Sixth Form - Academic

Attachments

Sixth Form Courses Guide 2012-13

Academic Overview

Sixth Form at LRGS offers a challenging academic programme to boys who want to study their A-levels in depth and with real interest.

Any student should be able to choose for himself a programme of study consisting of four AS-levels and three or four A2-levels which are an ideal match for his interests and abilities, for we offer a broad and balanced range of subject options. Several of these (Economics, Business Studies, and Drama and Theatre Studies) are new subjects here at Sixth Form level, not taken as GCSEs.

All applicants to Lower Sixth must choose one subject from each of four blocks, but we work out these blocks only after initial preferences are known, so very few applicants are unable to study their ideal choice.

Academic Overview from a Sixth Form Student

The Sixth Form at LRGS offers an opportunity to study subjects in more detail which can be both challenging and rewarding. Each pupil takes four A-levels and has the opportunity to drop one of his choices after the Lower Sixth, depending on his AS results.

The weekly timetable is divided into 35 periods, each 40/45 minutes, with the school day beginning at 8:50 and ending at 3:30. After a form period or year group assembly, there are three periods before a 20-minute break from 11:20 to 11:40. There are then two periods before lunch, from 1:05 to 2:05, after which there are a final two periods in the afternoon. For each subject there are 13 lessons a fortnight (because the timetable operates on a Week A, Week B system) giving you four hours 20 minutes of teaching each week.

All the teachers know their subjects inside out and the small set sizes (on average 8-14 pupils per class) are ideal for learning. On top of lesson time, the fortnightly timetable gives you eight study periods, which are invaluable to get homework done. The Sixth Form Centre, Library, International Room (Economics and Business Studies only), Science Resources Library (Sciences only) and three computer rooms are available for use. If you drop a subject after AS you can use the time as study periods.

Once a week there is a Tutor Period with your form teacher and there is a double period given over to the Life Course. Wednesday afternoons are spent doing compulsory games. As well as football, rugby, rowing, cross country, fitness, badminton, table tennis, hockey and athletics, mountain biking and cricket in the summer you can choose to do sport offsite, which you are responsible for organising yourself.

Academically, the Sixth Form courses at LRGS are stretching, but if you are ready to work hard and be organised then you should achieve an excellent set of results at A-level and be prepared to meet the requirements of the wider world once you leave.

Curriculum

LRGS offers a broad and balanced range of AS and A2 subject choices which should enable any student to choose an interesting curriculum which he will enjoy and which will equip him for any university courses of interest to him. Please note: we offer AS and A-levels and from 2012 will offer the Cambridge Pre-U in two subjects. GNVQs and other qualifications are not part of our curriculum.  Subjects offered are:

• Art
• Biology
• Business & Management (Cambridge Pre-U)
• Chemistry
• Classics
• Design and Technology
• Drama and Theatre Studies
• Economics
• English Literature (Cambridge Pre-U from 2012)
• French
• Further Maths
• General Studies
• German
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Music
• Philosophy
• Physical Education
• Physics
• Religious Studies
• Spanish

For more details of all of these subjects, check our detailed Courses Guide - see attachment above.

Sample of combination of subjects for Lower Sixth