Academic Rigour
Academic Rigour underpins our approach to A Level study.
At The Marist, highly qualified teachers with a genuine passion for their subjects work with you to ensure that you are guided and supported to excel academically. Small class sizes and a strong relationship between teacher and student allow you to benefit from individual attention and personalised support. In contrast to Years 7-11, VI Form lessons have more of a university-like tutorial feel that enable you to achieve academic success whilst preparing you for the demands of Higher Education and beyond.
The Marist VI Form’s academic programme goes well beyond the traditional three A Levels. Our students leave school and enter the world with an impressive portfolio of qualifications, and a focus on innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Our ambitious curriculum allows students to control their own learning, selecting subjects that inspire and enable them to ‘arrive ahead.’
Students studying three A Levels also have the opportunity to study the EPQ and take part in the Enrichment Programme. .
We have carefully selected an Enrichment Programme that helps our pupils to stand out from the crowd when applying for university and to develop those all-important employability skills. The Enrichment Programme includes:
- Digital Skills Qualification
- CAFOD Young Leaders
- AS Further Maths (over 2 years)
- Talented Athlete Development Programme
- The Diploma in Business French from The Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry
We also encourage all students achieving a grade 7 or above in English and Maths at GCSE to do an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which is a Level 3 Qualification that’s worth half the UCAS points of an A level. It is looked upon favourably by many universities and potential employers because it provides the opportunity for students to develop invaluable skills for life after school including project planning, research and critical thinking skills. Twice weekly skills lessons help prepare students for the demands of the EPQ and regular individual one-to-ones with EPQ teaching staff help guide them smoothly through the process.
To learn more about the subjects we offer, please see our VI Form Guide below.
MOOCs
Another component of our ambitious academic curriculum is timetabled Massive Online Open Courses or MOOCs. These courses, offered by a range of universities worldwide, challenge our pupils well beyond the A Level curriculum. VI Formers have the chance to feed their intellectual curiosity with subject matter at the forefront of contemporary academic research. Many of our students use MOOCs to delve deeper into subjects they wish to study at university, or to experience aspects of 21st century careers.
