Joining our Sixth Form
The Sixth Form application process starts with our Sixth Form Open Evening, held in November in the year prior to admission. To further assist you, we have asked current students to answer questions relating to their A level choices. You may also wonder what it is like to study at a predominantly boys' school if you are a girl - please see what our girls had to say.
The Sixth Form application window is currently closed but will reopen in November 2024. Priority will be given to those who applied by the deadline. Any late applications will be considered on an individual basis and will be subject to a space being available. Please contact the Admissions Officer who can discuss your application and send you the necessary paperwork.
Once you have applied, you will receive an email reply with a conditional offer of a place for September 2024, subject to you meeting both the minimum entry requirements for the Sixth Form and the subject specific requirements as detailed in the Subject Information Guide.
The next stage in the process is for us to collate all applicants’ subject choices to enable us to construct the timetable. We may contact you to discuss your chosen subjects if we are unable to facilitate a specific combination or if one of your courses has been withdrawn from offer due to insufficient numbers.
Our annual Sixth Form open evening is the best opportunity to obtain the majority of relevant information related to joining Bournemouth School's Sixth Form. Please make every effort to attend this important event, where you get to hear from the Headmaster, meet staff and students, and tour the school site.
Unfortunately, we do not have any on-site parking available. If you are attending the event by car, there is parking in the surrounding roads and at the Sir David English Sports Centre adjacent to the school.
You may also wish to download our most recent Sixth Form prospectus and the Headmaster's previous presentation to prospective parents. Please note that both of these documents are updated each year.
If you are unable to attend our open evening, please contact us as brief tours may be arranged at other times.
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 2024 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
| Subject | Entry Requirements |
|---|---|
| Art and Design | Grade 6 in Art and Design |
| Biology | Grade 6 in Biology or Grade 7/7 in Combined Science plus Grade 6 in Mathematics |
| Business Studies | Grade 6 in Business Studies or Grade 6 in English (Language or Literature) plus Grade 6 in Mathematics |
| Chemistry | Grade 6 in Chemistry or Grade 7/7 in Combined Sciences plus Grade 6 in Mathematics |
| Computer Science | Grade 6 in Computer Science |
| 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) |
| French | Grade 6 in French |
| Further Mathematics | Grade 8 in Mathematics |
| 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 | Grade 7 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 or Geography |
| Psychology | Grade 6 in English (Language or Literature), Mathematics and Biology |
| Religious Studies | No additional requirements to those published |
| Spanish | Grade 6 in Spanish |
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.
If you do wish to take up your offer of a place at our Sixth Form in September 2024 you will need to:
- attend on Thursday, 27 June 2024 - Year 12 Experience Day;
- provide a copy of your GCSE results by 4pm on Wednesday, 28 August 2024 (results are only required if you are not currently attending Bournemouth School);
- attend on Monday, 2 September 2024 – Year 12 Registration Day (attendance is compulsory); and
- attend from Wednesday, 4 September 2024 – Year 12 Induction Day (start of term for Year 12).
External applicants should use the following form to advise the school of their GCSE results, once known. Please note that you will need to include evidence on the final page of this form, which should be in the form of legible, scanned or photographed results documentation.
A form will be available here from 22 August 2024.
Parents whose application for their child to be considered for admission to the school is unsuccessful have a right of appeal to an independent Admissions Appeals Panel.
In the first instance, please either email [email protected] or telephone the school on 01202 512609 and ask for admissions to discuss the matter. If you remain dissatisfied, you will be given details of the formal appeals procedures and the relevant forms to complete.