Sixth Form Study Programmes

Your programme of study is designed to be as personalised as possible and as such provide you with a first rate experience and one that will help you to successfully progress beyond the Sixth Form:

• A-levels
• Vocational L3 courses
• Extended Project Qualification. Students can choose to undertake an additional academic qualification allowing them to explore in depth, subjects they wish to pursue at a higher level.
• Sports Leadership Programme.
• Work experience.
• As part of their personal growth, all students are expected to undertake a guided enrichment programme and the details of this are set out later in the prospectus.

The majority of students will opt for three courses in Year 12. Broadly speaking these are divided into A-level ‘facilitating subjects’, other ‘academic’ subjects and finally vocational subjects. What you decide to take is largely up to you and your wider academic/career aims. However, a number of key points need to be considered when making your decision for Year 12 and later as you move into Year 13.

1. Facilitating subjects are those subjects deemed to be the ‘gold’ standard of A-levels and for certain top universities there is an expectation that at least two of your A-levels will fall within this category. These subjects are: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths, English, Languages, History and Geography
2. Academic subjects are A-level courses other than those listed above.
3. Vocational subjects offered at NPA are most commonly BTEC courses. It is worth noting that a number of the vocational courses are worth, in terms of UCAS points, the equivalent of more than one A-level and as such the teaching time allocated to these will reflect this. For this reason, if you opt for one of these courses you will not be able to take two other courses.
4. It is important to think carefully about your future plans, be they university, an apprenticeship or work and the courses you choose should enable you to progress to the next level. It is possible to take a combination of A-level and vocational subjects so long as they fit within the overall number of subjects.

You will take internal exams in all your subjects at the end of Year 12. You will be expected to pass these in order to continue through to Year 13.

NPA Sixth Form IDEALS Programme

Alongside your core academic studies, it is important that you continue to develop the experiences and skills that will set you apart from your peers as you compete for university, apprenticeships or the world of work. At Nene Park Academy we operate an IDEALS Programme, the key elements of which are outlined below. However, at the heart of this is the importance of leadership and the examples are not an exhaustive list:

• In Year 12 all students can choose to give an hour of their time to support students lower down the school in their studies.
• In Year 13 you have the opportunity to stand for the position of Head Boy or Head Girl, or to join the Senior Student Team.

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Beyond Sixth Form there is huge competition for university places, jobs and apprenticeships and we encourage all our students to go beyond their studies. Your Academic Mentor and the Sixth Form Team will guide you towards:

• Additional reading to support your studies and wider education
• Developing your debating and problem solving skills, deepening your social, moral, spiritual and cultural knowledge and understanding
• Making good choices for the future, ensuring you get the grades to get you there and have the knowledge and experiences to make you stand out above other candidates