Dear Parents and Carers
RE: Year 12 Module 6
I am looking forward to seeing you this week for the Post-18 Options briefing for parents on Thursday 25th May 2023 at 6pm in the lecture theatre.
Module 6 will be both a very busy and an important one for Year 12 students, so I am writing to you with details of all the key events about which you need to be aware:
From Week 1 – Change of Required Attendance
Further to my letter at the end of Module 4, please remember that all Year 12 students will be required to be on site from 8.30am till 1.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in Module 6, even if their teacher is not in school. Students who are required to attend all day on Wednesday have all chosen which lessons they would like to take back for home study on other days. You can view your son’s or daughter’s updated timetable on My Child at School from 5th June and we have given students an updated paper copy.
Weeks 1 to 3 – End of Year Internal Exams
Year 12 students have taken actual public exams in many subjects already this year or will be doing so in Module 6, so students of those subjects will not be required to take an end of year internal exam. However, students in all other subjects will be taking internal end of year exams during normal timetabled lessons in classrooms during weeks 1 and 2 of Module 6, with art subject exams taking place in week 3. The subjects in which students will take internal exams are:
- BTEC Engineering
- IB Business Management
- IB Physics
- IB Biology
- IB Global Politics
- IB Social and Cultural Anthropology
- IB Maths
- A level Maths
- A level History
- A level French
- A level Fine Art
- A level Graphics
- A level Photography
Week 4 – Thursday 29th June – Attenborough College Trip to Mote Park
Each college in the academy is given a day upon which to celebrate their college identity and build college spirit. Attenborough College will take its day on Thursday 29th June, when all Attenborough staff and students in Year 12 will take over the outdoor facilities at Mote Park in Maidstone for a day of outdoor fun and challenge, engaging in high wire climbing, crazy golf and rock wall climbing. We took Year 12 students last summer and it was an incredibly popular and enjoyable day for everyone who went, so we are confident that it will prove just as successful this year.
No activity is compulsory but students will be encouraged to push their boundaries beyond their comfort zone in a safe environment, supported by the trained staff at Mote Park. There is a large cafe on site, where students can purchase food, drink and ice creams if they do not wish to bring their own food and drink and we will supply extra water in the event of hot weather. We advise everyone to bring sunscreen and a hat in the event of hot sunny weather and a waterproof jacket in the event of rain and to wear appropriate loose clothing and sturdy trainers suitable for sporting activity.
All students are required to attend this trip, which will leave the academy via bus at 9.00am after students have registered on the MUGA outside reception at 8.30am. We will return to the academy by 3.00pm at latest. As we want every student to take part, we heavily subsidise the cost of the trip, reducing the cost from £24 per student to just £5 per student. Payments should be made via ParentPay. If you require assistance with ParentPay, please contact Mrs Howell: either julie.howell@leighacademy.org.uk or 01322 620439. If you wish to speak to a member of Attenborough College staff about financial assistance towards the cost of this trip, please contact Mrs Howell. Students in receipt of 16-19 Bursary are not required to pay for the trip.
In the event of illness on the day, parents should still report absence in the usual way that day but please do not arrange any other appointments that would prevent attendance on the trip. Students are expected to inform their part-time employers well in advance that they will be involved in the trip till 3pm that day and amend shifts, if required.
Please complete the consent slip at the end of this letter and ask your son or daughter to return it to Mrs Howell in Attenborough Admin on the first day of Module 6.
Week 6 – Last day of required attendance in Year 12
On site education for Year 12 students finishes on Friday 7th July.
Weeks 7 and 8 – Work Experience
The government now requires all Year 12 students to complete at least a week of relevant work experience in a sector aligned to their future aspirations. The process of securing a work experience placement was launched with students in January by our Work Experience Coordinator, Mrs Mace-Baker. If they have not yet returned their work experience form to Mrs Mace-Baker, they should do so urgently. Year 12 students may undertake work experience at any point this summer from Monday 10th July and are therefore not required to attend the academy for lessons from that point.
Throughout Module 6 – University Open Days and Personal Statements
For students intending to apply to university this autumn, we strongly encourage them to take advantage of university open days this summer to help them to choose the right courses and universities to which to apply. These are advertised on university websites and, once students have booked a place, they can secure the day off school (if required) by forwarding the confirmation email from the university to julie.howell@leighacademy.org.uk – such visits will be marked as authorised absence.
Whatever preferred Post-18 option Year 12 students have, they have been asked to complete the first draft of their Personal Statement by 7th July.
Over the summer holiday – Research into Post-18 Options
Applications for university can be submitted as early as 6th September 2023 (with an ultimate deadline of 31st January 2024), so Year 12 students should be actively using the summer holiday to research degree courses and universities, so that they are ready to apply as early as possible. Students intending to enter the world of work via employment or an apprenticeship should be using the summer holiday to research careers and the specific companies they wish to target for applications to make sure they are ready to apply as soon as companies open their application windows. Students intending to take a gap year should be using the summer holiday to fix a plan for how they will spend their year, as there is a huge array of options for a gap year from which to choose.
Over the summer holiday – BTEC Exam Results – 17th August
Year 12 students who have taken real public exams in a BTEC subject can either wait till the start of Module 1 in September to collect their results or come into school on Thursday 17th August at 10.30am to do so. We do not send these exam results home via either post or email.
Return to school for Module 1 of Year 13
The first day in school for Year 13 students in Module 1 will be Friday 1st September, when Year 13 students should arrive by 8.30am for the usual college assembly, after which they will be issued with a hard copy of their new timetable in a special tutor time in period 1, with timetabled lessons commencing from period 2. All students are expected to attend from 8.30am that day.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support of the work we do to ensure your son or daughter both fulfils their academic potential but also develops an open minded and independent set of attitudes, behaviours and characteristics through the enrichment opportunities we provide for them. If you have any questions about any of the plans for Module 6 and the summer holidays outlined in this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me or another member of the Attenborough College team.
Yours sincerely
Mr Lee Forcella-Burton | Director of Post-16, leading Attenborough College
