Sixth Form Education in Dereham

In their final year in the school our pupils are given full details of courses available to them at the Dereham Sixth Form College, The College of West Norfolk (King’s Lynn), Norwich City College, Easton College and Norfolk School of Art Design. Most of our pupils continue with post sixteen education, the vast majority choosing Dereham Sixth Form College.

Destinations of School Leavers

We encourage as many of our school leavers as possible to continue with their education beyond the age of sixteen. We are particularly proud of the large number going on to study A Levels and then moving on to Higher Education. The destinations of our 2006 school leavers were as follows:

Full time education - 76.4%

Full time employment - 14.8%

Non-employed training - 1.6%

Voluntary activities / unemployed - 6.0%

Unknown or moved away - 1%

Dereham Sixth Form College

The Dereham Sixth Form College was established in 1977 to provide Sixth Form education for students in the area. The Headteacher of Northgate High School has joint management responsibility for the College.

The College is situated on its own site on Crown Road. The buildings provide purpose designed accommodation for Sixth Form Students including specialist Chemistry, Physics and Biology Laboratories, an Art Room, superb Information Technology facilities and a well stocked library. Other specialist accommodation includes Music and Technology facilities.

The College is continually growing in size and this year the student population is over 360 with approximately equal numbers of boys and girls.

The aim of the College is to provide students with a realistic academic programme having regard to their ability and previous examination performance, which will lead to the successful completion of external examinations. The social and cultural development of the students is not, however, neglected and all students participate in a wide range of enrichment studies.

Students are organised into tutor groups with a Personal Tutor who has responsibility for the academic and pastoral care of the students in the group.

Why not visit the Sixth Form College website? www.dsfc.org.uk

Courses in the Sixth Form College

As a result of the Government's review of post-sixteen qualifications, the following changes to AS and A Level examinations were made from September 2000.

•	The new Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Qualification. This Qualification represents the first half of a full A level. The level of demand is that expected of candidates half-way through a full A level course of study.
•	The second part of the A level is called A2. AS and A2 each make up 50% of the full A level.
•	Students complete AS at the end of their first year of study and A2 at the end of the second year. Students must pass the AS before proceeding to the A2 in their chosen subject.
•	A Key Skills qualification has been introduced to encourage all young people to develop the essential skills of communication and Information Technology.
•	An access course that is delivered in conjunction with Easton College for students who require an additional year before starting a Level 3 course.

What does this mean for Dereham College Students?

We will be offering the following patterns of study and each student will have a personal interview to ensure the choice of courses is appropriate to their ability and needs.

A Levels

A levels
Year 12	Students may study 3, 4 or 5 AS courses. It is expected that most students will study 4 AS subjects and Key Skills during their first year in the Sixth Form.
Year 13	Students may study 2, 3 or 4 A2s, leading to the full A level qualification. A student who decides to study 2 A2s may also take additional AS courses during this year. Most students will study 3 A2s during the second year of their course.
Access Course. This is a one-year course for students who ultimately wish to take a Level 3 course at Dereham SixthForm or at Easton College. The course includes: a BTEC first diploma in one of the following: Sport, Public Service, Countryside and Environment a choice of 1 or 2 additional GCSEs an opportunity to retake GCSE English and/or Mathematics

Core Studies/Enrichment

Students will be expected to take part in a Core Study programme, which aims to broaden their interests and help them develop Key Skills. This course will also include a careers programme and a choice of complimentary studies.

Both employers and admission tutors in Higher Education are looking for the student who has a wide range of interests and who shows initiative, commitment, leadership and organisational skills.

Further Information

Further information about the Sixth Form College and its courses are available in the Sixth Form prospectus and handbook. These are available from:

Mr D Richardson B.Ed DMS, Director, Dereham Sixth Form College, Crown Road, Dereham, Norfolk. Telephone 01362 696884. Website: www.dsfc.org.uk

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