Sixth Form Experience Curriculum Personal Development Student Support and Guidance Our Policies Summer challenge
On-site attendance policy
Academic Progress
The Bicester School Sixth Form is committed to the promotion and maintenance of high academic standards and positive outcomes for all students on all courses. All students are expected to work in collaboration with teaching staff, the Sixth Form Team and parents to maintain a minimum expected level of academic performance throughout their courses. Students who for any reason do not meet the expected levels of academic progress will be identified at an early stage and offered targeted support and assistance.
Target setting
All students will be set an individual target for each of their courses. These targets will be challenging and aspirational and will take into account both prior attainment and future plans. It is important to note that these targets represent the minimum expected attainment for each student – they do not represent a limit to potential attainment and are not a prediction of outcome.
Monitoring progress
Students will regularly have work assessed by their subject teachers. This will include a range of assessment techniques, including formative assessment that will provide detailed feedback and areas for improvement. Progress will be formally reported to parents through the whole school CAP system. These will be calendared at the beginning of each academic year.
Support and intervention
Initial responsibility for the monitoring of student progress and implementing any required intervention lies with subject teachers. They will work in collaboration with their Head of Department and the Sixth Form Team to ensure all students are making the progress we expect of them. Concerns about academic progress can be raised at any point during the year but detailed analysis of CAP data will also highlight students who require intervention. Should intervention be required, clear guidance and timescales will be set to address underperformance and this will be shared with parents. If there are still concerns about progress following this initial intervention, individual cases will be escalated to the Head of Year for more intensive intervention.
Admissions
All students are entitled to apply to The Bicester School Sixth Form provided they are 16 or 17 years of age when they join Year 12. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview with a member of the Sixth Form team and will be considered for a place in the Sixth Form.
Students from other schools are set the same entry requirements as students from The Bicester School, with equal priority given to both. Where the Sixth Form is oversubscribed, priority will be given to looked after and previously looked after children, as long as they meet the academic entry requirements.
All prospective Sixth Form students can apply to the Sixth Form following our Open Evening (held in November or December) for entry the following September. Application Forms must be returned by the end of January and are followed up by interviews in February and March. Formal offers will be made by letter during the Easter holidays and admission to the Sixth Form will be confirmed following GCSE results in August.
We offer an academic Level 3 curriculum that is focused on helping students access higher education (including both apprenticeships and university). This means that we are not able to admit students into the Sixth Form unless they have met our academic entry criteria. However, contextual offers may be made in extreme circumstances.
Individual departments set specific entry criteria for the courses they offer. More information can be found on our website using the subject pages. However, our baseline entry criteria are as follows:
- At least five GCSEs at Grade 5 (or equivalent)
- At least a Grade 4 in English Language and Mathematics.
In the event that an application is unsuccessful, the Sixth Form Team will meet with applicants to discuss their options and to signpost to courses that they are able to take at The Bicester School, if appropriate, or towards other institutions in the local area.
Attendance
All students in The Sixth Form are expected to maintain a minimum of 95% attendance.
All absences must be authorised by parents/carers, even if the student is over the age of 18.
Planned absence, such as medical or dental appointments, should be arranged to avoid missing lessons wherever possible.
Students must use their ID badge to sign in and out in the main school reception whenever they enter or leave the school site.
In the event of an absence, it is the responsibility of the student to liaise with their teachers to catch up on any work missed. All work set during an absence should be completed in full, including homework.
Please use the following email address to contact the Sixth Form team should you need to report and absent through illness or have a request for a student’s leave of absence.
sixthformattendance@thebicesterschool.org.uk
Driving
Students are allowed to drive onto school site but should ensure that their car details are registered with the Sixth Form Office.
Dress code
The Sixth Form at The Bicester School intends to support all students to develop a mature and independent approach to learning. A suitable and responsible dress code is one of the ways we achieve this.
Our dress code allows students to express themselves as individuals, but in an appropriate way. It is particularly important that the standards of dress in the Sixth Form complements and supports the main school uniform policy and recognises that the school is a professional working environment.
While students are given considerable freedom in determining how to dress, the following guidelines must be followed:
- Clothing must not have any offensive language, logos or images.
- Skirts, dresses and shorts, if worn, must be of at least mid-thigh length.
- Leggings, if worn, must also be worn with a skirt, dress or other top of at least mid-thigh length.
- Ripped jeans/trousers must not be worn.
- Tracksuit bottoms should not be worn.
- Strapless, backless or string-strapped tops must not be worn.
- Clothing which is revealing should not be worn, for example exposing bare midriffs.
- Caps, hats and hoods should not be worn indoors.
- Clothing must not be worn in such a way as to reveal underwear.
- Flip flops, open-toed or backless footwear must not be worn.
- Tattoos must be covered at all times.
- Any jewellery worn should not be excessive or unconventional.
Equipment
All students must be equipped for learning. They should have paper and pens for written work, as well as anything else required for their subjects, such as scientific calculators for Science and Maths. Students should also have a folder or hard-backed notebook for every subject, in which they are expected to keep all of their notes for the course. This should be well organised and relevant materials brought to every lesson.
Holidays and family leave
Students should not take holidays during term-time. Where parents request time off school this will be refused and unauthorised, unless there are extenuating family circumstances that must be explained in writing,
Homework
Homework should be completed at home, not in school. Students should expect to spend around 10 hours per week on homework, though they may sometimes have more than this. This should include homework that is to be marked by staff and homework that is to be used in lessons.
Student commitment to homework will be checked regularly. Staff will record failure to do homework and report any students of concern to the Sixth Form team.
ID Badges
All students will be issued with photo ID when they join the Sixth Form. These must be clearly visible at all times when a student is on the school site.
Leaving the school site
All Sixth Form students are allowed to leave site at the beginning of lunchtime and may remain off-site for the rest of the day, unless they have any lessons in the afternoon. This is a privilege that will be withdrawn in cases where a Sixth Former has low attendance or has received demerits from teachers.
If a student has an appointment and therefore needs to leave site before lunchtime, they need to speak to a member of the Sixth Form team to authorise this. They should ideally have written proof from either a parent or the appointment itself (e.g. a hospital letter, appointment card). They will then either be given consent to come in late if necessary or will be given a pass to leave through Reception.
Open Days and interviews
Attendance at Open Days is encouraged and will be allowed wherever possible. Students wishing to have a day off to go to an Open Day should complete the relevant form and have it signed by their parents. This day must have a clear purpose and students must be able to justify their decision to attend.
Part-time work
Students are encouraged to have a part-time job to support the development of their employability skills. However, students should not be working more than 10 hours per week and this should ideally not be on a school-night. Students must not engage in paid work between 8.30am and 3pm Monday to Friday in term time. Where students are seen to be working excessive or inappropriate hours, parents will be contacted and encouraged to intervene.
Study days
If a student does not have any timetabled lessons then they may study at home for the day, but only if this has been agreed by both the Head of Sixth Form and their parents. Should a student be found to be using study days unwisely, or if their progress drops below the expected standard, this privilege will be withdrawn.
Exam leave
To be given exam leave during exam periods, students must get agreement from their parents using the appropriate permission slip. During study leave, the following expectations must be met by students and supported by their parents:
- Spending at least six hours a day doing school-work.
- Doing no paid-work between 8:30am and 3:00pm on any school day.
- Not going on holiday during study leave.
- Attending any lesson to which they have been invited, unless this is on the day of or the day before an examination.
- Using their ID badge to sign in and out when entering or leaving the site.
Study periods
Students should use their timetabled study periods to consolidate learning, complete coursework and do wider reading. This will be guided by subject teachers who will support students by identifying good sources of information and beneficial study practices. Time should also be spent going over class-notes to check understanding.
Textbooks
Students will be provided with any necessary textbooks for their courses, but these remain the property of The Bicester School and must be returned upon leaving.
Wellbeing
At the Bicester School we recognise that the Sixth Form can be a challenging time and that young people face an increasingly diverse range of possibilities and pressures. All members of staff will support students in becoming content, confident young people ready to fully engage with the world. However, this policy does not constitute a medical or mental health service. If such services are required, the Bicester School will always follow appropriate referral routes to suitably qualified professionals.
There are many descriptions of wellbeing and defining it as a single concept presents many challenges. It the Bicester School Sixth Form, we define wellbeing as a state in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.
We do not define wellbeing as the absence of challenge, difficulty or ill health, nor is it a constant state of happiness or good health. Rather, wellbeing is the recognition and acceptance that we all live in a state of balance or equilibrium that can be affected by life events and challenges. Our usual state of balance is something that is unique to us all and based on our own experiences and story.
In practical terms, we aim to support and cultivate student wellbeing by:
- Implementing a range of interventions, plans and activities within the broad categories of physical health, mental and emotional health, social connection and preparation for life beyond the Sixth Form.
- Directly helping students to develop the means and inner resources to promote their own wellbeing whilst studying at the Bicester School.
- Working directly with students where their circumstances present them with challenges that require additional support.
- Connecting with the wider community, to include other students in the school, parents and families and external organisations that can offer tailored support.