Coombe Dean School
Sixth Form
Student’s A-Z guide
2011- 2012
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We know that starting in the Sixth Form marks a big transition in students’ lives
and whether you are new to the school, or have progressed through the
Lower School, the systems and processes of the Sixth Form can sometimes
seem bewildering.
The aim of this guide is to give you key information to support your time in
Sixth Form and to help you make the transition from School Pupil to Sixth Form
student.
Just like elsewhere in the School, we have high standards and expectations
of our students. We hope that the time you spend in Sixth Form will be happy
and successful and that you are able to move onwards from your post 16
studies into the world of work, Further or Higher Education.
We have presented this guide as an A-Z in the hope that you can use it to
refer to. It is important that you familiarise yourselves with the information in
this booklet, with particular regard to attendance and punctuality and
changes to courses.
We have a very successful Sixth Form and we feel that Coombe Dean is an
excellent place for students to complete their Sixth Form studies. We follow a
philosophy of ‘High expectations twinned with strong support’ and truly
believe that committed students achieve the greatest success.
We look forward to helping you achieve your potential during your time in
the Sixth Form.
Kind regards,
Stuart Koehler-Lewis
Head of Sixth Form
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Sixth Form Leadership Team
Mr S Koehler-Lewis - Head of Sixth Form
Mrs N Harvey - Deputy Head of Sixth Form
Mrs V Twine – Senior Personal Tutor
Mrs L Taylor – Senior Personal Tutor
Mrs A Long – Post 16 Administrator
Mrs A Fisher – TVC Tutor
Mr P Hughes – TVC Tutor
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Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol and Drugs are not permitted on the school site. Any student found in possession of or
under the influence of these items will be dealt with severely and the matter may be passed
to the police.
Attendance
Attendance is a hugely important part of ensuring success. We expect 100% attendance but
will take action where attendance falls below 95%.
If you are absent please telephone into the School to provide a reason. If you know in
advance that you are going to be absent, you should inform your tutor or Mrs Long of this
reason. Emergency Doctor visits, orthodontist appointments, hospital appointments, funerals
etc are acceptable reasons for planned absence. Driving Tests, and routine dental and Dr’s
appointments are not as you should plan these around your studies.
The pace of Sixth Form lessons moves much faster than at any point before and missing any
time off school will undoubtedly have an impact. When you return from absence, it is
important that you provide a note to explain this absence. If there are several absences, if
Sixth Form staff notice a trend, or if a student’s attendance falls below 90%, we are likely to
contact home to discuss the situation and look at what plans may need to be put in place.
We will do all we can to support any student who is absent from school due to ongoing illness,
but missing even a couple of lessons creates challenges and should be avoided as far as
possible, so try to get into school if you can. Attendance data is based on attendance in
lessons and to your timetabled tutorial period and we use this data when we are asked to
provide references.
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AS and A2
Many of the Level 3 courses that we offer at Coombe Dean School are AS and A2
examinations. Although we do offer other types of course that carry similar weight, most
students will find that they are studying for these types of qualification.
An Advanced level GCE (A level) is made up of two parts, the AS and A2. A typical student
will study AS levels in Year 12 and A2 levels in Year 13. The AS level is (with the exception of
Mathematics, Sciences and Applied subjects) made up of two units and the A2 level has two
further units. The combination of all four leads to the overall A level qualification. Most subjects
are progressive and it is either essential or advisable to study the AS units first and then the A2
ones. All AS levels are graded A-E. Many students find that they do not perform as well in their
AS examinations as they did in their GCSE examinations. Grades D and E at Advanced level
are still seen as respectable pass grades, although we would hope that many of our students
are aiming above this grade. A good student might occasionally gain an E or D grade in an
AS module and this should not be seen as a huge problem, as with resits and other units
students can pull up a few weaker modules and since overall grades are created from the
module scores added together so a very strong B grade in one unit plus a high D grade in
another unit might actually give a B or C grade overall depending on the weighting of the
units. At A2, one lower module can sometimes be compensated by the others. At A2 level
and therefore at A level overall, the grading ranges from A* to E. In order to gain and A*,
students need to gain an A grade overall and 90% in the A2 modules. The table below
exemplifies this:
Progression to A2 level. As these qualifications are cumulative, a student cannot continue
onto an A2 course when they have not passed the AS level except in exceptional
circumstances as agreed by the Subject Leader and the Head of Sixth Form. Students can
improve on their AS units through resits, but if overall they have not secured a pass they will
not be able to move onto the next stage of the course. Remember, you cannot carry a
subject onto Year 13 with an overall U grade.
Book Returns
During the course of study, you may be issued with school resources including books or other
equipment. Some subjects charge a refundable deposit. At the end of the course you will be
asked to return your books and resources to the departments that issued them.
Bursary and other financial support 2012-2013
There is an application form for students in Years 12- 13 that are either entitled to financial support
or are in need of financial support (see categories 1-3 below) and assistance is based on referral
from the student’s personal tutor in order to overcome barriers to progress and outcomes.
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We are committed to supporting students is a targeted way, using financial support provision to
directly impact upon education, attendance, progress and aspirations.
Bursary - Eligibility
There are 3 categories for eligibility.
Category 1: Currently in care (as defined by Social Services), Leaving or recently left care, in
receipt of income support or a disabled learner in receipt of both Employment Support Allowance
and Disability Living Allowance.
Category 2: Claiming Free School Meals
Category 3: Neither category 1 nor 2 are applicable, but hardship is a barrier to academic
success and aspirations. If funding remains, students must discuss with their personal tutor in order
to be referred to Mr Koehler-Lewis for further support if available.
For students
Bursary - Transport
Students that live outside PL9 (walking distance to the school) are offered a subsidy towards their
transport which is issued weekly.
From w/c 10th September, this subsidy will mean that students pay £7.50 towards the cost of a
£14.00 adult ticket for a First Bus Pass.
Bursary - Education
A variety of categories mean that students can apply upon referral from their personal tutors for
support with elements of their education.



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Educational Books (i.e revision materials)
Educational Enrichment (trips relating to the subjects they are learning or to chosen future
careers).
Equipment in support of their studies
Transport where the First bus ticket is not a suitable subsidy
Bursary - Hardship
Students can apply for support if they find themselves in hardship, as above, referrals are made
from the personal tutor.
Bus passes
We support students that have a financial commitment to be able to attend their lessons in
the Sixth Form. Some of this support comes from Bursary funding, the replacement for EMA.
These passes, provided for students that live in Plymouth outside PL9 can be purchased on a
Monday before 11am and can then be collected after processing after 1:20pm.
Car and motorbike Parking
There is limited parking on site for student’s cars or motorbikes. Students should take into
consideration their impact on the local community and ensure that if you do drive to school,
park and drive considerately and safely in the areas around school. We would always
encourage students to walk, cycle or take public transportation to school wherever possible.
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Cars and motorcycles must be registered with the 6th Form office so that we can monitor
movement on the school site.
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Cashing in
AS and A2 are separate qualifications and in order to receive a certificate a grade must be
‘cashed in’. AS and A2 grades must be cashed in where any modules or parts of the
qualification have been completed or attempted by a student.
Changing subject choices
When a student is offered a place for Sixth Form, the place is offered on the basis of the
courses they have applied for. Some students find that in the time between opting for their
subject choices and the start of the courses they have changed their mind about what they
would like to study. If there is space on their preferred course and if they meet the entrance
requirements for the course, it is often possible to change courses, although you would need
to complete a change of course form to do so, this involves gaining the signature of the
subject teacher, the tutor and the Head or Deputy Head of Sixth Form. Once term has
commenced, the teaching of AS courses gets into swing very quickly. Some students decide
at this point that they would like to change courses. If this happens to you, you would need to
speak to your tutor, and the subject teacher of both courses. If there is space, again it may
be possible to accommodate changes on the basis that you make up the work already
missed. This would need to be done within the first three weeks and with the consent of Mrs
Harvey or Mr Koehler-Lewis. Beyond this three week window it is not advisable to change
courses due to the work already completed, but if there are issues these should be brought to
the attention of the Sixth Form team and the subject teacher.
Community Service
All students are encouraged to contribute to the wider community during their time in the
Sixth Form. This might take the form of helping a Lower School tutor group, acting as a mentor
for a GCSE student, or volunteering in the local community. All students will be benefit from
being able to provide evidence of their Community Service when applying for a job or for
Further or Higher education.
Consortium Schools
Coombe Dean works in a consortium with two other local schools (Hele’s and Ridgeway
School) in Year 12 and 13, and with Plymstock school in Year 13. The consortium exists to try to
offer the maximum coverage of curriculum to students which is otherwise not possible in
individual schools. The Heads of Sixth Form from each of these schools meet termly to discuss
provision and the progress of students. Equally, students and their parents receive a termly
report from the consortium school detailing the progress being made. Transport is provided
between all three schools in the form of a minibus which runs before and after the school day
as well as during break time and lunch time.
Coursework
Some, but not all of the courses that we offer require students to complete coursework. There
are different requirements for different subjects and it is important that you know the
deadlines, and subject specific requirements for the courses you study. There are some
general rules though that must be applied - all coursework should be completed by the
deadline. There is a discipline document in place that details what happens where students
miss deadlines as this hinders our ability as teachers to monitor progress and attainment.
Discipline
We expect students in the Sixth Form to behave like young adults. This involves all aspects of
their life in and around school and is required as Sixth Formers are role models to younger
students in the school.
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Driving Lessons
Whilst we recognise that many students are keen to learn to drive and that many driving
instructors are keen to take lessons during the day, students should not be taking driving
lessons during school hours. This includes taking lessons during those times when they do not
normally have lessons or during break or lunch. Being a successful Sixth Form student takes
time and students should focus on what is really important in these years. Under no
circumstances should you book or accept a date for a Driving Test during school hours. This is
not an acceptable reason for absence and any such absences will be unauthorised.
Dental/ Doctors Appointments
Whilst we recognise that it can be difficult to arrange appointments around school times and
that you may have to wait longer for an appointment, we would ask that routine
appointments be made for outside school hours. Any absence from a lesson will have an
impact and unnecessary absences should be avoided at all costs.
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Dress Code
Students are expected to dress appropriately for school. Whilst we do not have a uniform,
clothing should be free from inappropriate words and images and the length of skirts and
shorts should reach at least knee length throughout the year.
Dropping subjects
The vast majority of Sixth Form students are accepted into the Sixth Form on the basis of
studying three or four optional subjects in Year 12. The national expectation is that all students
take three or four AS levels (although we do have some students who follow a modified
curriculum). There are two main reasons for this, firstly this is the benchmark set nationally. You
will be compared when you leave us with other students with similar qualifications. Many
universities are now putting into their entrance requirements that they require 3.5 A levels, this
means three full A2 levels, plus an additional AS. The second reason why students are
expected to follow three or four AS levels is to increase your chances of progressing on to A2
(Year 13). If a student is only studying three subjects and narrowly misses one of them and gets
a U, they will not be able to continue onto Year 13. However, if they have four AS levels, the
likelihood of passing three increases. Every year we have students who do better in some
subjects than they expected and worse in ones that they thought would be successful. The
only reason we would advocate a student dropping down below three AS levels is if they are
in serious danger of failing all three. Simply finding one subject difficult, or wanting to
concentrate on two are not a good reasons.
Eating in school
Sixth Form students are permitted to eat in the Common Room (while this remains in use this
year) or in the Main School Dining Hall. Food purchased in the Dining Hall should be eaten
there and not carried around the school. There is a tuck shop available in the Sixth Form
Common Room where food and drinks can be purchased at designated times. If you choose
to go off the school site to purchase food from the local Supermarket or Fast Food restaurants
please ensure that you behave appropriately in the local area and that fast food is not
brought back on site.
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EMA
Some students may qualify for the Educational Maintenance Allowance. Mrs Long runs this
system and queries should be addressed to her. Appeals against non payment can be made
to Mrs Harvey in accordance with the processes described in the EMA Appeals Procedure.
Employment
Although many students feel that Sixth Form is an ideal time to get a part-time job, Sixth Form
study is demanding in many respects and students might struggle to maintain their focus. As
you are hopefully aware, we recommend that students spend 20-25 hours per week on their
school studies outside of school (in addition to their classroom contact with a teacher) and if
students choose to work as well, this can have an impact on their well being overall. If a
student does choose to gain employment, we recommend that this amount to no more than
12 hours per week and that this not be continued during examination periods. Students must
not work hours during the school day, even if they are scheduled not to have lessons.
Research has shown the negative impact that part-time work has on achievement at A level
and we would urge you to think carefully about employment.
Enrichment
Students are encouraged to pursue interests within the school and in their free time as this
makes students much more attractive to employers and universities/colleges. Students will be
told of opportunities through tutorials and in other ways. Where students feel there is a need
for a particular enrichment activity, this should be discussed with their tutor.
Enrichment Week
Towards the end of the summer term the school timetable is collapsed and the school
timetable does not run for 1 week. Year 13 have normally left having completed their
examinations. Year 12 students that are continuing on to study at A2 level or equivalent will
have started their A2 courses in June. These students are required to use the enrichment
week to gain experience in a particular field of work that they would like to pursue in the
future or to assist the activities that take place in and around school. Although support is
available from tutors, students are expected to make arrangements themselves.
Examination timetables
You will be issued with personalised examination timetables for each session of examinations
that you take part in and these will be distributed by tutors during a tutorial session. These
timetables can only be printed once the entries are known. If you wish to look at possible
dates, these are published by the Examination boards and can be viewed online. Please note
that these are public examinations and the school cannot influence the timings and dates of
public examinations. A student who misses an examination will have to wait for the next
session. There are two examination sittings in each year for Level 3, these are the January
series of examinations and the May/ June series of examinations. Students need to arrive to
examinations in plenty of time before the scheduled start of the paper. Any infringements of
exam code will be taken very seriously.
Financial Difficulty
Where finance becomes a barrier to study and progress, we would like to be informed
urgently so that we can seek to support where possible.
Free Periods
(See Study periods)
Holidays
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Holidays are not authorised during term time. Please ensure that you are not disadvantaged
by missing lessons through holidays. Any holiday taken in term time would not be authorised
and students are expected to make up the work that they have missed and make
arrangements for work to be collected in advance. Requests for exceptional circumstances
like family weddings, sports tours will be looked at on a case by case basis and only
authorised by Mrs Harvey or Mr Koehler-Lewis
Leaving
From time to time, students change their plans and goals. We ask that all students inform us
of any changes in plans or circumstances so that we can support decisions with advice and
guidance and where necessary call on addition support. Very often, students who struggle
with study and let things get on top of them react by simply walking away. We encourage
students and their parents to let us know of any growing concerns so that we can support
and put in place measures that can relieve stress and panic.
Minibus
The minibus runs between the consortium school sites on four occasions during the school
day. When travelling on the minibus your safety is very important to us; it is law that you wear
a seatbelt and you will not be allowed to travel if you do not comply with this. It is also very
important that you behave appropriately so that the driver is not distracted. Failure to
behave appropriately on the minibus will result in you not being able to use this service. the
timings of the minibus are below. Where students miss the minibus, they need to make their
own arrangements to travel to the consortium school.
Early morning run
08:00 Leave CD for H
08:15 – depart H for RW
08:20 – depart RW for H
08:25 - depart H for CD
08:40 – arrive CD
Break
10:40 Leave CD for H
10:55 – depart H for RW
11:00 – depart RW for H
11:05 - depart H for CD
11:20 – arrive CD
Lunch
1:20 Leave CD for H
1:35 – depart H for RW
1:40 – depart RW for H
1:45 - depart H for CD
2:00 – arrive CD
End of school run
3:00 Leave CD for H
3:15 – depart H for RW
3:20 – depart RW for H
3:25 - depart H for CD
3:40 – arrive CD
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Mobile telephones
Sixth Form students are permitted to bring mobile telephones into school on the assumption
that these are only used in the Sixth Form Common Room. Students should not use their
telephone whilst walking around the school site. Repeated use of Mobile telephones, MP3
players etc will be dealt with according to School policies.
P Block
The new Sixth Form Block is available for use by students from September 2012. AS well as 6
post-16 classrooms, there are 4 ‘study pods’ designed for student use to study and further their
progress. Wireless is available throughout the building and can be accessed by students for
studying purposes. The new block is an investment in the futures of every sixth form student
and will be treated as such.
Parents’ Evenings
Parents’ Evenings are held for both Year 12 and Year 13. This is a hugely important
opportunity for Parents and teachers to meet to discuss student progress. The date for the
2012 Year 12/13 Parents Evening is Tuesday 20th March. We would expect Sixth Form students
to attend with their parents. Of course, where there are any concerns or questions over
progress at any stage during the year, the tutor and/or the subject teacher should be
contacted.
Progress checks
These are sent home each term and contain information about student progress in their
subjects. Staff provide a grade and a comment on each occasion.
Registration
All students in the Sixth Form are expected to sign in and sign out of school using the forms
located near the Common Room. When we move accommodation, it is important that
signing in and out still continues.
Resits and Remarks of Examination papers
Sometimes after a student completes an examination it may be that their mark is not in
keeping with their predicted or expected grade. It may be therefore in the first instance that
the class teacher will ask for a copy of their paper and may suggest it should be remarked or
they resit the examination at a later date. Some points for consideration are that the School
will support and pay for the original examination and in most circumstances, the costs of resit
examinations and remarks will be met by the School. If an examination paper is remarked
and the mark is changed, the cost of the remark is refunded. If the mark is unchanged, then
the fee will still apply. Students should also be aware that marks can be revised down as well
as up. Students should discuss with their teachers the value of a remark and pursue this only if
it does not jeopardise their result.
References
Whether students progress on to university or employment, in most cases they will be asked to
give the School as a referee. We always seek to give students accurate and supportive
references, but we cannot provide a reference which is not based on fact. Therefore we are
very keen to write references that praise students’ commitment to study, to the School, their
excellent attitude to work and exceptional attendance and punctuality, but we can only
refer to these things if they are true. UCAS references are written by the Sixth Form team and
are based on the feedback from academic staff and provide subject specific information in
support of the application in terms of skills demonstrated and effort and attendance.
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If a student requires a reference, it is customary and polite to speak to the member of staff
that they intend to put down as their referee. Under normal circumstances, most students
would put Mr Koehler-Lewis as the Head of Sixth Form as their referee and where necessary,
he will consult colleagues to gain enough of a picture to provide a reference.
Results Day
Results are published and issued to students on a Thursday towards the end of August. Any
queries should be brought to the attention of the Sixth Form team as quickly as possible so
that they can be dealt with. If you are not able to be present at Results Day and would like
someone else to collect your results it is important that you provide a signed letter to that
effect nominating who will collect the results to the Exams Office – Mrs Bradford. We cannot
issue results over the telephone, or without authorisation, even to parents. We are proud of
the results service we provide and the school is open from 7am in order for students to collect
their results. In the case of the January module results which are released in March, these are
available at break time. This information and how to proceed having received the results is a
vital part of our tutoring schedule and another reason that attendance is vital.
Review Day
We do not hold a formal review day as is the case in Years 7-11. We expect that concerns
are shared with the tutor as issues arise and use the review evening to meet with families of
students where there are specific concerns over progress or welfare. Tutors can be
contacted at the school at any time.
Signing in
It is a requirement of all post-16 students that enter the school site to sign in and out so that
attendance outside of lessons can be monitored. WE have a card swipe machine posted at
either main entrance to the post-16 block and students can register their presence on site
using their dinner card.
Specifications
All of the courses taught in the Sixth Form have specifications which give students and
teachers a breakdown of the requirements of the course and examination. It is a good idea
for you to download the examination specifications from the examination board websites
and to have these to refer to. The specification should contain all the information to help you
keep on top of your studies and ensure that you are well prepared.
Study leave
The need for study leave is reviewed each year. Firstly, there is no study leave for the Janaury
modules for either Year 12 or 13 students. Occasionally, students will find they have a clash
between a lesson and an exam, in this case, the student should inform the subject teacher in
advance of the lesson that they have an exam to attend.
After the summer examinations in Year 12 are completed, students are expected back into
school to begin their Year 13 courses. Without good use of this time, they are unlikely to meet
the level required for A2 and it is essential that they use this time well.
Smoking
Students are discouraged from smoking and we will not tolerate students smoking in the
vicinity of the school site. Students must not smoke outside the school gates. We are all aware
of the dangers of smoking and it is very important that those Sixth Form students who choose
to pursue this habit do so away from areas where they may cause a nuisance, or be seen by
Lower School pupils. In the first instance, students caught smoking will be spoken to.
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Subsequent incidents will be dealt with by informing parents and consistent ignoring of these
expectations may lead to a loss of your Sixth Form place.
Study periods
Most students have between 5 and 10 periods during the school week where they do not
have direct contact with a teacher. It is expected and highly recommended that students
use this time to study in order to meet the recommended study time of 20-25 hours per week.
In our experience, students who treat these as ‘free periods’ do not achieve their potential in
their courses of study, those that follow a sensible programme of study and use this time
usefully do.
Tamar Valley Consortium
Students taking vocational courses will undertake these as part of the Tamar Valley
Consortium. Concerns or queries about courses should first be referred to the TVC tutors and
then if necessary to Mrs Harvey.
Tutors
All Year 12 students are assigned to a Tutor group and the Tutor is the first port of call for all
day to day issues. If you have issues, questions or problems in school these can in the first
instance be discussed with your form tutor. Other issues, or wider concerns can be discussed
with Mr Koehler-Lewis or Mrs Harvey. The tutor system is designed to allow for support and
intervention on a personal level and requires that students attend one hour-long tutorial each
week which covers important notices, guidance for study and transition amongst other areas
vital to successful study in the Sixth Form. This is a requirement of all students in the Sixth Form
and attendance is monitored. In Year 13, students are also allocated a personal tutor and
are offered a series of tutorials covering areas such as interview technique and how to write
an application letter. In line with the maturity displayed by students in the final year of study,
these sessions are offered on an option basis and although attendance is recommended,
students are able to pick and choose sessions that they feel will be useful to them. If they do
not feel they need the support the session will offer, students are expected to use the time to
study.
UCAS
UCAS is the body responsible for the vast majority of university and college applications. All
applications for university run through UCAS. Their website (www.ucas.com) gives important
information about courses, how to apply and contains the ‘UCAS APPLY’ software which
allows students to make their application. In the summer term of Year 12, students are
encouraged to use this website and start to work on their applications. In March students
have the opportunity to attend the UCAS conference at Westpoint, Exeter and speak to a
wide range of Universities. In the Summer term of Year 12 and Autumn term of Year 13, you
may wish to attend Open Days which we will authorise, but we ask that these visits should be
kept to a minimum as not to disrupt the start to A2 study.
Visits
Several visits are organised for Sixth Formers to include a visit to our partner University, Exeter
University to learn about university life and finance, the Learn to Live Roadshow which looks at
road safety, the UCAS convention South West which allows students to talk to university
representatives amongst others. Many of these events are compulsory as we regard them as
vital to the development of decision making of Sixth Formers and we collapse the curriculum
to allow for this.
Vocational Courses
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See Tamar Valley Consortium.
Welfare
We take student welfare very seriously and any concerns should be shared with the student’s
tutor in the first instance. Vulnerable students are monitored and support can be organised
through referrals to our partners.
Wifi
Wireless networking is available throughout the post-16 block.
Work experience
Work experience is not currently part of the Sixth Form curriculum, but we recognise that for
some courses and professions relevant work experience is essential. In cases where students
have arranged their own work experience, this will authorised only if it is relevant and cannot
be taken at any other time. Ideally students should attempt to gain experience during holiday
time or enrichment week at the end of June. The School cannot arrange work experience for
Sixth Form students but can support applications.
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