An exciting step forward for education in Abingdon

Abingdon Consortium for Education is a unique partnership of three secondary schools and a Further Education College.

We want every young person attending secondary school and college in Abingdon to have access to an outstanding education.

The Abingdon Consortium is working in partnership to achieve these high standards across the town, transforming the life chances of our young people and strengthening our community.

Working together to benefit everyone

Abingdon Consortium for Education works together so that every student benefits to create:

A rich range of resources, courses and experiences A forum for sharing the very best teaching and

learning expertise across Abingdon A determination to support and challenge each other

to do well as students, teachers, leaders and governors

A partnership that values every young person and learner

A brighter future for our community

A record breaking year for A LevelA bright future

A Level exam results hit new records for ACfE in the Summer

Average % of A* & A grades 27%, up 9% Average performance of 3 schools A*-A higher than

the Didcot Partnership, Henry Box and King Alfreds, amongst others

A*-B grades 53%, up 6% Also compare very favourably with results across

Oxfordshire

Everything in place to go from strength to strength

The best choice for your futureA Level choices @ 16+ with ACfE

What’s the Purpose of This Evening?

• To provide detail of what subjects the consortium will be offering next year

• To provide an opportunity to discuss the content of different subjects

• To find out how different courses are assessed• To find out what they key skills required in each

subject are in order to be successful• To talk to subject specialists about their subjects• To encourage students to think seriously about

the next steps in their education or career

Some FAQs

• What’s the benefit of working together as a consortium?

• How does the consortium work?• What are the pathways

available at the end of year 11?• Why stay in Abingdon?

Some FAQs

• What are the entry requirements needed to study A levels in the Abingdon consortium?

• What does the grid look like?• How many subjects will I be

studying?• How should I choose my A Levels?• Do I have to have studied a subject

at GCSE to take it at AS Level?

AS Options Grid

A B C DFitzharrys Business Studies

EconomicsPhysicsProduct Design

BiologyFrench*HistoryPsychology

ArtEnglish LanguageEnglish LiteratureMathsSociology

ChemistryGeographyPhysicsPsychologyReligious Studies*

John Mason ICTPhilosophy*ChemistryProduct DesignPsychologySpanish

English LanguageEnglish LiteratureMathsMediaPESociology

PhysicsGeographyGermanMusic TechnologyPsychologyGraphics

ArtBiologyEnglish LanguageHistoryMusic*

Larkmead ChemistryHistoryMediaPhilosophy*PE

GeographyPerforming Arts ArtFrench*

BiologyEconomicsEnglish LanguageEnglish Literature

Business StudiesMathsMusic* Religious Studies*

What happens at the ‘homebase’?

• All students have a homebase, usually the school which they have attended during Key Stage 4

• All students will have a tutor and a Year Head who are responsible for over seeing the wellbeing of each student as well as providing IAG about the next steps in each student’s education

• Each school has a compulsory programme of enrichment activities

How Do I Choose My AS Levels?

• Consider what you want to be doing once you finish sixth-form?

• What are your key skills and strengths?

• What subjects are you actually interested in?

• Ask those that know you best what they think?

Significant Changes to AS and A Levels

• Some subjects will be changing their course structure and content in 2015, and for others this will not take place until 2016.

• The subject specific sheets should make it clear if the subject is under the ‘current’ or ‘new’ structure

Subjects Under The ‘New’ Structure

Art & DesignBiologyBusiness StudiesChemistryComputer ScienceEconomics

English LanguageEnglish LiteratureHistoryPsychologySociologyPhysics

Current Structure

• AS = 50% of the A level qualification with the AS content examined at the end of year 12 and counts for 50% of the UCAS points awarded to whole A Level.

Most students start with 4 subjects and then continue with 3 of the subjects into year 13.• A2 = 50% of the A level qualification with the

A2 content examined at the end of year 13• The grades achieved at both AS and A2 are

combined to give each student an A level grade

New Structure

• The AS is now a stand alone qualification which is worth 40 % of an A Level and only 40% of the UCAS points of an A Level

• The A Level includes the AS content and an additional 60% more, all of which needs to be examined at the end of year 13, even if the AS exams were taken at the end of year 12.

• The Abingdon consortium has agreed that the current pattern of most students studying 4 AS subjects, taking the AS exams in May and then continuing with 3 A Level subjects into year 13 will be followed.

What are the benefits of this system?

• Some universities have made it clear that they will be looking at AS results when they consider students for university places and have written to schools asking them to follow this system

• Our structure allows students the opportunity to keep their options as broad as possible for as long as possible

Key enrolment dates

27th November 2014

Abingdon 16+ Choices Evening

Provisional choices made on the

proforma in the booklet

January to April 2015

Interviews with appropriate staff in each school

Letters of acceptance sent to students

June - July 2015 Enrolment Day 1 which will include small talks about how to choose your subjects as well as subject specific talks / taster lessons from teachers in the consortium

August 2015

GCSE results are availableFurther enrolment arrangements will be confirmed in results envelopes

September 2015

Enrolment and Induction

ACfE - The best choice for your future

We believe that ACfE offers a fantastic range of opportunities for the young people of Abingdon and beyond

Together we are passionate about the future of education in Abingdon.

Together we are committed to collaborate to ensure that every student has access to high quality experiences and support, equipping them for their exciting futures.

Together we are putting learning at the very heart of our community.