Solihull School

There are almost 300 pupils in the Sixth Form at Solihull School. About 110 of those pupils have entered the Sixth Form from other schools after their GCSE examinations, and around 80 of these entrants are girls. The School offers a very wide range of subject choices for A Level and achieves outstanding academic results: in 2010 we 85% of A Levels were grade A* to B passes and in the last five years 40 pupils have been offered places at Oxford and Cambridge. There is also a very strong record in winning places to read Medicine or Engineering. In 2010 84% of our leavers went to their first choice university.

Academic success is clearly very important for pupils. However, the School also provides a very rich experience through the Enrichment programme, through sport, drama and music and through a very wide range of co-curricular activities.

In recent years the School has made substantial developments to its facilities. In 2002 the Bushell Hall was opened, the old Big School was transformed into the new Kent Library and the provision for Art and for the sixth form pupils was increased in the original School House. In 2003 the Alan Lee Pavilion was built and there is now a new teaching area, the George Hill building, providing sixteen new classrooms for five departments. The new purpose-built David Turnbull Music School opened in September 2009.

Solihull School Sixth Form aims to challenge its students, not only through its academic life, but also through the many ways in which students at this level can contribute to the wider community. Students are encouraged to involve themselves in an array of co-curricular interests and to lead the rest of the School by example. It is through such diversity and responsibility that our students explore their potential and discover their strengths.

Age

Candidates shuld normally be sixteen years of age, but not yet seventeen on 1 September 2012.

Entry qualifications

Offers for admission to the Sixth Form will be made on the basis of an interview, a confidential report from the Head of the candidate’s previous school, predicted and/or mock GCSE results and a brief personal profile provided by the candidate. Such an offer will be conditional on achieving a minimum of six academic subjects in GCSE at grade B. Of course, the vast majority of candidates will get much better GCSE results than this. In addition, all subjects demand at least a grade B at GCSE for the subject to be continued in the Sixth Form and other new subjects, eg Psychology and Economics, require a B grade at GCSE in certain subjects. The specific entry requirements for each subject can be found in the Sixth Form Subject Choices section of this booklet. Passage to A2 requires at least a grade D in each of the 3 (or 4) subjects to be studied.

Scholarships

The School is fortunate in being able to offer a great number of scholarships to pupils coming into the Sixth Form. These scholarships are open to candidates from both inside and outside the School. In March 2011 sixth form scholarships were awarded to 30 pupils. The Academic Scholarships are awarded on the basis of two written papers. Candidates applying for a Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics Scholarship must take either Mathematics and Mathematics II or Mathematics and Biology or Chemistry or Physics. Candidates applying for other Academic Scholarships must take a subject paper plus the General Paper. The General Paper involves a choice of essay questions based on topical issues. The scholarship examinations will take place on Tuesday 21 February 2012. The auditions for the Music Scholarship, the Design & Technology assessments and Art Scholarship interviews will take place during February 2012. The closing date for scholarship applications is Tuesday 31 January 2012.

A predicted grade A at GCSE is the minimum requirement for applying for any of the scholarships. Scholarships are awarded in a particular subject and successful candidates will be expected to take that subject for A Level in both sixth form years. For further details and a Scholarship Application Form, please contact the Admissions Secretary.

Interviews

In 2012, interviews will be held between 20 and 28 February. Provisional offers of admission will be made in early March.

Open Evening

There will be a meeting for parents and prospective sixth form candidates at 7.00 pm on Thursday 10 November 2011 to meet Heads of Department.

Open Mornings and Visits

The School holds two Open Mornings in the course of the year, on Saturday 1 October 2011 and Saturday 14 January 2012. It is also possible for prospective pupils (and their parents) to be shown round the School and meet the Headmaster and/or Head of Sixth Form during the school day. Please contact Mrs Janice Edwards, the Admissions Secretary on 0121 705 4273 or e-mail enquiries@solsch.org.uk.

Applications

Scholarship Application Forms, Registration Forms and other details are available from and should be returned to the Admissions Secretary, Solihull School, Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DJ.Telephone: 0121 705 4273.They can also be downloaded from the School’s website, www.solsch.org.uk

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31 January 2012.

The Sixth Form Curriculum

AS/A2

All members of the Lower Sixth will study four AS Levels. In the Upper Sixth it is normal for pupils to take forward three of these subjects to A2. However, it must be noted that the passage from AS to A2 is not automatic. A minimum grade D at AS is required to carry a subject on to A2. For the most able pupils there is the possibility of maintaining all four subjects to A2.

The range of subjects is set out below. We cannot guarantee every possible subject combination, but it is rare that a pupil’s choice cannot be accommodated.

External candidates will be asked to indicate their choices prior to the interviews. However, there is the opportunity to change those choices up until the GCSE results although very late changes cannot always be guaranteed. The School is willing to offer guidance about subject choice throughout the year, even before acceptance. Advice on choices may be obtained from the Director of Studies, Heads of Department and the Head of Careers, who are available throughout the year. We will also discuss subject choices as part of our interview process, they can also be discussed with Heads of Department at the Open Evening for external candidates on Thursday 10 November 2011.

Enrichment

In addition to lessons specifically directed at AS/A2 subjects, there is a programme of Enrichment with the purpose of widening students’ experience. In the Lower Sixth there are three periods set aside for this, during which students choose from a broad range of subjects. These include Art, Community Service, Community Sports Leadership Award, the Engineering Education Scheme Mandarin and Spanish. In the Upper Sixth there are two periods, which provide the opportunity to gain the Higher Sports Leadership Award, The Extended Project Qualification, take part in Community Service and many other options.

Non - Academic Life

Participation in school life beyond academic work is central to being in the Sixth Form and we aim to ensure that there is something, or many things, for every student to enjoy.

Games

There is a compulsory games afternoon on Wednesdays with many different activities to cater for everyone. There is also a full range of fixtures against other schools both during the week and at weekends. The games available include cricket, rugby, hockey, athletics, netball, rounders, tennis, golf, cross-country running, swimming, water-sports, shooting, badminton, table tennis, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, aerobics, weights, climbing and clay-pigeon shooting. The major sports often organise extended overseas tours: a cricket team visited Barbados in 2007 and 2009 and hockey and netball teams in 2008. A rugby tour to New Zealand and Fiji also took place in 2008. In 2010 the girls’ hockey and netball teams travelled and competed in Singapore and Malaysia and the boys’ rugby team went on tour to South Africa. Our first XI cricket team are off to Barbados in 2011.

Co-Curricular Activities

Music

The School has a very strong tradition in music, with about a third of all pupils studying a musical instrument in school. There are over 20 different musical groups, ranging from the orchestra to the flute group. Each year there are two major concerts in the Bushell Hall, each of which involves over 100 musicians, and several smaller informal concerts, where musicians of different standards have the opportunity to play. There are also several choral groups, including a Chapel Choir and a Girls’ Choir. The Chapel organ has just been refurbished. Considerable success is achieved at local music
competitions.

Drama

The Bushell Hall, with a large stage and auditorium for 500, is the venue for theatrical events. Each year a major musical and play are staged, as well as smaller scale studio pieces.

Outdoor Pursuits

The Combined Cadet Force, which comprises an Army and an RAF Section, is open to pupils from the Fourth Form (Year 9), but many pupils, especially girls, join in the Sixth Form. This activity takes place after school on a Monday and there are several camps in the course of the year. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is also open to pupils in the Sixth Form and several complete their Silver and Gold Awards during their time here. This scheme fits in with the School’s commitment to outdoor pursuits: in particular, there has been a major expedition overseas every other year, to Peru in 2003, Nepal in 2005, Chile in 2007, India in 2009 and Alaska 2011. There is also the chance to be involved in Community Service.

Pastoral Care and Careers Advice

Academic and pastoral guidance is largely provided through the Form Tutor who is responsible for a form of about 15 pupils for the two years of sixth form life. Students are attached to one of the five Houses through their tutor group. Time is set aside in the school day for a meeting between the Form Tutor and his/her form and the Form Tutor will be the immediate line of communication between the School and parents. Advice about university entrance is available from our full time Head of Careers. The Head of Sixth Form, has overall responsibility for the Sixth Form and there is also a Head of Lower Sixth and a Head of Upper Sixth with responsibility for each year group.