ACADEMIC EXPERTISE
We pride ourselves on our academic success within the Sixth Form. Our girls aim high and achieve excellent results. The wide range of subject choices, taught by dedicated subject specialists, ensures that we support your interests and your potential career path.
We offer a fantastic range of 28 subject choices, taught by dedicated subject specialists, ensures that we support your interests and your potential career path. You will experience a greater freedom and enjoy studying subjects that genuinely interest you, in smaller classes, while forming more mature relationships with your teachers who will support you every step of the way.
We aren’t just focused on academic success. We also want you to learn how to think, to be inquisitive so that we set you up for a lifetime of thinking critically to help your future career path. Seminar style lessons and independent learning not only help prepare you for university, but also create motivated learners.
Academic pathways
We offer a broad range of subjects at Sydenham High School and students choose one of the pathways below:
Pathway 1: Three A Levels + Extended Project Qualification
Pathway 2: Four A Levels
Pathway 3: Four A Levels + Extended Project Qualification
Our Sixth Form offering is separated into three strands: Personal Development, Academic Expertise and Future Pathways.
A Levels allow students to focus on the subjects they wish to understand in greater depth. Smaller class sizes allow for more seminar style learning which challenges student understanding, alongside providing a platform for more independent study. Other qualifications also count toward UCAS points such as Grade 8 Music or a LAMDA discipline, a gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as well as the gold Crest Science Award.
The EPQ
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a Level 3 stand alone academic qualification, equating to half an A Level. It is an independent research project, guided by an experienced supervisor, and enables students to develop skills in the areas of problem-solving, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis evaluation and public speaking. Highly regarded by both universities and employers, many Russell Group universities take the EPQ into account as part of their holistic assessment of a student’s UCAS application.
Recent topics include: the Ebola outbreak, individual privacy legislation and the impact of Nazi Germany on the Bauhaus School. The independent research can be submitted in the form of an academic report of 5000 words or an artefact or product alongside a 2000 word essay. All students finish their EPQ by giving a 15 minute presentation followed by a question and answer session.
Students who do the EPQ also find that the skills are transferable to their other subjects and recent research has shown that students who complete the EPQ enhance their chances of achieving an A*-B in their other A Levels by 29%.
Year 12
Advanced Electives
Developing interests outside of the A Level curriculum is vital in helping to shape curious young people. Our enrichment programme offers a variety of courses that allow you to learn new skills or try an activity that challenges you physically or mentally. There is a wealth of courses available to you including political awareness, photography, first aid, rock climbing and sign language to name a few.
We operate an Advanced Electives Series in partnership with Dulwich College and JAGS. Electives run at Dulwich College and Sydenham High School and there are a plethora of options to choose from such as Anatomical Studies, Debunking medical myths: from stem cells to superheros and Architectural History.
Dulwich College student
