The Lower Sixth

The majority of students joining Albemarle in their first year of A-Level study come from traditional schools, both public and state. Virtually all of these students are planning to go on to a top UK university and realise that the right start is essential for successful A-Level results.

AS Levels
Most lower sixth students at Albemarle will take 4 subjects at AS level, generally including Information Technology (ICT), English or a foreign language, or Mathematics. Some students take an additional fifth subject either in their first or second year of A-Level study. The flexibility of our lower sixth programme means that we can accommodate students wishing to pursue only 2 or as many as 5 AS-Levels, across a wide range of subjects

More Than Just Exam Results
Good A-Level results alone are not enough to secure places on the more competitive degree courses like Medicine, Optometry, Law, Economics, History and English. At Albemarle we recognise the need for students to impress at interview and for them to develop key skills as well as academic prowess. To that end, students are encouraged to attend regular seminars held at the college, covering communication and presentation skills, work-experience and time management. Talks are also given at the college by speakers invited from a wide variety of professions.

Specialist Teachers
Some students joining the lower sixth benefit from additional help outside the classroom to cope with the rigorous demands of A-Level study, particularly in areas such as numeracy, essay-writing and study techniques. Specialist teachers are on hand to give help in these areas as and when needed.

Career-planning
Career-planning is an important part of our lower sixth programme at Albemarle and, in line with recommendations by the Department for Education and Skills, we have developed an extensive careers guidance programme in partnership with Capital Careers. Students are individually counselled by their personal tutor, who takes them through the difficult tasks of choosing a career, and selecting a degree course and university. Independent counselling and psychometric testing are also used when necessary.