Approach to the Sixth Form Curriculum

 St Michael’s Catholic College Sixth Form: Pathways to the Future

Our Sixth Form curriculum is shaped to offer students both academic and personal challenges, as well as the space to develop and pursue their own interests; preparing them for the competitive world of either work or university. As a Catholic College we ensure that our students have continued opportunities to develop and reflect on their own faith and we expect them to participate as members of the college in community acts of worship; beyond this,the sixth form students have a full part to play in the life of the college.

Transition to KS5 is also used to promote challenge and high expectations at KS4. To this end, scholarships and exhibitions are available subject to student performance at GCSE allowing access to differentiated support for university applications and appropriate enrichment opportunities. All students receive timetabled enrichment and study periods to enable them to study for an EPQ and work towards the Duke of Edinburgh qualification, as well as access to an extensive range of experiences from partners such as KPMG, NCS Challenge, PWC and King’s College.

The curriculum has three pathways:

Average point scores are based on a scaling for each grade at GCSE where: 9 =9, 8 = 8, 7 = 7 and so on.

Transition:

Part of the support we offer to all our students lies in how we prepare you for the next stage of your academic career – whether that be moving from year 11 to year 12 or year 12 to 13 or indeed year 13 to the world beyond college.

Year 11 to 12: Each applicant will have an individual interview to establish their strengths and interests, before acceptance into the college. In July, students are invited to attend a two day induction where they will experience taster lessons in the subjects they are interested in and they will also be provided with transition tasks to complete over the summer holiday. On Enrolment day in August, students again have a one to one interview to ensure that they choose absolutely the right courses to suit their interest, capability and aspiration. Once they begin team building days ensure that they settle in as a productive team.

Year 13 to the Future: students are provided with one to one guidance in making choices about their future and form tutors and sixth form staff support them closely with the writing of applications and student statements.