Choosing the right path for the Sixth Form

In our latest blog, Head of Sixth Form, James Ralphs gives us his top tips for identifying which academic route is right for you...

The Sixth Form is a wonderful part of school life. It is a chance to widen your horizons from both an academic and co-curricular perspective. Even before you step through the threshold of the lower sixth, you are asked to select what you are going to study.

So, where do you start?

A levels, IBDP or IBCP?

At Bryanston we offer three different academic routes for the Sixth Form: A level, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP).

	A level	IBDP	IBCP
No. of subjects	Minimum of 3	6 (3 at higher level and 3 at standard level)	Cambridge Technical and 2 Diploma subjects

For some pupils, the idea of being able to study a broad range of subjects through the IB is an exciting one. For others, having to learn English, Maths and a language, even at standard level, is a non-starter and therefore A levels would be the appropriate path to take. Although there is overlap between the subjects offered at IB and A level, the course content can vary considerably. Therefore, a careful consideration of each subject and programme is essential. Talk to your current teachers and make the most of the information available to you. Bryanston pupils attend a Sixth Form choices fair in the spring term of Year 11 as well as having access to the Sixth Form choices guide, which gives a detailed breakdown of each subject.

What are your strengths?

Although not a perfect science, performance at GCSE does have a correlation with progress made in the Sixth Form. Choosing subjects in which you have a particular strength would be wise. At Bryanston, all heads of department will be looking for a 6 or higher at GCSE in order to access the A level or IB higher level subject content. The step up in workload, per subject, is considerable from GCSE to Sixth Form. Having a particular interest in your choices will make the work outside the classroom a lot easier. It is important that you have a desire for deeper learning, and a willingness to read around each of your chosen subjects in order to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. Are you somebody who would benefit from less weighting on exams? Choosing a subject or programme with coursework would spread deadlines throughout the year.

What is your next step?

What you choose can have an impact on your options after school. One of the ultimate goals for studying in the Sixth Form is to qualify for entry into whichever route you would like to go down next. If this is university, then you will want to choose subjects which give you the best opportunity of achieving top grades. Some degrees will have specific pre-requisite subjects. For example, studying Medicine usually requires both Chemistry and Biology (at higher level for IB) and the majority of the top Economics degrees require Mathematics. If you don’t have a particular degree or career in mind, pick subjects which complement each other and play to your academic strengths.

The decision of what to study in the Sixth Form shouldn’t be taken lightly. Discuss the advice above with your tutor throughout the rest of the autumn and spring terms. Speak to older pupils about their courses but ultimately ensure that the choices you make are right for you.

Why take a gap year?

This week Sarah Sutton from the Bryanston Careers Office takes a look at the benefits, and considerations, of taking a gap year.

It is Tuesday week 2 at 4pm. The main corridor has been polished to within a micron of its parquet, visitor signage is in place, and there is an air of expectation in Jeffreys, as A2 volunteers help exhibitors to unload for the Futurewise Gap Fair. Elsewhere, A3s are being encouraged to hot-foot to DJLT to hear OB Alice Baker (from The Leap) talk about her gap experiences and how to plan a gap break. By 5:30pm the fair is open and a healthy buzz can be heard throughout Dorchester, Cowley and Grosvenor. A steady stream of parents, pupils and visiting schools browse the stands, having lively conversations about an array of gap possibilities, from marine conservation, volunteering, short courses in art history, business, cookery, TEFL, leadership, as well as instructor training for outdoor activities. By the time the fair closes there is no doubt that the exhibitors are happy: “Your students are great – so engaged, motivated and interesting.” “The room was buzzing from the start.” “What a fabulous school and such a well organised event. The best I have been to for ages.” Many parents offer positive feedback too, and leave armed with brochures – some we suspect may be for their own gap years …

But what of our pupils? Is this type of event beneficial to them? Is a gap year ‘A Good Thing’ or just ‘the thing to do’?

Taking structured time out between school and university or the next stage is an increasingly popular option, and approximately 50% of Bryanston pupils choose to take ‘time out’ following their IB/A levels. For those who are unsure of what they want to do next, or are not feeling quite ready for work or university, a gap year may be exactly what is needed. Others may want to take stock or improve grades, have a desire to give something back through volunteering, or may want to develop new skills, meet new people, travel, have fun or broaden horizons – while gaining experience that will enhance a personal statement, CV, or an overseas application. As well as organised breaks via specialist providers, an increasing number of academic short courses are available too, which can be a useful option for anyone who is unsure of what they want to study at university.

In true Bryanston tradition, the greatest benefits of a gap year involve the chance to develop as an individual:

• Developing greater self-reliance, self-awareness and motivation
• Strengthening personal skills
• Increasing cultural awareness
• Contributing positively to the wider world
• Exploring new opportunities and seeing the world with new eyes
• The chance to have an adventure and to make new friends

The vast majority who take a gap break have wonderful experiences and few regrets. However, life beyond the Bryanston ‘bubble’ can seem daunting if no plans are in place, so the most satisfactory gap years tend to be planned at least partially in advance, and goals are often grouped into blocks of time, such as: three months working/raising funds, three months gaining a new skill, three months volunteering, three months of fun and relaxation before the next stage. This is where the gap providers have a real role to play, in providing a structured first step towards the future.

What do universities think about gap years? 

This will depend on the course and the university, and needs to be checked carefully and directly with the institution concerned. Generally however, universities and colleges see the benefit of pupils taking a gap year – provided there is evidence that the year will be used to do something positive and constructive. (Doing a ski season or working in the local wine bar have their value, but on their own they are unlikely to provide a competitive edge.)

What do employers think about gap years? 

Employers tend to favour candidates who are self-motivated, reliable, with a mature approach and who can demonstrate transferable skills. For many, taking a gap year can provide valuable breathing space, to increase personal confidence and allow these attributes to develop.

But back to the fair… 

Many pupils will also have attended one of the gap workshops offered at the A3 HE/Careers Forum in February. Do they now have a greater understanding of their next steps?

“I am thinking of taking a gap year because it is the best opportunity to travel around the world and make some money as well. We have been in school for our whole life so far (pretty much) and so taking a year off is a perfect way to break this routine before going into uni or getting a career.”

“I am taking a gap year because I want a year out to have fun and work. Plus I think I’d be too young to go [to university] straight away. I also think it’s a good chance to go and visit places I’ve never seen before.”

“I would love to hike the Appalachian trail. This trail will take around 6 months and this year presents the perfect time to do this. … I am also going to work for the other 6 months so I can save up some money to help me through uni.”

And what was their impression of the gap fair? It was not a complete solution, but was it worthwhile?

“The gap fair on Tuesday was a brilliant way of getting an idea of what to do for the year… perfect for someone who is thinking of taking a gap year.”

“I thought it was good but I could have looked a lot of it up on the internet. Plus there were lots of skiing companies so if u weren’t doing a season, it was quite limited.”

“Talking to the exhibitors encouraged me to open my thoughts on other activities to do on my year. … The exhibitors are all very enthusiastic about their 'adventure' and so it is extremely helpful talking to them.”

Taking a gap year is by no means right for everyone. For those who are venturing down a mathematical or science-related route there can be very sound reasons not to ‘press pause’ before continuing their studies. But for some pupils, the best reason of all for choosing to take a gap year is quite possibly the fear of taking one. In words sometimes attributed to Mark Twain (1835-1910): 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

Many who went straight to work from school some years ago, will share that sentiment.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Should I take a gap year?

Three articles that may help you to decide:

• Prospects 
• Oyster Worldwide
• Blog by Jenny McWhirter, The Leap

For further advice:

Whether staying in the UK or travelling abroad, our goal is to encourage students to open their minds to possibilities while also staying safe. Not all gap organisations are created equal and the gap sector is unregulated. The Year Out Group provide a useful starting point for guidance:

• https://yearoutgroup.org/gap-year-advice-planning/
• https://yearoutgroup.org/gap-year-advice-planning/gap-year-faq/

Ethical alliances:

There are ethical and practical considerations to bear in mind, particularly in relation to volunteering or working abroad.

• http://worldcetaceanalliance.org
• https://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/ethical-volunteering/

Remain travel aware and stay safe:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is an essential reference for those travelling overseas:

• https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk
• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist

Short courses:

Gap breaks can involve study too.

• https://www.studyoptions.com/short-term-options
• http://www.gap-year.com/your-gap-worldwide/learning-worldwide
• http://www.gap-year.com/your-gap-in-the-uk/learning-in-the-uk

About Futurewise:

The Futurewise Gap Fair at Bryanston is biennial. The full list is available here.

Why go to university?

In this week’s Bryanston Blog, Head of Sixth Form Ian McClary considers the reasons for going to university.

According to a report published in July last year by Universities UK, a university education is a powerful tool for social mobility and economic empowerment. Yet, on the other hand, there is also research pointing to rising rates of mental ill health among students who feel overwhelmed by debt and the rising cost of living. A recent study by the Sutton Trust also estimated that graduate debt in England is higher on average than any other English-speaking country.

And so, faced with such a financial burden, with more people than ever before proceeding to full-time higher education, perhaps we should ask the question: why go to university?

Many talk about the value of the university experience, but what exactly do they mean? Is it the process of rigorous academic endeavour, leading to a mark of intellectual distinction being bestowed on the individual in the form of a BA or a BSc? There are those who would argue that the sheer number of degrees being awarded these days, not to mention the proliferation of lightweight or ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees, has devalued that currency.

Others might define the university experience more in terms of working out who you are, what you want, what you believe in, what your place in society is and could be, whilst also studying something you enjoy, find interesting or which is even, perhaps, relevant to intended future employment. But then, you don’t have to go to university and generate a large amount of debt in order to do this. And we’ve all heard of those for whom university was just a three-year-long party and a way of avoiding the inevitable question: what am I going to do when I grow up?

Others, still, might say that university is the new sixth form. In ‘the olden days’ the sixth form used to be about more freedom, time to explore and specialise, having more time for extra-curricular pursuits. Not so much nowadays. With the advent of league tables and the inevitable grades arms race, many schools have increasingly directed and regimented sixth formers’ time, facilitating a frantic scramble for places at universities marketing themselves as elite. The sixth form, sadly, can become all about getting the grades (two of which, if they are doing A levels, usually being a means to an end) to get them into a ‘good’ university, deferring the freedom, the exploration and the breadth that the sixth form should also have.

And so, when young people get to university, it can often be a shock to the system. Not only might they not really know what university is for, they also don’t know how to be independent, take ownership of and direct their learning, or manage their time and set priorities, because their schools had continued to do that for them. Thankfully, at Bryanston, the emphasis has always been on coaching rather than drilling and it is reassuring to hear OBs reporting time and again that they made the transition to university life very smoothly because they found Bryanston, and its sixth form in particular, such a good preparation for it.

Nevertheless, it appears to me that a lot of young people, Bryanstonians included, tend to see university as simply what comes next, rather than thinking about what it should be for them and what they need (and want) to get out of it. They won’t be told exactly what to do. Their university experience will, for the most part, be what they make it. If it’s not going to provide (or they are not going to engage with) intellectual and academic rigour, what’s the point? If they are going to distract themselves constantly and waste opportunities to understand themselves better and the world around them, what’s the point? If they are going to do the bare minimum, underachieve and leave without the skills and experiences which will help to future proof them, what’s the point? A degree is not a free pass to a better life. It never was, despite what statistics will say about employability and earnings potential. But as many of us know, it can be one of the most formative and enriching experiences of one’s life.

We need to be asking young people “Why go to university?” Essentially, it is about finding the right path for the individual. As teachers, advisers and parents we should spend as much time helping our young people to understand that university isn’t just what comes next, as we do helping them decide what to study; encouraging them to explore alternatives to the traditional, full-time undergraduate degree experience: living at home, part-time study, apprenticeships, the Open University, combined with whatever work experience/internships they can access in order to demonstrate a wider range of academic, professional and personal skills.

Whichever route they decide on, it is important to realise that for the next three (or more) years they will make their own university/apprenticeship/work experience, regardless of what they have to pay, and that they will surely get out as much, and no more, as they put in.