Welcome from the Principal
Our sixth form prepares you to gain a place at a top university and be hugely successful once you are there. We provide a nurturing, positive and aspirational environment where you can develop the academic mastery and confidence to excel at university and beyond.
What does it take to provide this outstanding education? First and foremost, it is remarkable teachers who prepare superb lessons every day. The teachers at King Solomon Academy are transformational educators, who go above and beyond to ensure you achieve your ambitions: you will be led and taught by some of the best teachers in the country.
We provide a range of exceptional opportunities to prepare you for university success, including The Access Project, where you receive a one-to-one tutor, from a profession of your choice, matched to your interests. You'll have the opportunity to go on national and international trips, as well as take part in a range of exciting programmes including volunteering, sports and more. You'll also receive exceptional support when making your university application.
We expect you to be role models and leaders in our school community, which ranges from three to eighteen years old. By being part of the prefect system, as well as embracing the privileges and responsibilities associated with sixth form study, we ask you to be prepared to contribute to society whilst you are at King Solomon Academy and beyond.
We’re very excited to be sharing this journey to university with you.
Welcome from the Sixth Form Leadership
King Solomon Academy exists to ensure that students from our community, no matter what their background, are able to access - and be successful at - the best universities in the UK and beyond.
Our whole school, from Nursery through to Sixth Form, aims to provide a world-class education that allows our students to compete for the best places to work and study in the future. We are a small school with year groups of around 60 students. Our small size means that every student receives individual support from committed teachers who understand their needs and are able to give the time and attention to help them achieve success. Our Sixth Formers are the role models for the rest of the school, and we are incredibly proud of fine young adults who lead our school’s culture and foster the aspirations of younger KSA students.
We have a unique and personalised Sixth Form offer that provides a stimulating, nurturing and aspirational environment to allow students to successfully make the transition from GCSE success to university entry. We do this through five key themes:
Academic Excellence – our exceptional teachers and our whole-commitment to academic rigour ensure that quality teaching and learning, together with hard work from students, is at the centre of everything we do.
Subject Passion – we know that at Sixth Form and university, students who are not interested in their subjects will not be successful. Whether inside or outside of lessons, we provide students with the opportunities to develop a deep interest in their subjects that goes beyond studying a syllabus for a set of exams.
University Readiness – rarely a day goes by at KSA sixth form where students don’t receive some sort of formal or informal support around university preparation. We dedicate specific periods in the timetable, go on trips and residential visits, and provide one-to-one support to ensure our students feel ready to apply to and succeed at university.
Leveraging London – we are located a short bus journey away from some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Every day there are events, exhibitions and lectures happening that can improve your subject knowledge and support your university application. We aim to make the most of these opportunities and encourage you to throw yourself into everything London has to offer.
Community Engagement – Our sixth formers are the leaders and role models for our school and local community. To this end we provide lots of opportunities to volunteer and make a positive contribution to the community around you, and in turn to develop your own leadership skills.
Our mission over the next two years is to ensure that every one of you leaves KSA a well-rounded citizen, ready to be a successful undergraduate at a great university, studying a subject you love.
We hope you are ready to work harder than ever, to support one another along the way, and to keep smiling even when the pressure is on.
Above all else we advise you to work hard, and be nice.
A Levels and BTEC Level 3
We are proud to be a small school who values exceptional teaching in a carefully selected group of subjects. We only offer A level qualifications and one BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma because we believe they are the best preparation for the rigour of university study. Most pupils are expected to take three courses with BTEC extended diploma counting as the equivalent of three A levels. As A levels have moved to linear assessment and university offers are for three subjects, students are encouraged to focus on excelling in three subjects from the start. Each course is taught over six, fifty five minute lessons each. Pupils are expected to at least match those hours in independent study.
Students will follow courses that last for two years. At the end of Year 1 there will be internal examinations in A level subjects. These exams will determine students’ suitability to continue into Year 13 and will also be used to produce predicted grades to be sent to universities. BTEC students will sit two external examinations in Year 12 that do count towards their final grade – both exams must be passed for students to receive their qualification. All external exams for A level subjects will happen at the end of the second year of study and make up 100% of the final grade (except for History, English, Geography and languages which have a coursework element). BTEC students will sit another two external exams in Year 13 alongside their coursework units.
What you can expect in lessons
At King Solomon Academy Sixth Form you will have the opportunity to work with a vibrant, committed and talented group of subject specialists. Our teachers come from a variety of backgrounds and all have attended top universities and have a strong understanding of what it takes to succeed at university.
While every subject is different and takes its own approach to delivering the syllabus, you find some key themes in your sixth form lessons:
- A strong start – all of our lessons start with a ‘Do Now’ activity that ensures students learn from the first minute.
- A clear plan – students receive long term and medium term plans so they can track the sequence of lessons and ensure that all of the curriculum is being covered. In each lessons a lesson agenda is shared to show the key parts of the lesson.
- Organisation – our teachers explicitly teach students how to make notes, keep well organised and ordered subject folders and use their academic planners to map out their independent study.
- Support for independent study – we set pre-work every lesson: short 20-30 minute pre-reading and research that ensures students are ready to learn their next topic. Homework is set on a must, should, could format to allow students to understand what they can do to go above and beyond the syllabus.
- Subject passion – we have a set of teachers who love teaching their subject and who will attempt to demonstrate that passion in lessons
- Academic challenge – you will be expected to work hard in and out of lessons and questions and activities will always challenge you to reach the highest grades possible.
- Student ownership – the best learning takes when students take control of the learning process, expect to be asked your opinion and work with your colleagues in your lessons