Joining the Sixth Form - Bournemouth School

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Choosing your Sixth Form pathway

Getting your post-16 subject choices right is an important first step towards your chosen future pathway. Entry to the best universities and apprenticeships can be highly competitive and whilst academic performance is very important, they will also want to select students who are clearly well-motivated and passionate about their subject. In some cases, they may even ask you to gain some work experience in a relevant field.

Sixth Form students at Bournemouth School are required to study either 4 full A Levels (we do not offer AS Levels) or 3 full A Levels and complete a plus option during Year 12 (known as 3+).

The advantages of studying 4 A Levels are:

It demonstrates your ability to manage the challenge and volume of a demanding academic curriculum.
It potentially offers a wider range of degree options.

The advantages of a 3+ option:

The plus option can be used to facilitate your full A Levels / University application.
In Year 13 you would only have to focus upon 3 subjects rather than 4, allowing greater time for consolidation of learning and exam preparation.

Reasons to select a subject:

The subject is required for your choice of degree or career. For instance, to study Architecture at many universities you need Maths and Physics. (See Informed Choices website for guidance and also the UCAS website.)
You are good at the subject and you enjoy it.
It facilitates your other subject choices.
It is a new subject that you have not studied but it interests you and you think it will suit your strengths.

Further considerations:

Have you got/are you likely to get the necessary subject entry requirements?
Have you looked at the syllabus to know what the course involves and also how the subject is examined?
Have you spoken to a subject teacher/Head of Department and watched the relevant online presentation?
Some subject combinations are compulsory, e.g. you cannot do Physics without Mathematics A Level.
Further Mathematics can only be taken as a fourth A Level choice, and must be studied alongside Mathematics A Level.
If you wish to study Computing at university it would be advisable to have Mathematics A Level.

Some degrees will be open to you whatever subjects you choose to study for your A Level qualifications and there are many other popular degrees which are normally open to you without any specific subject background. These include: Accountancy; Anthropology; Archaeology; Business Studies; History of Art; Law; Management Studies; Media Studies; Philosophy; Politics; Psychology; Religious Studies; Sociology; Surveying.

Many courses at university level build on knowledge which you will gain while still at school. For this reason, some university courses may require you to have studied a specific subject prior to entry, others may not.

Another factor to consider if you are aiming for incredibly competitive courses at university, such as Medicine, is that you may require a very high performance in your GCSEs. Does your performance to date match your ambition? (Think about your mock examination outcomes).

We advise those students who are wishing to apply for highly competitive courses such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary science to study 4 A Levels. Those who wish to apply to Oxbridge should also study 4 A Levels.

Subject Specific Requirements

To meet our Sixth Form entry requirements, applicants must have attained at least a grade 5 in both English Language and Mathematics, and have a “Best 8” GCSE points score of at least 48 points with at least a grade 6 in the subjects chosen or in a related discipline.

For example, if a student’s Best 8 GCSEs are 8 grade 6s they would have a total (Best 8) points score of 48 – so provided they have achieved at least a grade 5 in English Language and Mathematics, they would be eligible for a place in the Sixth Form.

Applicants should ensure their GCSE qualifications are listed by the DfE as being eligible for inclusion in the 2025 Performance Tables (this includes the English and mathematics qualifications). The School does not accept other qualifications in lieu of those listed. (Click here for Key Stage 4 qualifications and discount codes.)

Subject specific entry requirements

A Level Subject	GCSE Entry Requirement
Art and Design	Grade 6 in Art and Design
Biology	Grade 6 in Biology or Grade 7/7 in Combined Sciences PLUS Grade 6 in Mathematics
Business Studies	Grade 6 in Business Studies or Grade 6 in English (Language or Literature) and Grade 6 in Mathematics
Chemistry	Grade 7 in Chemistry or Grade 7/7 in Combined Sciences PLUS Grade 7 in Mathematics
Computer Science	Grade 6 in Computer Science
Core Mathematics	No additional requirements to those published
Design and Technology: Product Design	Grade 6 in Design and Technology
Economics	Grade 6 in Mathematics and English (Language or Literature)
English Literature	Grade 6 in English (Language or Literature)
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)	No additional requirements to those published
French	Grade 6 in French
Geography	Grade 6 in Geography
German	Grade 6 in German
Graphic Communication	Grade 6 in Art and Design or Graphic Design
History	Grade 6 in History
Mathematics (AS Level)	Grade 6 in Mathematics (note: this is a two-year course)
Mathematics	Grade 7 in Mathematics
Further Mathematics	Grade 8 in Mathematics
Music	Grade 6 in GCSE Music or Grade 6 practical and Grade 5 theory (ABRSM or equivalent)
Physical Education	Grade 6 in Physical Education
Physics	Grade 6 in Physics or Grade 7/7 in Combined Sciences PLUS Grade 7 in Mathematics
Politics	Grade 6 in History, Geography or Religious Studies
Psychology	Grade 6 in English (Language or Literature), Mathematics and Biology
Religious Studies	Grade 6 in Religious Studies, Geography or History (or other Humanity)
Spanish	Grade 6 in Spanish

Appeals

Meeting	Exceeding
You will be able to describe and explain the increased tension over Berlin between Khrushchev and Kennedy. You will be able to have a good understanding of why there were summit meetings called, 1960 and 1961. You will be able to describe and explain why the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. You will be able to explain the impact the building of the wall had on East-West relations and the importance of Kennedy’s visit to Berlin in 1963. You will be able to show a good understanding of the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the importance of the Bay of Pigs failed invasion of 1961 and the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.	You will be able to evaluate the impact on international relations of increased tension over Berlin between Khrushchev and Kennedy. You understanding of the summit meetings is precise and you can evaluate their importance. You will be able to precisely recall details of how why the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. You will be able to evaluate the importance of the building of the wall on East-West relations and the importance of Kennedy’s visit to Berlin in 1963. You will be able to show a precise knowledge and understanding of the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the importance of the Bay of Pigs failed invasion of 1961 the events and significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 in the short term and long term.
Assessment Methods
Do-now tasks Retrieval Quiz in class End of Unit Assessment

Meeting	Exceeding
You will demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the origins of the Weimar Republic from its creation in 1918. You will be able to describe and explain why the Republic faced political and economic challenges in the years 1919 – 1923. You will be able to understand some controversy over Germany’s recovery from 1924 – 28. You will be able to describe and explain how society and culture changed during the ‘Golden Years’ of Weimar. You will mostly be able to demonstrate accurate recall of key people, key dates, terminologies and acronyms to describe aspects Weimar Germany, 1918 – 1928.	You will be able to recall, with more precision and accuracy, the origins of the Weimar Republic from 1918. You will accurately explain the early challenges including the Spartacist Uprising, Kapp Putsch and the causes and impact of the German Hyperinflation of 1923. You will be able to recall, with precision and accuracy, how Weimar recovered including Stresemann’s economic and foreign policy successes whilst able to evaluate the limitations of recovery. You will have a secure knowledge of how Weimar society and culture changed. You will be able to convincingly demonstrate accurate and precise recall of key people, key dates, terminologies and acronyms describing aspects of Weimar Germany 1924 – 1929.
Assessment Methods
Do-now tasks Retrieval Quiz in class End of Unit Assessment

Meeting	Exceeding
You show a good knowledge and understanding of key terms associated with the changes happening from 1750 – 1900. You are able to describe and explain some aspects of continuity of society and economy during this period. You demonstrate a good understanding of how agriculture changed, why the factory system developed, how transport improvements impacted the economy with particular reference to the steam train. You are able to explain why living conditions in the new towns and cities changed, the impact on public health and calls for reform. You show secure evaluation of sources for utility, taking into account some aspects of provenance and / or own knowledge.	You are able to show an excellent knowledge and understanding of key terms associated with the changes happening from 1750 – 1900. You are able to precisely describe and explain aspects of continuity of society and economy during this period. You are able to show an excellent and precise understanding of how agriculture changed, why the factory system developed, how transport improvements impacted the economy with particular reference to the steam train. You are able to evaluate how and why living conditions in the new towns and cities changed and the impact these changes had on public health and calls for reform. You show a convincing evaluation of sources for utility, taking into account provenance and precise own knowledge.
Assessment Methods
Do Now Questioning in class Peer assessments (Skills based written response)

Meeting	Exceeding
You will be able to describe and explain the early tension between the members of the Grand Alliance at the three wartime conferences and events in Europe up to 1945. You will be able to have a good understanding of the ideological differences between Capitalism and Communism. You will be able to describe and explain the development of the Cold 1947 – 1949 including the flashpoint of Berlin, 1948 – 49 and the setting up of East and West Germany. You will understand why the Cold War intensified, 1949 – 58 including the arms race and the USSR’s response to the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and international reaction to this.	You will be able to evaluate the consequences of the wartime alliances for East-West relations. You will understand the attitudes of the wartime leaders and how this further impacted East-West relations. You will select accurate evidence to show the creation of the satellite states to further explain how soviet influence spread, 1945-48. You will be able to demonstrate an excellent understanding of short term and long term reasons why Stalin blockaded Berlin and how this further escalated the Cold War. You will be able to evaluate the significance of the arms race, Khrushchev’s response to the Hungarian Uprising and international reaction.
Assessment Methods
Do Now Retrieval quizzes in class Topic 1 End of Unit Assessment (factual recall)

Meeting	Exceeding
You will be able to have a good knowledge of Nazi policies towards women and why this was so. You will be able to describe and explain Nazi policies towards young people including education and youth groups with some evaluation. You will be able to understand the ways the Nazis reduced unemployment and how they made changes to peoples’ standard of living. You will be able to describe and explain why persecution of minority groups, especially the Jews, increased after 1933.	You will be able to evaluate Nazi policies towards women and young people. You will be able to confidently evaluate policies designed to reduce unemployment whilst also having an in-depth knowledge of policies impacting the standard of living of German workers. You will be able to evaluate the impact Nazi racial policies had upon groups such as Slavs, Roma, Sinti, homosexuals and those with disabilities. You will be able to evaluate the escalation of persecution towards Jewish people with precise reference to events such as the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht.
Assessment Methods
Do Now Retrieval quizzes in class Key Topic 4: End of Unit assessment (factual recall)

Meeting	Exceeding
You will be able to write a response that includes three causes of the outbreak of The Great War (this is the keystone point: no answer can be graded as ‘meeting’ if it does not contain three causes from: military, alliances, imperialism and nationalism). You will demonstrate the skill of analytical writing by demonstrating the Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link technique (PEEL) on each paragraph. For each cause, you will be including sufficient factual detail/proof to justify judgements rather than unsupported statements. You will be able to show secure explanation on each cause and link to why it was a reason for World War I breaking out.	You will apply precisely selected evidence, giving more weight to the judgements drawn. The quality of your evaluation will be in greater depth (e.g. linking in more depth to the question, considering limitations of each factor as a cause, making a clear judgement for each cause, maybe comparing their importance). You will be able to write a response that can also contain evidence of more independent research gathered from outside of the content studied in class.
Assessment Methods
Do Now tasks Retrieval quiz (factual recall) in class End of Unit 2 assessment (Skill: causation writing)

Meeting	Exceeding
You will be able to produce a written response that includes three distinct causes of the Break with Rome (this is the keystone point: no answer can be graded as ‘meeting’ if it does not contain three factors) Each of your causes contain sufficient factual detail/proof to justify judgments rather than assertions. Each cause is analysed/explained and linked to why it was a cause of the break with Rome	Your selected evidence is precise and detailed giving more weight to the judgments drawn. The quality of your evaluation is in greater depth (e.g. linking in more depth to the question, considering limitations of each factor as a cause, making a clear judgement for each cause, maybe comparing their importance). Your answers may contain evidence of independent research outside of the work covered in class.
Assessment Methods
Do Now Questioning in class End of Unit Assessment: Causation writing (PEEL Paragraphs)

Meeting	Exceeding
Your written response includes three distinct causes. Each cause contains enough ‘accurate’ (factually correct) and ‘relevant’ (fitted to this question and taken from the correct time period) information to justify judgments rather than assertions. You have analysed or explained each cause and linked it to why it was a cause.	The deployment of your evidence (e.g. precise details, dates, statistics) is in greater depth, giving more weight to the judgements drawn. Your supporting evidence is precisely selected to address the question directly, showing skill in selecting the most convincing evidence. The quality of your evaluation links in more depth to the question ‘directed consistently at conceptual focus’, maybe considering limitations of each factor as a cause. You make a clear judgement for each cause, maybe comparing their importance. All of your three points demonstrate a line of reasoning that is coherent, sustained and logically structured. You demonstrate an excellent, precise and accurate knowledge and understanding of the origins of the Weimar Republic and the challenges it faced, 1919 – 1923.
Assessment Methods
Do Now scores Retrieval quizzes in class Skills based end of Unit assessment: writing a causation examination answer

Meeting	Exceeding
You need to demonstrate secure revision strategies through independent home learning. You need to be able to recall plot and characters. You need to understand contextual factors that influenced 19^th century texts.	You need to demonstrate effective and consistent revision strategies through independent home learning. You need to confidently recall key events, plot developments, and character arcs. You need to show a developed understanding of the contextual factors that influenced 19th-century texts.
Assessment Methods
Do Now. Full KO Quiz. End of unit assessment .

Joining our Sixth Form