Sending your child to Sixth Form
A MALAYSIAN parent shares what to look for in finding the right Sixth Form for your child and why Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar ticks all the right boxes:
“Topping the list obviously is affordability followed very closely by A-Levels results and track record of getting students into the best universities for their particular talents. My children did not get 4A*s at A-Levels but still went to top universities (Oxford and LSE) for their respective subjects. So what was the Unique Selling Proposition that persuaded us to choose Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar?
Mark of distinction
KTJ students are easily distinguishable by their self-confidence and ability to interact with anyone. In this respect, the Sixth Form Super-curriculum provides huge value-added benefits. These might include Friday evenings with drinks and pizza discussing documentaries or interacting with guest speakers or attending Oxbridge evenings in KL – the kind of experience and exposure money cannot buy.
It is an immersive system with teaching, extra-curricular activities and compulsory homework from 8am until 10pm, including Saturday classes. The level of pastoral care along with the one-to-one opportunities to interact with teachers and House parents is vital. The seven Boarding Houses become second homes, fostering esprit de corps and that all-important competitive spirit as students pit themselves against each other in sports or on stage. The Sixth Form advantage
– Eighty-nine per cent of Cambridge A-Levels grades A* to B
– Placing 91/130 students at Russell Group universities in 2017
– Over 100 extra-curricular clubs – Oxbridge and Competitive Universities preparation
– SAT, IELTS, TSA, LNAT, STEP preparation – Focused help for medics and bio-scientists
– UCAS, personal statement and interview preparation
– Super-curriculum Options
– EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) – University visits and career fairs
– Help with internships
– Alumni network
Beauty and brains
Nestled on a sprawling 80-acre (32.3ha) campus, just 45 minutes south of Kuala Lumpur, KTJ provides a very British experience with a strong international flavour.
However, a school is only as good as its teachers and students.
The KTJ Sixth Form has around 260 students across the two years and is highly selective. Around 75% of its Sixth Formers apply to either Oxbridge or the Russell Group universities in the UK, or Ivy League colleges in the US and 20% of the cohort are on scholarships, meaning they already have a clutch of A* results at IGCSE or SPM.
Lifetime advantage
One lifelong benefit became apparent to me after my children left for the UK – the incredible network of friends and contacts they developed. KTJ alumni are ready to greet them at university, meaning they have a ready-made web of contacts to show them the ropes.
KTJ Sixth Form is a fantastic preparation for university because it offers a form of controlled independence.
It is great preparation for parents too – you see your children every couple of weeks, but you also learn to accept they can survive away from you and that they are building the academic and social skills to make that crucial transition into a university, career and life of their own.”
■ For details, look out for the advertisement in this StarSpecial.