Sixth Form At Canford

At Canford, we have taught A levels for many years.  For us, the excitement of A level teaching remains undimmed and we believe that there are huge challenges in mastering the content of any of the A levels we offer.  The A* grade, introduced in 2010, provides a real and demanding target for the most able.

At Canford, we offer sixth form courses that lead in most subjects to an A level. A levels are taught in units or modules, and for most subjects two units are taken in the Lower Sixth, contributing to an AS level, and another two in the Upper Sixth. At present, four subjects (Spanish, French, German, and Art) are taught as Pre-U qualifications, which can be taken alongside A levels in other subjects, and leads to UCAS points in the same way as do A levels.It is normal to take four AS levels in the Lower Sixth, dropping one after a year to take just three A2s. In general terms, the top Universities are more interested in depth than breadth, and although there are some cases where it is appropriate to take five
AS levels, this is not usually recommended unless the fifth is Further Maths.

In the Lower Sixth year pupils usually choose four subjects to study at AS level. On rare occasions a pupil may take just three, and perhaps more often five: but unless one of the subjects is Further Maths, we actively discourage taking more than four subjects in the Lower Sixth.

Instead, more able pupils are encouraged to study in greater depth one or more of their AS subjects, perhaps extending their work with a research-based essay or enriching their learning through the Pi groups that meet weekly in most subjects.

Key

* Group 5 does not appear in the Upper Sixth timetable. If a subject taken in Group 5 is to be continued into the second year, the remaining choices must be such as to make it possible to transfer the subject to one of the first four groups.Spanish Group 5 will move to Group 1, and French Group 5 will move to Group 4, in the Upper Sixth.

# These subjects are offered as a Pre-U course.

* These subjects may be moved to accommodate demand.

† If Further Maths is required, then Maths must be chosen in Group 4. Further Maths can be taken in any of the other subject groups. If Further Maths is chosen then five AS subjects should be selected.