4 Study

It is widely agreed that all Post-16 students need to study for at least 30 hours a week.  This includes formal lesson time of 16 hours and at least 14 hours per week of self-managed study which includes time in-school when you do not have lessons, and time at home.  It is essential that this time is managed well, as it is necessary study time, in order to achieve the grades you aspire to in your courses. The fact that this time is labelled ‘Free Time’ on your timetable is misleading – it means you are free for self-managed study, and not free to do absolutely nothing at all!

From September 2007, you will be required to nominate 6 of your free study hours per week for concentrated study, and you must avail yourself of the study facilities available to you in order to use this time to full advantage.

Obviously, this ‘free time’ can be used effectively for some purposes other than study. For example, if you need to visit your doctor or dentist and cannot get an appointment after 3:20pm, it is preferable to use this ‘free time’ than to miss a timetabled lesson.

All students are encouraged to make full use of the study rooms available to 6^th Form students in various locations around the school, including the computer room and Study Room within the 6^th Form Study Centre, which is available for coursework and research purposes.

Students must go to lessons fully prepared, with pens, etc., and any homework, preparation work or coursework they have been asked to produce.

Occasionally, a subject teacher will not be available to take a timetabled lesson. You are now a 6^th Form student, who needs to become accustomed to self-managed study, therefore it is not deemed necessary to provide a cover teacher for this absence. If the absence is a foreseen one, your teacher will set work in advance. If the teacher’s absence is unexpected, you will need to use your initiative and judgement and study appropriately. Your teacher will need to see the work you have produced on their return.

Also, again occasionally, a teacher may be unavoidably late for a lesson. If such an occasion arises, you need to stay in your classroom for 15 minutes. If, after that time, the teacher has not arrived, you must then report to your Year Tutor, Mrs. Kirk, who will give you a self-study mark on Bromcom. This will avoid you having an unauthorised absence recorded.