Entry into Year 13 for Existing Students
Ashbourne is a selective College committed to educating students who want to be taught in a university-style environment that engenders independent learning. We are committed to students who are willing to go the ‘extra mile’ to improve their performance. The spirit of this policy is to ensure that students entering Year 13 are committed to do well academically, have the potential to achieve at least ‘B’ grades in their final A level exams and adhere to our Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy.
Students who continue into Year 13 at Ashbourne must achieve a minimum of three C grades in their Year 12 results and consistently adhere to rules and regulations set out within the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy . Students are expected to follow Ashbourne’s Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy throughout the year and any disciplinary action resulting from violations of this policy will be reviewed as a condition of entry into Year 13.
The following should be noted in relation to the Entry into Year 13 for Existing Students Policy:
1) The three C grades rule (CCC rule) does not apply to subjects for which students do not require regular tuition from Ashbourne teachers throughout the academic year to gain a qualification (e.g. an A level in their own language).
2) The College does not distinguish between internal and external assessments for the end of Year 12 examinations.
3) In cases where students are unable to sit one or more of the end of Year 12 examinations, Ashbourne will consider the student’s performance throughout the academic year.
4) If students do not gain CCC or if they have consistently violated the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy, they will have to re-apply to continue into Year 13. The key rules within the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy are as follows:
a) Attend all classes on time (must be above 90% attendance and fewer than a total of 250 late minutes).
b) Submit all homework, coursework, mocks and assignments to the best of the student’s ability and on time.
c) Show commitment to their studies inside and outside of the classroom – all Ashbourne students are expected to actively engage during lessons, and work in a manner that does not disrupt the class.
d) Respect fellow students and members of staff.
e) Conform to the “General Rules” set out within the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy.
5) Students who are required to re-apply to enter Year 13 will have to:
a) Put their request in writing by completing the Application Form for Progress from Year 12 to Year 13 no later than 31 August, and send their application directly to the Head of Sixth Form.
6) Ashbourne will consider a number of different factors when deciding whether a student should be permitted to enter Year 13, which include the following:
a) By how much the student missed the CCC grade requirement (CDD vs EEU/UUU).
b) Their commitment to the Summer Programme (see point 9) if applicable.
c) Their ambition to do well with their A level studies and their intention to obtain a university place at a top-ranking UK university.
d) Their compliance with the rules set out within the Student Behaviour and Exclusions Policy including any suspensions.
e) Whether they can adjust their study programme (e.g. focus on only two subjects in order to apply for an art foundation course).
f) Their attitude at the re-application meeting, including whether they arrive late to the meeting.
g) The quality of their Application Form for Progress from Year 12 to Year 13, which they will have to submit prior to the meeting.
h) The start date of their Year 12 students may have started after the beginning of term in September and this might have impacted their ability to achieve the best possible results at the end of year examination.
i) Any stipulations made within the student’s offer letter to Ashbourne.
7) A decision about their re-application into Year 13 will be made within five working days. The outcomes include the following:
a) Repeating Year 12
This will be the case in the following scenarios:
i) Where the students admit that they find the transition from GCSE to Year 12 too difficult and wish to repeat Year 12 as an opportunity to start with a renewed dedication or new subjects.
ii) The College refuses progression to Year 13 because Year 12 results are below the CCC threshold.
iii) The College recommends this course of action because the student is aspiring to gain entry into a top-ranking university and despite reasonable Year 12 results, the College believes that it is in the best interest of the student to repeat Year 12 to maximise their chances of gaining entry into such a university.
b) Continuation into Year 13 without condition.
c) Continuation into Year 13 with condition.
Conditions could include:
i) Achieving a minimum standard within the HT1 internal mocks that will take place in October of Year 13. Failing to meet the agreed standard, usually BBB, will mean that the student will have to return to Year 12.
ii) Discontinuing a subject to focus on fewer subjects (e.g. three subjects instead of four) and/or taking an additional subject (usually a native language) that is more compatible with the student’s strengths.
iii) Adjusting a student’s university pathway – This could include agreeing to delay submitting the UCAS application until the student has been able to achieve the equivalent of their expected predicted grades within the mock examination performance for either HT1 or HT2 assessments.
iv) There are circumstances in which, on the basis of a student’s performance up to that point, we will not be able to predict in his or her UCAS application the grades required by a top-ranking university. In these cases the student would need to delay their application to such a university until after they have achieved these grades in their A levels. In these cases, the student would need to take a Gap Year, when Ashbourne would offer support to the student during the completion of the university application.
v) Taking individual tuition to improve performance.
d) Refusal into Year 13 and no option to repeat
This might be for the following reasons:
i) The re-entry team felt that the attitude of the student at the re-application meeting was not in line with the expectations of the College. In these cases, students would usually be given a second opportunity to present their case.
ii) After carefully reviewing the student’s re-application, Ashbourne did not think that returning to Ashbourne would be beneficial to the student and/or that the student re-joining either year group would have a negative impact on the learning of other students.
iii) The student’s academic level was too low and due to their visa restrictions the student was unable to repeat Year 12.
8) Note that students who are refused entry into Year 13 and subsequently do not wish to repeat Year 12, will not be liable for the fees for the subsequent academic year.
9) Depending on students’ progress in Year 12, for particular subjects they may be asked to attend the Ashbourne Summer Study Programme. The subjects include the following:
The College uses the Ashbourne Summer Study Programme period to set work that will help prepare students for Year 13. Year 12 students who have a ‘D’ or below in one of these subjects in the HT4 working grade must enrol on to the programme. Students enrolled onto this course will not be required to remain in the UK during this period, but are expected to fully commit to the programme of work set.
Any concerns with regard to this policy should be raised with the Director of Studies. In cases when he is unavailable, this should be referred to the Deputy Heads of Sixth Form.
Download Progression Application for Existing Students here