Reasons to Choose Sixth Form at HCS

Art, Craft and Design

• Small classes; teaching is tailored to the individual to identify, foster, develop and maximise personal strengths and interests.
• Dedicated sixth form studio: students can use this during study periods, lunchtimes and after school.  This facility is also available to boarders at the weekends.
• Extra tuition is available during the lunch hour every day and after school until 5.00 pm.
• Excellent examination results.
• Every year A level students go on to Higher Education Foundation Courses in Art and Design.  The Art Department has a 100% record of placing students on Foundation Courses. 
• The Department offers individual help with Foundation Course applications, writing of Personal Statements, preparation for interview and interview portfolios.
  

• ‘A’ Level Chemistry offers great flexibility, enabling you to take the examinations on each aspect of the course as you go along.
• At HCS, classes are taught in small groups, offering much more individual attention than would otherwise be possible.
• Our aim is to make you a confident citizen of a technological world, to enable you to recognise the usefulness of the scientific method and for you to be prepared for further study. In addition, and most importantly, we want you to enjoy Chemistry!
• The Chemistry department offers you the tools to understand Chemistry, with all the help and encouragement you request.

Drama & Theatre Studies

Regular theatre trips to top venues

• Professional actors providing workshops.
• Regular opportunities to perform at HCS to an audience.
• Opportunities to create whole performances from scratch.
• Work on the technical side as well as performance.

Design & Technology (Product Design) 

• At HCS we have excellent Design Technology facilities. The recent new school expansion included a large well equipped workshop, a design studio and dedicated ICT suite.
• Our ongoing development programme includes investing in the latest CAD/CAM equipment to bring ‘real life’ technologies into the classroom. We intend to use software that is used in industry and design studios throughout the world.
• The facilities provide a spacious and inspiring environment to work and learn in to bring out students creativity by displaying design classics and new innovative products.
• Students are encouraged to use existing companies to help with their course so that the ‘real-world’ can be brought into school.

Economics

• Economics is a fascinating subject because it includes the study of how people behave and interact with each other. The dynamic between consumers, manufacturers and government makes economics a vibrant topic.
• Economics can also lead to an exciting career. If you are interested in finding out about what affects people’s demand for goods, how the economy works and how tax and exchange rates are set.
• Economics is a demanding but very rewarding subject, which should appeal to academic students. It is recommended that those considering Economics as a possible degree course, particular a BSc, should also consider studying Mathematics at A level alongside.

English Literature

• Studying English Literature in the Sixth Form at HCS will be a challenging and rewarding experience, an opportunity to encounter language and communication in its highest form.
• It will link the thrill the close textual analysis with the freedom of small group discussion.  We will study carefully selected texts in detail, we will suggest wider reading and we will encourage meticulous research.
• Above all, we aim to foster an enthusiastic, original and academic approach to the subject, building on skills used at GCSE and providing a foundation for university study.

Geography

• Geography is one of the most interesting subjects.  It is all around us; in the rock we walk on, and the towns and cities we walk in.  The possibilities for a career are endless, and taking the subject at HCS is the first step.
• Great facilities.
• Knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers.
• Small classes make for a fantastic experience throughout the course.
• Pupils will have the opportunity to experience a number of relevant field trips to Studland Bay, London and Iceland.

Government & Politics

• The department is a member of the Politics Association.
• The department belongs to the British Association for American Studies.
• We have links with the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library.
• Annual subscriptions are made for the journals Politics Review and Talking Politics.
• There is an annual trip/conference to Westminster.
• There is an annual conference on American Politics attended by 2 US Congressmen.
• We hope to repeat our trip to the United States.
• Our students have met Boris Johnson, William Hague, Tony Benn and Margaret Thatcher.
• When appropriate, Students assist in running a school election.

History

• Highly experienced teachers.
• A well-stocked library.
• An excellent range of audio-visual material.
• A chance to use and/or subscribe to specialist magazines and journals.
• Attend conferences run by university teachers, both to broaden your knowledge and give you an insight into university history.
• An opportunity to go on a major school trip to a relevant destination (previous trips include Russia, America, Poland and Germany).

Modern Foreign Language (French/German/Spanish)

• Language learning develops your study skills (ie. essay writing, research, planning).
  learning a language helps to develop your communication skills which are vital when applying for jobs.
• It gives students the flexibility to go and work abroad.
• Brtiain lags behind Europe in language learning and we need to catch up.
• Language learning promotes tolerance and understanding of different cultures.

Music and Music Technology

• The school stages musical productions, concerts, festivals, recitals and other events, all of which can ge counted towards coursework.
• The department is equipped with computers and specialist music software, including Sonar Producer and Home Studio and Sibelius.  it contains a professional quality recording studio that is accessible to all pupils, including GCSE music and music technology students.
• The smaller class sizes guarantee individual guidance and tuition.
• The department runs exciting trips and excursions ranging from London theatre visits to performing arts workshops in New York City.
• Facilities include practice rooms, a recital room, two large classrooms, a recording room, a chapel with harpsichord, a grand piano, an organ, and the Performing Arts Centre.
• Peripatetic music teachers offer lessons in voice and most instruments which can be scheduled during your free lesson times.
• Students are encouraged to practice their skills and can record themselves and friends.
• The department has a small studio with sufficient range of microphones to experiment with most recording techniques.
• Although most of our initial practice recordings take place in the departement's recital room, we often make use of the Performing Arts Centre and the Chapel because of their superior acoustic properties.  On occasions we have taken the studio out of school for location recordings.

Physical Education

• PE teachers with specific expertise in different components of the course.
• Dedicated PE classrooms with interactive whiteboards.
• A strong support network, including extra tuition at lunchtimes etc.
• Excellent sporting facilities.
• Sports academies in Cricket and Tennis.
• A mentor from the PE staff for our gifted and talented sports people, who will liaise with county/national coaches and develop a supportive programme to follow whilst at school.
• A vast programme of extra curricular sporting activities.

Physics

• Recently purpose-built laboratories.
• Enthusiastic teachers with specialist knowledge of recent development in Physics.
• Year 12 visit the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories to attend a Particle Physics Masterclass, with lectures from scientists involved in experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.  Pupils also undertake a tour of the Diamond Light Synchotron.

Religious Studies

• Small classes: which encourage maximum participation of students in an energetic and creative environment.
• Valued individuals: each student is valued for the contribution which they bring to the learning process and the individual progress which is made throughout the course.
• Teacher contribution: is at a high level throughout the course and subject staff are always available to offer guidance and support.  Students are encouraged to utilise this support in their quest for success.
• Course materials: are current and varied and constantly updated.  Students attend a variety of relevant courses throughout the two years of the course.
• Outstanding examination results: 100% A-B grades in 2007 (one student attaining 100% on one of the papers) and 100% A-C grades in 2008 (one student attaining 100% on one of the papers).