Q: What is the Post 16 dress code?
A: Our dress code is available to view on our website and will be attached to a letter that we will send applicants prior to Taster Day. We expect students to come in smart business dress.
Q: Which subjects do you recommend taking at Post 16 for becoming a doctor?
A: The UCAS deadline for Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science applicants is the 15th October. This is earlier than the standard UCAS deadline which is usually around the 15th January. The standard subjects for medicine would be 2 Sciences (preferably Biology and Chemistry) and Maths.
Q: Will what we choose for A Levels be confirmed by our predicted grades or will other things be considered?
A: Several pieces of information will be taken into account, including predicted grades, PPD data, target grades and mock exam results. What we will not do is set you up to fail so we will be realistic with you and not put you on courses if you will not meet the entry requirements.
Q: Will we be given a timetable of important dates relating to the Post 16 application process?
A: The Virtual Opportunities Evening video is available on our website with lots of other information to read through.
Q: If I have applied for a few different Post 16 Centres, which Induction do I go to?
A: As many as possible! It is important for you to make informed choices about your future. Our Induction this year will be roughly a week which will give chance for you to still attend ours and any others if there are any clashes.
Q: For students with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are allowances made in terms of grades needed for acceptance?
A: Entry requirements are in place to ensure that students achieve academic success so, while we will support any students with an EHCP and make adjustments where possible, we also need to ensure that students are on suitable courses with realistic entry requirements.
Q: Is Sport and Exercise Science more theory based or practical, and what can it lead to in the future?
A: This course is a BTEC course and is currently more theory based so more academic but, in order to make this more accessible, we are looking at just offering a BTEC in Sport rather than a BTEC in Sport and Exercise Science, but this will be explained and confirmed during Taster Day. This qualification tends to lead to careers within the Sport and Leisure industry including teaching PE or becoming a Physiotherapist. We have a designated Careers team in school who would be happy to sit and discuss this with you further if needed!
Q: What is the timetable like?
A: Lesson timings are the same across the school, but Post 16 students will not have a full timetable during the week as lower school do. Post 16 students will usually have 5 hours per subject and any extra lesson time will be designated as ‘Study Lessons.’ This is time that can be spent studying at home or in school using our designated Post 16 facilities which include 15 laptops and 24 computers within the Post 16 Study Room. Students are expected to make the most of this time in order to keep on top of their schoolwork.
Q: If I get low grades across all my subjects, can I still do Post 16?
A: Our minimum entry requirements are 6 Grade 4’s, so any grades lower than that will not be considered as we do not have any Level 2 provision except from GSCE Maths and English resits. If you need Level 2 provision, please do look at other centres across the school who may be able to provide this. On our website, we have flyers for individual subjects so you can see what entry requirements are needed to study those with us.
Q: What courses would be best for a career in Policing?
A: We do have some courses that previous students have studied prior to moving into a career within the Police Force which included Criminology and BTEC Sport. It’s a good idea to consider a varied range of courses, but we advise you look into this thoroughly before applying.
A: Is there a limit of people who can do A Levels?
Q: The minimum number of students required for a course to run is 7, but we will look at this on a case-by-case basis as several factors can influence this. We tend to cap group sizes at 25 but, again, can be flexible to try and make this work for our students. This is one of the main reasons we start our Post 16 application process with an open blocking model; our blockings will change each year depending on the applications we have through in order to create as few clashes as possible.
Q: Can I have a part-time job during Post 16?
A: Yes you can, but it’s important to limit your working hours so that your studies are not affected. We recommend no more than 15 hours of work in Year 12, and no more than 10 hours in Year 13 to ensure that priority is given to assignments and revision etc. Having a part-time job looks great on your UCAS applications and allows you to gain valuable life skills and experience but remember, you are a full-time student, not a full-time employee!
Q: If I need to re-sit Maths or English GCSE’s, can I complete A Levels at the same time or do I need to complete these first?
A: You will start your A Level / BTEC courses in September and attend any GCSE classes alongside this, sitting the re-sit exams in November. The issue is that many of our courses require a grade 4 or 5 in English or a grade 5 and above in Maths, so some of the courses you could start will be limited. Courses not only have the minimum requirement of 6 grade 4’s, but some also have more subject-specific requirements, for example more essay-based subjects will require a higher GCSE English grade.
Q: What happens if I need a specific A level for my future career plans and only a few people choose it?
A: Firstly, we will look at the viability of running the course. If it cannot go ahead, this then becomes one of the saddest times for us as we would need to recommend you go elsewhere for your studies if you don’t wish to choose another subject. This is not because we don’t want you, but rather because you must do what’s right for you and your future and we want to support you in that. We would be failing you if we tried to recommend you for a course that wasn’t going to allow you to reach your future aspirations.
Q: What are the entry requirements for Science and Maths?
A: These courses have high entry requirements as they are very academic. Please look at the Post 16 section of our website where you will find individual subject flyers that contain all this information.
Q: If I am applying for Post 16 at a different centre, can I still apply to Ken Stimpson?
A: Absolutely! We encourage you to do so and see what offers you get following your applications. Making multiple applications gives you a better chance of finding the centre and courses that suit you best.
Q: If I haven’t decided on a specific career path, which BTEC subjects do you recommend I take?
A: Our best advice is to keep your courses varied! Maybe try a Social Sciences subject alongside a Business Enterprise course. Narrowing down your options too much may limit what you can do following Post 16 so open yourself up to lots of opportunities.
Q: What happens if I do better in my exams than I expected? Should this influence my A Level choices?
A: You can change your courses following results day if you wish to. Although you do start your subjects during Induction, we are flexible and will allow some course switches.
Q: For Post 16 exams, are the grades we get different to GCSE grades?
A: Yes, for Post 16 we grade by letters A* - E. For vocational courses, some will be letter-based grades, and some will be Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction* grades.
Q: What grades do I need to get in Maths for Sociology, Psychology and Criminology?
A: Sociology - 5 / A Level Psychology - 6 / Applied Psychology - 5 / Criminology - 4
Q: How do A Level classes take place? Are they similar to Year 11?
A: You are certainly treated in a more mature manner and there is a lot more personal responsibility on you to work independently, but some lessons may have similarities with Year 11. This is why it is important to attend Taster sessions and find out more about the subjects.
Q: When are the GCSE PPE results given out?
A: Year 11 PPE’s will be sat in December so the results will be given out in lesson during the first week back after the Christmas holidays where you will receive feedback from your teachers.
Q: Where do students go for Study lessons?
A: You have access to our dedicated Post 16 Study Room which has 24 computers for your use, but you also have the option to go home. The key is to be studying, so go wherever you feel most comfortable doing so.
Q: Where do Ken Stimpson students get their predicted grades from?
A: We will be issuing these to you very soon as teachers are currently inputting this data. Once completed, this information will be sent home to your parents. If you wish to apply for Post 16 before you have received these grades, you may use your target grades if you feel they are an accurate representation.
Q: Who are the main teachers for each Post 16 course?
A: There is information on the flyers about who to contact regarding each subject / course, and these are likely to be your main teachers.
Q: What if I want to do a certain course in Post 16 that requires a grade 6 in Maths, but I am doing a lower tier and can only get a grade 5? Does this mean I can’t do the course?
A: No, it maybe that we will consider you with a Grade 5, but we do need to be realistic. If you should be doing a higher tier, we will have a conversation with the Maths department, but if they have given you a lower tier because they feel that you will do well to get a Grade 5 then we must consider this. If you are a competent Mathematician, we can look at putting you on a trial for A Level Maths, providing this is a realistic option.
Q: Who can I contact if I have questions about Post 16 at Ken Stimpson?
A: You can contact our Head of Year, Mr Abbott, by filling in the contact form here. He will also happily talk with parents if needed via phone or Teams call.
If Mr Abbott feels that your questions can be better answered by the subject specialist teacher, he will forward your email onto them, and they will be in touch.