Choosing your A-levels

The move to the Sixth Form is exciting and challenging. There is more opportunity for independent thinking and the courses themselves are far more rigorous than GCSEs. The Headmaster has various criteria for admission to the Sixth Form, which include your GCSE results, your attitude to work (including your ability to meet coursework deadlines), your contribution to the wider life of the school and your disciplinary record. In addition, you must have a viable combination of AS subjects to study.

Although we do not have minimum grades for entry onto each of the A2 courses, some skill-based subjects, like mathematics, do require a certain level of competence. If you achieve a grade C at GCSE in a subject you wish to continue at A level, you will be asked to discuss your entry onto the course with the Head of Department of that subject.

In addition, for subjects which are not offered at GCSE, such as Business Studies, Economics and Politics, you will need to show that you have researched the course content and are clear about why you want to take the subject.

When choosing subjects for A level, I suggest you take into account the following factors:

• Certain subjects are needed for certain vocations – e.g. Chemistry to be a doctor. Use the internet and the careers library to help you make an informed choice about the subjects you might need at A2 level.

• We all want students to achieve the highest grades possible. Enjoyment of the subjects chosen is paramount. You are then more likely to stay motivated through the increased workload you will experience.

• Which subjects are you good at? You will be asked to give us a preliminary choice of subjects near Christmas and then make your final choices in March. After this, there will be a further opportunity to review your combination but you will only be able to change subjects if set numbers and blocking arrangements permit. This ensures that set sizes do not go above a maximum of 12.

Follow the links on the right to find out more about each subject. You can also print out each page in pdf format. Good luck with your decision!

Mrs M A Collins
Senior Deputy Head (Academic)

Subjects on offer

A Level Subjects:
Art & Design
Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Classical Subjects
Economics
English Literature
French
Geography
German
History
Mathematics
Maths with Further Mathematics
Music
Music Technology
Philosophy & Ethics
Physics
Politics
Spanish
Sport Studies
Theatre Studies

AS Level Subjects:
Electronics
ICT
Italian (GCSE/AS)