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Sixth Form at Cranbrook
 Core Vision and Subject Selection Policy
 Aims
Our aim is to provide an environment in which individual students can maximise their educational opportunities. We are a school concerned with academic success (of course) but we also put huge efforts into the wider curriculum and it is this, as much as our exam results, which make us such an attractive school to pupils and parents.
Our core business is to provide academic schooling for our sixth form boarders and for all eligible day students in our catchment area, and to prepare them for entry to university. We aim to help students grow into enthusiastic, ambitious and academically curious young men and women.
Entry
To gain entry to the Cranbrook sixth form a student must achieve a minimum of seven GCSE grades at B or above. B grade in the appropriate GCSE subject is the essential requirement for entry onto an AS course. Most of our sixth form students have gained GCSE grades far in excess of these minimum requirements. Please click on the link below for more information regarding sixth form entry:
Students must continue with three A levels in Year 13. Therefore a student must pass (acheive at least an E grade) in three of their AS subjects in order to progress into Year 13.
Sixth Form Entry Procedures
Student Performance
All pupils are treated equally on entry to the sixth form and high achievement is expected from all. Teachers and tutors are made aware of GCSE results and other performance data which is used to help us set individual performance targets; all are encouraged to aim high and mostly our pupils achieve much higher grades than would be predicted from their GCSE results. During Y12, as evidence of sixth form performance is gathered and compared with predictive data, tutors, in conversation with their tutees, set realistic targets. These are conveyed to parents via the reporting system and parents’ evenings.
Sixth Form Curriculum
The Cranbrook Curriculum is traditional and academic. More and more our sixth form pupils opt for the traditional AS and A level subjects with only a very few opting for the more vocational style courses.
The subjects taught at Cranbrook are:-
Art
Art History
Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Classical Civilisation
Critical Thinking
Design Technology
Early Modern History
Economics
English Language
English Literature
Food Technology
French
Geography
Geology (AS only)
German
Information Technology (AS only)
Later Modern History
Latin
Maths
Further Maths
Music
Performing Arts
Physics
Politics
Spanish
Vocational A levels such Photography are taught at Angley. Philosophy and Ethics A Level is taught at Angley too. This is possible because the two schools have adjusted their timetables so that they both contain a common block of periods taught at the same time; students from either school are able to study a common block course at the other. At the same time as some Cranbrook students attend lessons at Angley, some Angley students study courses at Cranbrook.
In Year 12 four AS subjects are the norm although around 5% of students study five. In Year 13 the majority drop to 3 A2 subjects although around 15% continue with four.
As soon as the AS exams are completed in early June, the students begin their A2 courses. The final week of the summer term is a time of intense work during which the students begin to take decisions about their futures. The arrangements in place allow pupils to leave the decision to drop a subject as late as they wish. Although many make up their minds in June of Year 12, decisions can be delayed until after the GCE results are published in August or even well into the Autumn term of Year 13, so that pupils have an opportunity to talk to their subject teachers and take advice on the implications of discontinuing subjects from Careers staff, before final decisions are taken. A significant number of students delay their decision well into their Year 13 courses.
Unless they are studying more than the usual number of subjects, all sixth form pupils must take three enrichment periods a week. In these periods the Key Skills of Numeracy and Communication are covered as are RE and PSE. All sixth form students follow a course leading to the AS Critical Thinking qualification, The Community Sports Leadership Award or the AQA Extended Project Qualification. Courses concerned with Life Skills and preparation for university are introduced late in Year 12 and onward into Year 13.
Extra Curricular Provision
The school is justly proud of the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities given to the sixth form pupils. Nearly all are involved in at least one activity and many play for a school sports team as well. In addition sixth form students are encouraged to become involved in mentoring and supporting younger pupils so gaining people management skills which will prove invaluable in later life. The many activities and opportunities available can be read about elsewhere on this website.
Tutoring and academic supervision
Every pupil is assigned to a House and is allocated a personal tutor. Tutor groups number between ten and twenty pupils and meet daily at morning registration and more formally during dedicated tutor time twice a week. Tutors are always available should pupils have urgent need of advice. Tutors oversee the day to day progress of their tutees and are the principal conduit of information between the school and home.
The sixth form is overseen by the two Heads of Sixth Form. They run a sixth form assembly once a week during which those topics relevant to the sixth form only are covered.
Entry to University – UCAS
In the autumn term of Year 13 all pupils wanting to attend university – the vast majority – are guided through the entry process. There is a dedicated team of experienced teachers available to guide pupils and all have close supervision and guidance through the process from their tutors. Exploratory visits to universities are encouraged although as a rule we discourage more than two such visits during term time. The vast majority of our sixth form students are successful with their applications and subsequently attend the University of their choice; mostly these universities are amongst the top universities in the country.
Study Facilities
Apart from those pupils studying more than the norm of 4 AS subjects, all Y12 pupils have 6 private study periods per week. Y13 pupils may have up to 12.
Although private study is not supervised, pupils are expected to use their time productively. They may work in the excellent school library, use the school ICT facilities, work in the sixth form study centre , sixth Form Cafe or in one of the departmental areas around the school. There are social areas available too. Boarders each have their own study space in their boarding houses and are expected to use those. There is ample, good quality study space available. Our pupils are expected to make profitable use of it.
Attendance
All sixth form pupils are expected to attend school each day. Year 12 pupils are required to be in school from 8.30am either in lessons or using the private study facilities and to remain in school until the end of the afternoon. If they have no early morning lessons, Year 13 may delay their arrival provided they arrive in time for house registration at 10.00am each morning. With the agreement of parents, Year 13 are permitted to leave school on those afternoons they have no timetabled lessons.
Dress Code
Please click on the link below for full details
New 6th form dress code 2011
Year 12 Transport Letter
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