Dear Sixth Form Applicant,
A warm welcome to all students who have applied to join Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Sixth Form in September. This area of the website is dedicated to you and the information included applies equally to students who are currently at BVGS and those of you that have applied from different Secondary Schools.
The Induction process has two distinct phases.
This area of the website has a number of sections:
We hope that these transition materials will both prepare and enthuse you for the prospect of studying A Levels. These are recommended for all applicants and provide a useful insight into A Level study. For those who are successful with their application for the Bishop Vesey’s Sixth Form, subject teachers are likely to want to discuss or look at this work at the beginning of the course in September.
Wednesday 6th September
This part of the Induction, which will take place at BVGS, will be for students who have accepted our “formal offer of study” based on their GCSE results as per Thursday 24th August 2023. Most importantly, the induction day will provide you with an opportunity to meet other students from Year 12. You will also have the chance to learn find out key information and learn about opportunities available in different aspects of ‘Sixth Form Life’ at BVGS.
Full details of the Induction day will be circulated as soon as we have confirmation of your place in our Sixth Form.
We look forward to working with you.
Dr L. Rackham (Head of Sixth Form, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School)
Transition work should be completed before your first day of school in September and handed into the first lesson of each chosen subject.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a Level 3- Advanced qualification which you can study in addition to your other A-levels. It provides you with an opportunity to extend your syllabus, stand out and prepare for your university or your future career. It can also be used to earn extra UCAS points.
EPQ is an independent research projected completed during Y12. The choice of topic is entirely up to you: it can be an extension of your A-level studies or an area of personal interest outside your studies.
If you would like to do the EPQ, you must select this option on our Co-curricular offer. You will have fortnightly timetabled lessons to guide you through the process. However, it is important to be aware that the bulk of the work for EPQ will be completed independently.
Before September, please complete the following tasks:
IMPORTANT – Please keep all your EPQ planning work and research as this will help when you start the course in September.
Completing EPQ can be a very rewarding process which will help you develop a range of skills, including decision making, problem solving and time management. The skills you develop will not only help improve your A Level performance but increase your confidence in terms of future study and career development.
If you have any queries please email a.freer@bishopveseys.bham.sch.uk
“While EPQ was more work than I initially expected, it was definitely worthwhile because it has really helped me develop research and writing skills which will be valuable to my A-level studies in Y13 as well as at university.”
“The thing I loved about EPQ was being able to expand my knowledge in an area of history not covered in GCSE or A Level. Getting recognised and credited for doing it is a bonus.”
“My passion is sport so I’m glad my EPQ was in that area – I think it would get very boring and you’d find yourself struggling to be motivated if you don’t choose something you’re passionate about.”
“I didn’t expect it to, but EPQ improved my self-confidence. Knowing that I’ve completed the project by myself made me realise that I’ll be able to succeed in my other A Levels and beyond.”
“The process of completing my EPQ wasn’t easy, but I really enjoyed it because it was a subject I chose and really enjoyed researching.”
“The knowledge I’ve gained from taking EPQ is unquestionable: I feel confident that I could research and write about any topic now, and not be worried about how to go about it.”
“I was worried about being able to write 5000 about my topic, but when it came to it could have written way more!”
“I’m so glad I chose to base my EPQ on an area of football – it must be really difficult to motivate yourself if you choose something you’re not genuinely interested in.”
“Choosing to go down the artefact route rather than write a 5000 report was perfect for me – I’m quite a creative person so being able to make something suited me much more than just writing about it.”
“Doing EPQ has made me much more organised – you can’t leave it until the night before the deadline to write 5000 words. You need to plan and prioritise carefully.”
“I loved the challenge of doing EPQ and am glad I’ve got a good knowledge base for an academic discussion when I start applying to universities in Y13.”
