Sixth Form Subject Choices and Academia:
In Sixth Form, learning is about encouraging intellectual independence, becoming a specialist in chosen subjects, sparking curiosity, and learning in new ways. Our girls want to do well because it feels good, and they work hard every day to achieve their personal best, with our support. They have the right attitude to learning and study and develop skills such as independent thinking, curious questioning, and working collaboratively with peers.
In our small classes, girls have access to inspiring teaching, personalised to suit individual learning styles. Tutorial based teaching creates opportunities for every student to build confidence, find their voice, and develop independent study skills in a supportive, stimulating environment.
We offer upwards of 20 subjects in Sixth Form ranging from Maths and Music to Business BTEC and everything in between. We believe there is something for everyone from those who enjoy academically challenging and exam based courses to those who are better suited to more practical, hands-on, and assessment based study.
We start conversations with our current girls about their next steps early in the year to gauge interest in subjects we don’t currently offer. This gives us the time to put the provision in place to offer pupils what they would like to study. The girls choose their subjects and then we work hard in the background to make sure we can deliver each unique timetable.
Girls are fully supported when choosing their A-Level subjects – we work with them to ensure the subjects they choose will support the path they would like to follow after school.
Qualifications on offer include:
A-Levels
A-levels come after GCSEs. They are the most traditional next step in terms of qualifications after GCSEs and usually focus on academic subjects. A-levels are highly valued by employers and universities, they can open up lots of doors to further study and careers.
BTEC
A qualification that’s based on practical study rather than academic study. It is a vocational qualification, which means that it has a career focus and is grounded in the world of work. BTEC pupils study to gain skills and knowledge in their subject area, then put those skills into practice in real-life scenarios. A BTEC is equivalent to an A-Level and offers UCAS points towards University places.
EPQ
An EPQ helps pupils to develop and demonstrate their project management skills and provides opportunities for extended writing – both of which are highly valued for progression to higher education and employment. Girls can tailor their project to fit their individual interests and aspirations with the agreement of their EPQ tutor. The outcome of the project can be a design, performance, report, dissertation, presentation or artefact.
Leiths Food and Wine Qualification
This five-term course is perfect for either the keen amateur or the potential food professional, setting girls up with skills for life. You can read more here. No other school in Oxford offers this course – it is truly unique to Rye and gives girls skills they would learn nowhere else.
Parents are updated regularly about the progress and target grades of their daughters. Each academic year, parents are invited to two face to face parent meetings and receive two printed reports which give thorough assessment and comment about academic progress and areas for improvement. As well as this, they receive six target grade updates. Of course, if parents have questions or concerns at any other point in the year, our teaching staff are also ready to have conversations as and when needed.
