SIXTH FORM

PLANNING YOUR ROUTE TO SUCCESS

Football Coach

Personal Trainer

Sports Physiotherapist

Lab Technician

Nurse

Optician

Dentist

Police Officer

Graphic Designer

Gallery Curator

Artist

Social Worker

Nuclear Engineer

Carbon Reduction Engineer

Sailing Instructor

Sports Dietician

Solicitor

Investment Analyst

Sales Manager

Accountant

RICHARD ROSE

PROSPECTUS

2010/11

02

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

We know that most teenagers want to work;they want to be good at what they do andget a proper job. That is what most parentswant too. Whatever you choose, we want tohelp you find your place in the world andflourish there.So we talked to employers, councils andothers in and around Carlisle to find outwhere the jobs are going to be. They all toldus that Carlisle’s prosperity will depend onyoung people having the right qualifications,skills and personal attributes. We haveidentified which industries are growing in ourarea and which need young, talented andambitious employees. We have asked themwhat they look for when recruiting people.Now employers tell us how many jobs theyhave for 18-year-olds, how manyapprentices they are going to take on, howmany graduates they want and in whichsubjects. They tell us the universities andcourses they value most, and we find outfrom the admissions tutors what subjectsand personal qualities they look for inapplications.

The result is a modern curriculum and thesixth form you see in this prospectus. It’s abit different from other sixth forms. Youchoose a route: each route is aimed at aparticular group of industries that are goingto be the key to future prosperity – yours andCarlisle’s. Each route leads to a different kindof job, through academic and appliedcourses, A-levels and equivalentqualifications, plus courses at GCSE level.Every route has a combination of subjectsthat will help you do well and that employersor universities are looking for.It’s your life; you can choose which way togo. But you need your family behind you. Sotalk to them about what you’re good at, whatgets you going, what you really want. Theycan help you map out your route and put youon the right path. With their support, we lookforward to setting you on your way toadulthood.

PrincipalRichard Rose Sixth-Form College

A sixth form for you ... and for CarlisleWELCOME!

03

SIXTH FORM

PLANNING YOURSIXTH-FORM PROGRAMMEWhich will be your route to work?Our routes lead to:

� the creative, cultural and heritage industries� the digital, energy and environmental industries, including specialistmanufacturing

� health care, social care and the public services� outdoor recreation and the sporting and tourism industries� professional services, including retail

Every route has a core qualification that everyone on this route needs; often thisincludes study of the industry itself, which helps you decide on the career that is rightfor you. Each route also takes in supporting subjects, which give you extra skills youwill need, and optional subjects, so you can specialise and develop your own interests.Depending what path you take, you can study with us for one year, two years or three.To see what courses you can take, go to pages 14 - 15.

YOUR CHILD’S FUTUREThe focus here is on your girl or boy – their life, their chances, their part in Carlisle’sprosperity – but we sincerely hope you will be with them every step of the way. Theyneed your support. They will also have a personal tutor who helps them and reportsregularly to you – and you can talk to their tutor at any point during the year

Cumbria NHS is delighted to beworking with the Richard Rose SixthForm to develop tomorrow’s medicaland health care professionals andtoday’s healthy young citizens

“”Jane Muller - Associate Director

of Public Health, Cumbria NHS

1. An intermediate applied path following courses at GCSE level.For this path, you need: at least 5 GCSEs in year 11 – two must be grade D or above,and the subjects must include English and Maths.The path: is based around a vocational course, equivalent to 2 or 4 GCSEs at gradeC or higher. You also take a qualification in work skills that is worth the same again.You keep working on your English and Maths to bring them up to grade C or aboveand you gain work experience through visits and placements.

Outcome: After one year, you will have the equivalent of at least 8 GCSEs at gradeC. At that point you decide whether to move to the advanced path in your route,begin an apprenticeship, seek work in your chosen industry or study further atcollege.

2. An advanced applied path following courses at A-level or equivalent.For this path, you need: at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above – these can includevocational courses – and you must have GCSE English and Maths, even if these arenot at grade C or above.The path: as with the intermediate path, some of your courses have been chosen byemployers or universities, some by us, and some you choose.

The core qualification is an applied or vocational course at A-level standard, to whichwe add the supporting subjects that you must take. Then you pick a linked subject topersonalise your path; this is very much your own choice. In addition you can takeeither the extended project or a practical qualification that will help your employmentprospects.

Outcome: After two years, you will have at least 3½ A-levels or equivalentqualifications. You can then move on to employment, an apprenticeship or furtherstudy at university or college.

3. An academic path following courses at A-level.For this path, you need: at least 5 good GCSE grades in a broad range of subjects,which should include English and Maths. We will advise you which subjects go welltogether and will help your career.The path: a choice of those A-level subjects preferred by the employers and universitycourses identified with the route. You also take the extended project qualification inyour second year.

Outcome: After two years, you will have at least 4 A-levels and will be ready tomove on to further study at university or college.

04

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

ON YOUR ROUTE, WHICH PATH IS FOR YOU?

You get at least one week’s work experiencein your first year of study. If you follow anintermediate path, work placements formpart of your course of study. Localemployers like Pirelli use this to talent-spotfuture employees and then work with us toensure successful progression toapprenticeship or employment. On theadvanced and academic paths, workexperience with an employer linked to yourroute happens after the summer exams.Preparation for work placements is takenvery seriously, as is the employer’s report.Afterwards, with your tutor, you identify yourstrengths – helping to shape yourapplications to universities or employers –and the areas where you can improve. Youalso gain a nationally recognisedqualification in Work Skills, which shows afuture employer that you are ready to makea positive contribution at work.

You can have a business mentor to help youapply in real life what you are learning in sixthform. Mentors can offer very practical, up-to-date advice on the opportunities in theirindustries. They can help you fill inapplication forms and prepare for interviews,and they can be a referee for you at the endof your studies.For each group of jobs there is a routeleader, usually one of your course teachers,who stays up to date with developments onthat route and keeps in touch with keyCarlisle employers and business mentors.Route leaders also act as personal tutors,helping to ensure you make good progress.Local and regional employers providemaster classes and visiting speakers. Sometuition takes place at employers’ premisesto give you more experience of how peoplebehave at work. This is where manyadvanced students begin their extendedprojects, working alongside localentrepreneurs and University of Cumbriagraduates who have started their ownbusinesses.

05

SIXTH FORM

GETTING READY FOR WORK

Many youngpeople work in our shops

and businesses while theyare studying. We keenly support all

efforts to assist them in developing thepersonal skills that make them more

effective employees andbeer informed consumers.

“

”David Jackson, CommercialDirector, The LanesShopping Centre

06

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

Whatever path you take, we want you to beenterprising: independent, resilient, flexible,creative and good at problem-solving. Allour students are. Recently our teamreached the regional finals of the YoungEnterprise competition. Cumbria Chamberof Commerce recognise our strength ineducating youngsters about work andbusiness: they named us Cumbria’s firstYoung Chamber and we work very closelywith them. If you want to be a youngentrepreneur, we’ll encourage you but we’llalso give you access to business andprofessional advice, a business mentor,serviced offices and help in applying forfunding.

The individual approachEveryone has slightly different needs,depending on their achievements, abilitiesand ambitions. Your parents and yourpersonal tutor can help sort out what youneed. We also offer specific support if youneed it.Gifted and talented students are mentoredby the Deputy Principal, Mrs Alexander. Shelooks after Oxbridge and veterinary scienceor medical school applications, specialopportunities and Aim Higher activities. Ifyou demonstrate a particular gift, weengage all the support and encouragementwe can muster to give you that extra boost.If you need extra training or tuition outsidethe Academy, we can make individual,flexible arrangements.Students with a statement of educationalneed (SEN) are supported by a dedicatedsixth-form SEN teacher and the learningsupport staff, who understand sixth-formers’ need for greater independencealongside extra support.

ENTERPRISE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Richard Rose’s new sixth form isdesigned to develop the focussed andmotivated individuals universities arelooking for. We are pleased to be apartner and delighted to welcome suchstudents to the University of Cumbria

“

”Liz Beaty - Director of Academic Practiceand Partnership, University of Cumbria

Extra-curricular activitiesEducation is for life, and sixth form is not just about classwork and qualifications. It is atime for developing new interests, trying out new hobbies, exploring new ideas andgradually taking up the responsibilities and privileges of adulthood. We’d hate to see youdo nothing but work!We have really good sports facilities – all-weather sports pitches, swimming pools andgyms. Our teams do well in football tournaments, badminton competitions, women’srugby, gymnastics, fell running and many other physical activities such as Duke ofEdinburgh Awards and Community Youth Sports Leadership awards.You can have fun too. Many of our students enjoy getting involved in music, dance anddrama. Among the high points of the year are the sixth-form pantomime and the end-of-year ball, organised by students with a real flair for having a good time.On a more serious note, students are naturally interested in social issues. You can getinvolved in activities like fair trade, Amnesty International, Millennium Volunteers,supporting an orphanage in India or mentoring younger pupils at Richard Rose or localprimary schools. This is practical citizenship, which we encourage.Educational visits are a feature of the academic year. They can be subject-specific fieldtrips, theatre and concert visits, trips to art galleries and museums, attendance atconferences organised by the university, master classes or overseas visits, most recentlyto Goa and Auschwitz.

Sixth-form conferencesAdulthood is not just a matter of age. You are going to be a citizen, not just an employee,so we are keen to see you begin to take a full part in the life of your community, yourcountry and your world. To get you started, we hold a conference every term to help youexplore new ideas and experiences.The conference lasts a whole day and takes place at the University of Cumbria’sLearning Gateway. The idea is to give you experience of the kind of academic orbusiness event you might find yourself at, a few years from now. Each conference hasa topic that links to an aspect of your life beyond sixth form.

The 2009–10 topics are:● Learning to Learn: self-knowledge, self-motivation and study skills● Cultural Carlisle: cultural activities and organisations operating in our city● Making Money Make Sense: managing your finances effectively

In 2010–11 we repeat Learning to Learn and build on this with:● Health and Happiness: maintaining your own physical, psychological and

emotional well-being● Personal Safety: maintaining your safety at home, at work and in the wider world

Conferences are very practical. They are organised around 30-minute workshops, ledby outside bodies that are experts on the topic. You are invited to try out new activitiesand ideas, and then to consider how you might use them in your own life. Tutors andmentors take part alongside students. It can be fun learning a new skill together,especially if you can do some things better than your teachers! But that’s important too.Doing things together can be a powerful bond, because you see each other in a newlight, with new respect.The conference days are timed to give youan incentive, reward or boost at a criticalpoint in the academic year – immediatelyafter the January mocks, for instance.

07

SIXTH FORM

THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN WORK

EXAMS AND COURSEWORKPublic examinations take place in November, January and May. In Year 12 you usuallytake your exams in May – this gives you time to prepare for an exam in a new subjector at advanced level, or both. We hold internal, mock exams in all subjects in January,so you know what sixth-form exams are like and we can assess whether you are ontarget for the grades you want. Then, having seen what you need to do, you and we canwork in a very focused way to prepare for the May exams.If you did not gain a good grade in GCSE English Language and Maths, those resits takeplace in November. You can resit GCSE Science if you are considering a career path thatrequires this qualification. If you wish to improve a Year 12 exam mark, we support youin resitting exams in the January of Year 13.Coursework is treated with the same respect as exams; all deadlines for coursework aretaken extremely seriously. Quite apart from satisfying the examination body’s regulations,we view coursework as giving you a chance to demonstrate that important ability: todeliver a work project on time.The extended projectThis can be a piece of research, something you make, field study or a performance. Aswith an exam, we help you prepare, but the resultis all your own work. It is worthhalf an A-level, with a grade andUCAS points.

WHERE WILL I STUDY?The sixth-form suitesWe are moving into two brand-new buildings, due for completion in 2010–11. As wellas the most up-to-date equipment and environment for learning, each building hasspace dedicated to sixth-form study.Our philosophy is that, as a senior member of the academy, you should be a visible rolemodel for younger students. So the sixth-form accommodation, although separate, isvisible from every part of the building. Each sixth-form suite has seminar rooms,laboratories, board rooms, private study areas, common rooms and catering. Of courseeach academy also has subject-specialist equipment and learning spaces where youcan demonstrate your leadership qualities in real learning situations.Travel between campusesSome of your teaching takes place at our Lismore Place campus, and some at WigtonRoad. This allows us to make best use of the specialist facilities in each of our newbuildings and ensures that you can benefit from all four of our specialisms. It also meansyou begin to develop some of the independence needed to prosper at university and inthe workplace.There is a free bus service between our two campuses for staff and students, threetimes a day: first thing in the morning, at lunchtime and at the end of the day. We haveadjusted sixth-form lunchtimes and bus times to ensure that you have plenty of time toeat and still be in time for the start of your next class.

08

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

The Code of ConductWe are very clear that a sixth-form college is preparing you for the independence andresponsibilities of adult life. As you mature into an adult, it is part of our job to help youdevelop the work habits and disciplines that will stand you in good stead as an undergraduateor employee. To that end, like any other workplace, we have a code of conduct.Full details of the student code of conduct are on our website, and we explain them to youat your induction, but these are the main features:

09

SIXTH FORM

OUR EXPECTATIONS OF YOU

� Attendance - We only offer full-timeplaces, so you must attend the academyall day and every day of term time,including trips, visits and work experience,unless your parents/carers give us a goodreason in writing for your absence.Routine appointments that can bearranged outside the academy day, paidemployment, driving lessons and drivingtheory tests are not good reasons forabsence.

� Punctuality - You are required to reachyour classes on time, with the correctequipment and materials, havingcompleted any preparation set by thetutor and being fully ready to learn.

� Deadlines - You are expected to submitall work in time to meet the deadlines setby your tutors. It is possible to negotiatean extension in advance of the deadline,but only in exceptional circumstances (ifyou have been ill or suffered seriousinterruption to your studies).

� Homework - We expect intermediatestudents to do 15 hours a week ofindependent study; advanced studentsare expected to do 5 hours a weekoutside class for each qualification theytake. That will usually add up to 20 hoursof independent study per week. You cando your homework or private study at theUpgraders’ Club, before or after eachworking day.

� Employment - We recognise the valueof part-time jobs, but there has to be abalance. If you are in full-time education,you cannot also be in substantial, term-time employment: so you must not domore than 10 hours’ paid work per weekin term time and you must not do any paidwork during the academies’ working day.

� Dress - You can wear your own clothes,provided they are not likely to causeoffence through inappropriate slogans orinadequate coverage.

ParentsSupportive parents are a student’s topasset: they make all the difference. So wemaintain close connections with yourparents through your personal tutor, not justat parents’ evenings and in reports.Even if we’ve met your parents before, weinvite them to our parents’ induction meetingin September. This is their chance to meetyour personal tutor, who will phone yourparents during the first few weeks of term tolet them know how you are settling in to sixthform. All parents have the personal tutor’scontact number and e-mail address so theycan talk about how you are getting on.

TutorsYou will have a personal tutor, who looksafter your interests and keeps an eye onyour behaviour and progress. You and yourtutor meet one-to-one throughout the year:they offer advice and guidance to keep youon track; you talk about your concerns. Yourtutor gets feedback from work placementsand mentors, so they are constantly awareof your progress and work with you to adjustand update your personal plan. Yourrelationship with them is vital, and tutors willcomment on it in references to employersand universities.Route leaders are responsible forcoordinating everything students on thatroute need to be successful. In many waysthey are like heads of year at the CentralAcademy or guidance leaders at the MortonAcademy.

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

PASTORAL CARE

The sixth formconferences are a brilliant

opportunity for students to gain verywide experience of organisations andactivities outside of their studies. I

really enjoyed being part of the day andwish this sort of event had been on offer

when I was a sixth former

“

”

10

Karen Bassett – EnterpriseManager, University of Cumbria

11

SIXTH FORM

The entry criteriaUnlike most schools, the Richard Rose sixth form has no entry criteria; our policy isopen access. Instead, we have entry criteria for specific courses and levels of studywithin each route. Were your GCSE grades not as good as you hoped? Do you wantto strengthen your qualifications and move to advanced study? You can.Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and every student develops at their own speed. Whatmatters is where you’re going. First our advice and guidance team talk to you aboutyour aims, ambitions and hopes, and how we can best help. Then, together with you,we plan a route to your destination.You spend one, two or three years with us, steadily gathering the experience andqualifications you will need at your planned destination, while we keep checking withemployers, colleges or universities that the plan is still going to help you get you whereyou want to go, making any adjustments necessary along the way.

Booking your placeThis is how you enrol in our sixth form:1 Fill in the application form at the back of this prospectus and hand it in – to MrStainton if you are a Morton Academy student, to Mrs Slater if you are a CentralAcademy student. In all other cases, post it to Applications, Richard Rose SixthForm College, Lismore Place, Carlisle, CA1 1LX. Alternatively you cancomplete an on-line application form at www.richardroseacademies.org

2 Come to a guidance interview (we will fix a date) to discuss your plans with one ofthe sixth-form team and make your first choice of route. At the end of this interview,your place is booked.

3 Attend the induction days after your GCSE exams. This is your chance to try sometaster lessons in your route, talk to some employers and university lecturers andspend time with your route leader, so you can decide if this is really the right routefor you. It is possible to change your mind at this point.

4 Once your GCSE results are published in August, when we confirm which pathyou are enrolled on, you confirm which options you are choosing.

EARNING A PLACE

11

This sixth form is genuinely inspirational.There are important lessons for the wholeof Cumbria in what Richard Rose has tosay. I do hope the enthusiasm will lead tojoined up thinking across the County...youcan lead by example.

“

”Roger Liddle, Chair ofCumbria Vision

12

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

YOUNG CHAMBERCumbria Chamber of Commerce are pleased to work very closely with the Richard RoseSixth Form College as our Young Chamber base in Carlisle. We know that businessesoften criticise schools for producing young people unsuitable for employers’ needs andyoung people for not having the attitudes and skills they are looking for. That’s why wehave developed the Young Chamber.

Young Chamber is all about helping and encouraging young people aged 14-19 yearsto become more entrepreneurial, to understand business, develop appropriate skillsand see the opportunities open to them in the future. We completely agree with thephilosophy behind the Richard Rose Sixth Form and are very pleased to be workingtogether.

Young Chamber will put you in touch with real employers, giving you a voice and say inthe way in which you and Carlisle’s business community interact with each other. Theday-to-day management of the sixth form’s Young Chamber is undertaken by students,via an elected Young Chamber School Council.

Why Young Chamber?As you start to think about your working life after sixth form it’s essential to getinformation and talk to people about what you’d like to do. Young Chamber gives youaccess to thousands of businesses in your area – allowing you to meet, talk and find outinformation directly from employers.

The British Chambers of Commerce supports all school Young Chambers.

Young Chamber is a pioneering development: one that is a leading example of howbusinesses and young people can work together to everyone’s bene1t. Anenterprising mindset – a ‘can-do’ aitude – and an interest in business areessential for every young person and Young Chamber is delivering this. Asbusinesses, we recognise that young people are our future employees, so we havea responsibility and an interest in working with them locally, showing them thegreat opportunities available in their own communities and helping them todevelop the skills they will need in the workplace. Young Chamber is ideallypositioned to do this and provides us all with an inspiring example of relevant,engaging and locally-based enterprise education.

“

”says David Frost, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce.

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SIXTH FORM

YOUNG ENTERPRISE NORTH WESTCOMPANY PROGRAMMEStudents will� Set up a company for one academic year� Work together to elect a board, raise capital and sell products and services toconsumers

� Be encouraged to face real problems with real money� Be led through this unique experience by a volunteer from business� Compete with other companies from local to European level.

Visit www.YoungEnterpriseNW.org for local contact details.

� An excellent method of preparation for young people as they enter the world of work� An approach to equip young people with the skills that aid post-education success� By running a real company over one year, young people gain a real business experience� They are supported by a volunteer business adviser from the local community� Company Programme can run successfully both inside and outside school hours� Young people are provided with a unique insight and understanding of the real businessworlds

� Young people can earn distinction from their peers and gain a very real difference inemployment opportunities

� An end-of-year opportunity to compete against other groups from the local area toEuropean level

� The opportunity to complete an optional OCR qualification

Company Programme was really hard work but worth every minute. It helpedme make choices for my future and learn from my mistakes.

Ben, Area winner 2006

“ ”

TERM DATES 2010/2011

14

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

AUTUMN TERM 2010Monday 6th September 2010 to Friday 17th December inclusiveHalf term Monday 25th October to Friday 29th inclusive.

SPRING TERM 2011Start Wednesday 5th January 2011 to Friday 8th April inclusive.Half term Monday 21st February to Friday 25th inclusive.

SUMMER TERM 2011Start Wednesday 27th April 2011 to Friday 22nd JulyMay Bank Holiday, Monday 2nd May 2011Half term Monday 30th May to Friday 3rd June

15

SIXTH FORM

� Accounting

� Art and Design

� Biology

� Business Studies

� Chemistry

� Communications Studies

� Economics

� Engineering

� English Language and Literature

� English Literature

� Environmental Science

� Ethics and Religion

� Geography

� German

� History

� Information Technology

� Law

� Maths

� Music

� Music Technology

� Performing Arts

� Photography

� Physics

� Politics

� Product Design

� Psychology

� Sociology

� Sports Science

� Textiles

� World Development

FREE CHOICE A LEVELSOur free choice A levels currently include

If there is a subject you are interested in that is not on this list, tell usabout it when we meet you at your guidance interview. We will do ourbest to help you.

16

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

NOTES

17

SIXTH FORM

BOOK YOUR PLACE IN SIXTH FORM NOW

�

First Name Second Name

Head of Year/ Guidance Leader Form Tutor/Guidance Mentor

Home Address

Home Phone Number

Parent Phone Number

GCSEs already taken GCSEs or other qualifications to be taken in Summer 2010

Subject Grade Subject Grade

Mobile phone Number

Current Academy or School

(if you are a Richard Rose Academy Student, there is no need to complete this section)

(Don’t forget to tell us which parent owns this phone!)

18

2010/11 PROSPECTUS

�

Pathway applied for

What are your career or long term plans?

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Signature

Date

Tell us why you think this is the pathway for you.

19

SIXTH FORM

NOTES

Please note: some images courtesy of CN Group

Lismore Place Campus, Carlisle CA1 1LX • info@rrsf.org.uk • www.richardroseacademies.org • 01228 822 076 / 822 077