Level. This is is not just restricted to lessons and learning, but also the increased freedoms and responsibilities Post 16 students are afforded. The enrichment sessions on Wednesday, demonstrated by being fully informed and prepared, as well as adopting a motivated and positive mindset, there is no jump. Instead there are a plethora of opportunities and possibilities to be grasped, used and exploited to ensure that dreams, goals and accomplishments are all realised within Sixth Form at King Edward’s.

Students, please follow the link below to provide your thoughts on the week:

University-related websites

Early deadline websites

Other useful websites