A-level studies: what form is best for you?
MANY STUDENTS, of course, will be perfectly happy with the sixth forms in the school they entered at age 11. However, some students feel they would benefit from a change of educational environment when they have completed their GCSEs. Some might also feel they have a narrower range of A-level choices in their current schools and they may also have to select from option blocks, which group the subjects you are able to take, limiting flexibility further. In a sixth-form college such as LSI, there is usually a wider range of options on offer and there is further flexibility, in that extra subjects can be catered for in response to requests, subject to tutor availability.
The timetable is also more flexible, so students have a free choice of subjects, as they do not have to choose from option blocks.
At a sixth-form college, there would be a great deal of expertise among pastoral and academic staff specifically related to post-GCSE students. Students benefit from this precise focus on their A-level studies and university applications.
It is common in sixth-form colleges for each student to be assigned a member of staff, who usually has a designation such as director of studies or personal tutor, who looks after the student throughout their time in the sixth form. These senior members of staff usually have a lighter teaching load, so they can give the students in their pastoral care plenty of individual attention.
Ucas meetings and guidance through the application process are also tailored to each individual student’s particular needs.
Group sizes in independent sixthform colleges are usually smaller than in corresponding school sixth forms — at LSI, for example, the maximum size of an A-level group is 10 and it is usually smaller than this, so again the students get plenty of individual tuition in terms of teaching.
Surgeries, which are extra tuition slots for students who need more help grasping a topic or who need to be stretched and challenged further, are also available when necessary.
While there is a variety of extracurricular activities on offer, these are not compulsory. This appeals to some students, whose school sixth forms still require them to be involved in sporting and other activities — some feel these are to the detriment of their studies and would rather maintain a greater focus on academic pursuits.
Independent sixth-form colleges encourage growth, maturity and independence and students respond well to the greater sense of freedom, which is intended to prepare them well for university life.
Dr. Seán P. Buckley is principal of LSI in Hampstead, north west London