Our Open Evening for entry to Sixth Form in September 2025 is on Wednesday, 20 November 2024 from 6-8pm. Registration is not required in order to attend the open evening.

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

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.

Applications for September 2025 will be available after our open evening on Wednesday, 20 November 2024. Registration is not required to attend the open evening.

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.