A-levels, leadership and preparations for life beyond Epsom… these two years are an exciting time and the pinnacle of everything you’ve worked for, whether you’re moving up from our Fifth Form or joining us from another school.
There are around 380 students across the two year groups, which allows everyone to receive tailored individual attention while being part of a lively, diverse community.
You will study three Principal Subjects at A-level (four if you choose maths and further maths). These will be supplemented with an option from the Core Curriculum, which provides breadth and develops key skills essential for your future.
You will choose three from the following list:
Students may also study the Business BTEC Diploma, which is equivalent to two A-levels.
To be considered for a place in our Sixth Form you will need a grade average of 6.5 across all your GCSEs, with at least a Grade 7 in the subjects you wish to study at A-level.
You must have at least Grade 8 for the more technical subjects, such as maths, sciences and modern languages.
We work closely with Russell Group universities and their clear advice is that three subjects is optimal. Universities base their offers on three subjects, and studying this many allows students to go deep into their chosen subjects while also having time in the week to enjoy the breadth of opportunities on offer at the College.
Employers and Admissions Tutors want to meet candidates who are rounded and have experiences that go far beyond the classroom. We feel that the balance of our curriculum gives you the best chance of achieving this.
In the Sixth Form, we support students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) by focusing on two specific areas of study:
The course of choice leads to the IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System) in Lower Sixth.
Tertiary institutions across the world recognise the IELTS exam as evidence of sufficient knowledge of English to successfully complete undergraduate courses in an English-speaking environment. It is also possible for pupils to undertake study that leads to examinations such as the Cambridge University Main Suite Exams (CPE, CAE or FCE).
In the Upper Sixth, private tuition is the norm, and pupils may resit the IELTS exam if required.
We assess all pupils for whom English is an Additional Language and ensure that they have appropriate access arrangements in public examinations.
All students have the opportunity to lead a lively intellectual life outside of the classroom. Everyone has to take an option from our Core Curriculum (see below) and – in addition – the Sixth Form curriculum allows time for you to take part in one of:
You will also take part in a series of Personal & Social Development (PSD) lectures and seminars. These focus on your wellbeing and your transition into adult life beyond the College. You will cover such things as finance, body image, consent, leadership and resilience.
The Core Curriculum provides you with skills and experience that complement your A-level studies. You choose one option from the following:
A chance to continue maths beyond GCSE, but at a level less taxing than A-level. The focus is on functional skills that use mathematical processes, rather than ‘pure’ maths. This is ideal if you’re studying Biology, Geography, Business and Economics A-levels.
This is roughly equivalent to the A-level course for US students. This qualification is accepted by US Universities, and increasingly by their counterparts in the UK who have been known to lower grade boundaries for pupils who have English AP.
The focus on language and composition make it a great choice for aspiring journalists, or those pursuing a career where clear, coherent and persuasive communication is key.
If you want to hone your independent research skills, and follow a topic of your choosing, the Extended Project Qualification is a great choice. You select a topic of interest, fine-tune your research question with the support of a teacher and conduct university-level research to produce a 5,000-word report. This is great training for university dissertations.
Recognised as the international standard for digital workplace skills, you will acquire advanced skills in word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software and databases. The final qualification is worth 24 UCAS points.
The internationally recognised starting point for business people and budding entrepreneurs. You will work as part of a team to build your business from scratch, learning how to develop a product, bring it to market and – hopefully – turn a profit.
