Rosie’s blog: Reflections on the Harris Academy Sixth Form
Date posted: 02-08-2012
Blog: By Rosie Sparrow
Everyone was nervous about starting a new sixth form or college; however the students at the Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (HACH) Sixth Form seemed to have more to feel anxious about. Not only did we not have a building but this was also the first year of sixth for at the school.
With a range of subjects being offered everyone experienced sixth form at HACH here in a different way. There were a few teething problems at the start (including a bunch of near year 12’s trying to figure out how to open a combination padlock; log in to the new email software and getting their heads round what they need to do for A-Level) however these seemed to be resolved fairly quickly, even if it was only for a couple of weeks at a time! Not having our own building wasn’t a big problem as originally thought. Due to our timetables they managed to fit everyone in (even if it meant having a 3:45-5:20 after school lesson).
After hearing stories from students from other colleges (friend currently studying elsewhere and students who returned to HACH) I think that the teachers and the school are very supportive. They all pushed us at GCSE to do the best we could and this didn’t change at A-Level. All the teachers have our best interests at heart and helped prepare us as much as possible for our exams.
No matter where you go, you will always hear different things from students as everyone reacts in different ways. Personally, my experience was a good one. I don’t think I could have done as well as I have (or hope I have done) anywhere else. All of my teachers gave me the right support in every area. I don’t think the next lot of year 12’s will regret coming to HACH – although they may get a shock with the business wear and how different A-Level is to GCSE.
Despite everyone’s different experiences the one thing we all agree on is how fast the year went. So much to do in so little time – even if you don’t realise it.
Here’s some tips for any newcomers…
Deadlines are important, try and get everything done on time (or even better, early)!
Even if it helped you at GCSE, don’t leave revision until the last minute! A-Level topics are larger than GCSE topics so you won’t have enough time to revise them all.
You MUST read the texts for your subjects! Especially English Literature, you need to do a lot of outside reading in order to get the best grades at A-Level.
Follow the dress code otherwise you will feel the wrath of the heads of Sixth Form. They have vowed to be tougher after many people tried to push it this year.
Sort out your work experience as quickly as possible. If you’re without work experience you will have to carry on coming into school doing dull jobs for the teachers.
If you plan on going to university start looking straight away, you may find there are things you didn’t even know about which are very important. You are guided in your PSHE lessons on what to do so if you’re not sure, don’t worry!
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