PUBLISHED 25 February 2020
This year’s Sixth Form Taster Day was held on 31st January. As well as our own Year 11 students taking part we also had students from neighbouring state and independent schools in attendance. Here are separate accounts from two of our Year 11 students, Mia and Ethan, who discovered what makes our sixth form provision so unique in the area.
Ethan
I chose to do physics, biology, chemistry, maths and psychology during the day. I also attended one of the enrichment courses on offer.
In physics, we did a light refraction experiment – it was fun but difficult, which is an accurate representation of physics A-level. I felt that the taster day revealed what my chosen subjects will truly be like. Although I know how hard physics will be, the way the experiment was explained made it seem less difficult.
In biology, we did an experiment to extract the protein lactose from milk. This experiment was set up well and the practice questions we did alongside made the class feel like a real introduction to A-level.
In chemistry, we looked at d-limonene and did an experiment which demonstrated the extraction of plant oils. The experiment allowed us to become familiar with new apparatus. The given questions were challenging but manageable once explained.
In psychology, the syllabus was set out for us to see what we will be studying for the next two years; it looked very interesting learning about the human mind in more detail. Sigmund Freud’s iceberg theory was explained to the class, which I found fascinating.
Maths was challenging, as expected, however once the concepts and ways how to do the questions were explained I was able to do the questions given to us without much trouble. We worked in groups in the class to solve questions.
Overall, my day at AKS Sixth Form was informative and I felt an accurate representation of the next two years. The small group sizes mean that the teachers can offer specialised help to every student, extra revision sessions at lunch are available for students to better understand anything they are struggling with. At AKS form tutors are responsible for no more than about 10 pupils, this means applications to universities or personal statements will be personalised to you and deadlines are set ahead of actual deadlines to make sure the students of AKS are ahead of the rest.
Mia
When we first arrived in school, we all met up in the Sixth Form Common room, which was very impressive, comfortable, and modern. There was a certain buzz in the room as this was a new venture for the Year 11s (although I’m not sure the year 13s were as excited to share their common room with us but were friendly and kind nonetheless).
My first period was an Enrichment session, which was a talk on Competitive Applications. It was very enlightening and us valuable information, we will carry with us through the rest of our careers let alone the remainder of our school life.
Next, I headed to my first lesson of the day; Religious Studies, Philosophy, and Ethics. We learned about Plato’s Cave and looked at a model exam answer, and what the course entailed. Even though I do not take this as a GCSE I still found the lesson very interesting, we had a whole discussion on our own theories and ideas with everyone participating.
After break, I headed to another enrichment session, this time led by a group of year 13s. We had a very informal discussion about why the sixth formers chose AKS and they helped to answer any of our questions.
Then I had psychology. This was one of the most interesting lessons of the day, as we got to understand different alter egos and the subconscious mind. Although I won’t be taking this for an A-level it was a remarkable experience.
Later, after lunch, I had history. As history is my favourite subject, it was no wonder I really enjoyed it. We learned about Emmet Till and went over how to argue cases/opinions. The course seemed extremely interesting and the enthusiasm of the teacher was reflected in the student’s approach to the lesson as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
My last lesson was Spanish, as we were watching a movie (that we would write a review of in Spanish if we took the course) our Spanish teacher allowed us to bring in popcorn and we discussed the course which was very different to GCSE Spanish. We would learn all about Spain’s history with fascism and dictators, and its cultural revolution due to the democratic transition in the 1970s. The film was meant to symbolise this.
This was a brilliant day, as it got the students to experience a day in the life at AKS Sixth Form. It was undeniably helpful at this crucial time in our lives. All day, you got the sense it was 100% about the students and the teachers seem to genuinely care about the students.
AKS Exam Success:
We consistently achieve the #BestResults in the region - yet our students achieve #MoreThanAs. Find out how in our next #OpenEvening event. Over the past five years, 51% of GCSE exams taken at AKS were awarded grades 9-7/A*; 60% of all A-level grades were A*, A or B, and over a third were A*/A.
It is not too late to register your interest for AKS Sixth Form. Get in touch and see for yourself what makes us the most successful independent school in the area.