Year 12 Induction Evening for Parents and Students

1
Year 12 Induction Evening for Parents and
Students
Little Heath School

• 13 October 2005

2
The Curriculum

• A broader curriculum
• 4 AS in Year 12 instead of 3 A Levels
• 3 (or 4) A Levels in Year 13
• Much more opportunity for mix-and-match between
  academic and applied (more vocational) AS / A
  Levels
• Intermediate GNVQ and re-sit English
  Mathematics for those who need to top-up GCSE
  qualifications

3
APPLIED A LEVELS

• Were called AVCEs until August 2005- more
  vocational than traditional A Level subjects
• Advanced Double Award 12 units
• (Equivalent to 2 A Levels)
• Advanced Single Award 6 units
• (Equivalent to 1 A Level)
• Grading is identical to A Level A - E, and U
  (but in double award you can get split grades
  such as AB)
• Some units assessed by coursework (66), others
  by tests.

Subjects Business Studies, Health and Social
Care, Leisure Studies and I.C.T.
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How are AS / A Levels assessed?
A Level

• 6 units, each weighted at between 15 - 20
• Advanced Subsidiary (AS) 3 units
• AS is a separate qualification, but its also
  the first half of A Level.
• A2 3 units
• AS A2 A Level
• AS A2 are weighted equally (50 each) when
  awarding overall A Level qualification.
• Some units assessed by examinations, others by
  coursework.
• Subjects either have 1 or 2 coursework units
  (maximum 30).

5
Coursework Dates

• Dates in tonights booklet
• Crucial not to fall behind!!
• Check Department handouts for further
  information.
• These are available in the Small Hall and at the
  back of this hall after this session.

6
Examination Entries

• Assessment seasons in January June.
• All individual units may be retaken
• Private entry c.10
• Best result stands
• L6 Jan A few examination entries permitted
• L6 June All Units 1 - 3
  Whole AS
• U6 Jan Any Unit 4 - 6 (A2)
• any re-sit AS unit
• U6 June All remaining Units 4 - 6 Whole A2
• any re-sit unit

7
Key Dates 2005 - 2007

• September 2005
• AS courses begun by your sons and daughters
• Summer 2006
• Your sons and daughters gain AS qualifications
• RESULTS DAY Thursday 17 August 2005
• June 2006
• A2 courses begun by your sons and daughters
• Summer 2007
• Your sons and daughters gain A Level
  qualifications
• RESULTS DAY Provisional Thur. 16 Aug. 06

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School Calendar 2005 - 2007

• Year 12 2005/06
• October
• 13 Introductory Evening
• 17 - 4 Nov. Target Setting
• November
• 14 Progress Review issued
• 17 Academic Review Day
• January
• Some AS, Applied AS GNVQ exams
• 20 February / 3 March
• AS Mock Examinations
• March
• 16 Results Day (January)
• 31 Progress Review
• April
• 25 Parents Evening
• c.15 May - c.16June
• AS Examinations
• June

• Year 13 2006/07
• September
• 5 Term starts
• October
• UCAS applications
• November
• Progress Review
• December
• Parents Evening
• January
• AS Resits / A2 Examinations
• March
• January Results Day
• Progress Review
• c.21 May - 1 July
• A2 Examinations / Resits
• August
• 16 A Level Results Day (Provisional)

9
Be Professional Students

• Hard work
• Study Skills
• Deadlines
• Time management
• Effective use of free periods

10
Focus on long-term goals

• Priorities
• Social life
• Part-time jobs
• Schoolwork 16 hours per week outside school
• 4 hrs. per subject
• Sixth Form block open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

11
Take Responsibility for your own learning

• Ask for help
• subject teachers
• form tutor
• us
• Reading and research
• the library
• the Internet - use Little Heath website
• newspapers
• Make good use of the school website
• www.littleheath.org.uk
• Set yourself targets for improvement and work
  towards achieving them.

12
Home Study Arrangements

• All Sixth Form students will be permitted to
  study at home during free lessons in the
  afternoon at times agreed with their tutor.
  Consequently, if you are free during period 5
  you may leave school at 1.20p.m. with your
  tutors permission.
• However students must attend afternoon
  registrations on Mondays, and Tuesdays for
  important tutorial work and assemblies.
• Tutors may need to see students on Wednesdays,
  Thursdays and Fridays occasionally, for
  target-setting for example. On those days
  students may go home at 2.25p.m.

13
Target Setting

• The aim of this is to improve student achievement
  by raising expectations.
• GCSE performance is used by national
  organisations to predict AS and A Level outcomes.
  
• We will be asking your sons and daughters to add
  appropriate challenge to these predictions.
• We have shown everyone how to access the UCAS
  website, to research available courses and entry
  requirements.
• This month Year 12 all sat ALIS tests. This was
  to help establish these targets. This was an
  adult CAT test, assessing natural potential.

14
Plan Your Future

• Consider your ambitions
• What careers interest you?
• Do you want to go to University?
• What courses would you like or need to study?

How would I find out about that?
Ask UCAS http//www.ucas.ac.uk/
15
Aimhigher Partnerships for Progression

• Aimhigher is a national initiative, jointly
  funded by the LSC and the Higher Education
  Funding Council.
• Its aim is to widen and increase participation in
  Higher Education.
• Little Heath is actively involved in this
  project.
• Potential areas for development
• Master classes to introduce students to study at
  undergraduate level
• Aspiration raising
• Residential and national summer schools
• e.g. University of Reading offers a specialist
  Science summer school for students in Year 12 on
  AS or AVCE Science courses.

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LEARNING IS REWARDING (Its a nice little
earner) 400 - 500 000!
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
By 2010 the Government has set a target that 50
of young people will have degrees. Which half
will you be in?
IMPROVE YOUR CHOICES AND CAREER PROSPECTS
17
Academic Review Day

• Thursday 17 November 2005
• 15 minute appointments made with your son /
  daughters form tutor.
• Opportunity to discuss settling in and to
  consider the academic targets he or she has set.
• A chance to discuss possible career pathways.

18
Monitoring Support

• Targets reviewed regularly by subject teachers.
• Student performance discussed with form tutor.
• Early intervention by us if necessary.

Regular feedback to parents.
19
Community Service

• All students in Year 12 are expected to
  contribute to Community Service.
• A wide range of different activities are
  available
• working in a local primary school
• helping with a younger tutor group
• working in Student Support or SuccessPlus
• helping a younger student with reading skills
• helping in a subject area
• helping run a club or activity

This is a win / win situation. Younger students
gain invaluable help. Year 12 students gain
leadership skills and experience, good for c.v.s
and UCAS applications.
20
Helping a younger student
You gain new skills and confidence
They gain improved skills and meet an outstanding
role model
21
A Level Performance Tables Local schools

A 120 B 100 C 80 D 60 E 40
The 2004 Performance Tables will be published in
November.
22
Results and Value-Added

• Excellent results Examination results have
  consistently placed the school at the top of the
  league tables in West Berkshire. OFSTED
• Excellent progress National analysts have
  described the value-added progress made by
  Sixth Form students at Little Heath as
  outstanding, placing Little Heath towards the
  very top nationally in terms of value-added.
• They attribute this to our top class teaching
  and our lack of poor teaching which are
  outstanding in national terms. Kevin Conway,
  Director of the A Level Performance System (ALPS)

23
The Student View

• Mark Way
• Geography
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Wants to be a civil engineer

• Jo Madzelewski
• Biology
• Business Studies
• PE
• Wants to be a physiotherapist