Welcome

I am delighted to have this opportunity to introduce Haberdashers’ Adams to you and thank you for expressing an interest in our school.

 

I firmly believe that any school should be the sum of the parts. This is especially true of Adams. On the pages of this site you will hopefully get a glimpse of what we have to offer and appreciate our values and what we stand for. Our philosophy is simple and hasn’t changed much for many years: we want to develop confident, articulate young men and women who are interesting, balanced and who care for each other.

 

We think we offer an outstanding learning experience but we are so much more than just our examination results. Although we do pride ourselves on our academic success, the outcome of a school should never be measured only in statistical summaries, but rather it is the journey as well as the destination of our pupils that is key to our success. This means we focus on many aspects of the development of our young people – we recognise the importance of developing a strong sense of belonging and believe in educating the whole person and teaching traditional values. By encouraging pupils to take part in the wide variety of activities available, we can nurture their leadership qualities, promote high moral values and encourage excellent communication skills. We want our pupils to be simultaneously competitive, co-operative and caring, as this will ultimately prepare them for life.

 

At Adams we have high standards and we expect the same of our pupils; we want them to be ambitious for their own development, and apply themselves to their studies with intellectual curiosity and academic endeavour. The celebration of success is important to us and we take every opportunity to commend our pupils for their achievements, whether they be at house, school, regional or national level. Our pupils are an inspiration to others around them.

 

Education is a lifelong journey, and we have the privilege of being able to prepare young men and women for the next part of that journey. If you share our values and aims and are interested in learning more about Adams then I invite you to pay us a visit, meet some of our inspirational pupils and spend some time with us in school.

Gary Hickey
headmaster

Gary Hickey

Join us at Sixth Form

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Our Admissions Process

Haberdashers’ Adams welcomes both boys and girls into our Sixth Form, offering a warm reception to all newcomers. Every year, nearly 100 new students join our Lower Sixth from a wide variety of local schools and from further away as boarders. To apply for Sixth Form entry, Year 11 students must provide their mock GCSE exam results. Our online application form is accessible from 1st December 2023 to 7th February 2024, and you can find the link on this page when it’s open.

Offers are typically received around the end of March before the Easter holidays. If you miss the above timings or do better than expected in your GCSEs and wish to make a late application, you must submit this to the school by Monday 26th August at 4pm. You must include your GCSE Statement of Results. All late applications will be considered should places be available. The school will contact you by Wednesday 28th August if we are able to offer a place.

Open Events

We hold open events for prospective Sixth Form pupils during January. We strongly recommend attending one of these events as they are the best way to understand more about the school and whether it is the right environment for you.

If you are unable to attend our open events, please take a look around the school using our Virtual Tour at the bottom of the page.

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Curriculum

Students study three A-levels in the Sixth Form. In addition, they study one AS-level in the Lower Sixth and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in the Upper Sixth.

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A-level Subjects

Entry Requirements

All applicants will normally meet the following standards. For boarding applications, suitability for boarding will also be considered. In all cases, we treat applications individually and we may be able to offer places to students who do not quite meet these standards – our aim is to offer places to all students who we believe can benefit from a Haberdashers’ Adams Sixth Form education.

a) Obtain five GCSEs at grade 7 or above in any subjects.

b) Where A-level subjects have been studied at GCSE, obtain at least a grade 7 in their chosen subject or the most relevant related GCSE subject.

Boarding

Each year we have a number of boarding places available for boys wishing to join us in the Lower Sixth. Since no charge is made for the education at Haberdashers’ Adams, boarders pay only for the provision associated with boarding which makes it an attractive and affordable option for many families.

Please note boarding applications will be considered until 4pm on Monday 15th July 2024 for external Sixth Form applicants.

All applicants will normally meet our academic entry requirements but suitability for boarding will also be considered. In all cases, we treat applications individually – our aim is to offer places to all students who we believe can benefit from a Haberdashers’ Adams Sixth Form education.

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Register Interest

16-19 Bursary Scheme

This government scheme is available to help pupils in further education, to support and help them with costs such as transport, meals, books and equipment.

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2023-24 Application Form

Take a virtual tour

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to stick to choosing A/AS Level subjects from each of the four blocks?

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Yes, the size of our Sixth Form means we are unable to offer every possible combination however we have chosen the blocks so that the most popular combinations are available.

Can I do 4 A Levels?

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Our standard offer already means you will leave Adams with the equivalent of 4 A Levels (3 A Levels, 1 AS Level and 1 EPQ) and in our experience doing 4 full A Levels does not give a significant advantage even when applying to the most competitive universities and degree apprenticeships.

There are 2 AS Level subjects (Art and Music) which can be extended to a full A Level; the decision as to whether this is possible will be made during the Lower Sixth and will be based on the grades achieved.

Why do I have to do an AS Level?

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Completing an AS Level in your Lower Sixth not only provides you with an opportunity to broaden your studies, it also enables you to demonstrate your ability to universities and employers, so they are not just looking at your predicted grades. There are two AS Level subjects (Art and Music) which can be extended to a full A Level; the decision as to whether this is possible will be made during the Lower Sixth and will be based on the grades achieved.

What is the benefit of doing an EPQ?

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The EPQ is helpful in teaching you research and independent study skills which will be invaluable to you whatever route you chose to take after Sixth Form. The EPQ is also valued by some university admissions teams and a good grade can result in a lower A Level offer. Studying a topic you are interested in, in greater depth, also means you will have a subject you are confident and knowledgeable about to talk about during interviews.

I’m not sure I want to go to university; will you help me with different options?

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While the vast majority of our pupils go on to university we are seeing an increasing number applying for apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and going directly into the workplace. We will support you in taking whichever direction is right for you.

I don’t know anyone else applying to Adams; will I struggle to make new friends?

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The year group virtually doubles in size between Year 11 and the Sixth Form so you won’t be one of a small number of new pupils joining us and trying to fit into established friendship groups. Large number of pupils join us each year knowing nobody else in the school, the Head of Sixth Form and the Heads and Captains of each House organise a wide range of events to help everyone get to know each other and you will be amazed how quickly you will fit in and feel like you have always been part of the Adams community.

Why do I still have to do Games?

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Being a Sixth Former at Adams is different to being in Years 7-11 and you will have additional freedoms and responsibilities you may not have had before. However, we are still a school and we require Sixth Form pupils to fully participate in school life including attending assemblies and completing an afternoon of Games. Continuing to take part in physical activity is important for both your physical and mental health and is a great way to make friends.

Sixth Form Life

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Careers

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