As an A Level student at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, you can expect to work in a professional environment that will challenge you and encourage you to succeed. We pride ourselves on a high standard of student work and high levels of achievement. You will work with a committed and experienced staff team who are experts in their fields. Whilst developing your knowledge and skills, you will get all the help, guidance and support you need from a team of staff who are fully committed to your development and success.

What will my programme of study include?

• A full time A Level programme normally includes 3 or 4 AS Level subjects.
• Tutorial provision: you will have regular one-to-one meetings with a personal tutor who will supervise your programme and help you to set targets for improvement.
• Development of essential IT skills
• Advanced Study Skills classes to help you develop your writing and thinking skills
• Individual timetables may also include extra study support sessions if appropriate.
• Enrichment opportunities (e.g. residential trips)

Which subjects can I study at college?

What can I expect from college?
All of our teachers are specialist A Level teachers: they all know the exam requirements and how to ensure students get the very best grades. Many of our teachers are examiners for national exam boards. In all of our classrooms we hope you will find a real love for learning, and that this will inspire you to go further and study at university. You will also have a personal tutor supervising your programme, and meeting with you regularly to make sure you are getting on well.

What will be expected of me?
We expect all our A Level students at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College to have high expectations of themselves and to approach their studies in a professional, mature and positive way. Our expectations are simple and clear. If you study at OCVC you will attend all classes, get there on time, and hand in all your homework. If you stick to those simple conditions you will enjoy the course and succeed; if you don't you will be asked to leave.

Will I get regular feedback on my progress?
You will receive a brief progress report every 3 weeks, and every 6 weeks this will be sent home to parents. You will get a more substantial report once a term and you will have a chance to talk through this report with all of your teachers.

Will I get any support?
You will have a personal tutor who will supervise your programme. Your tutor will help you confirm your subject choices when you start the course, will meet you every month to review your progress, and will help you apply for university. We check all our students' writing skills and numerical skills at the start of the year, and some of our students get extra 1-1 support in these areas.

Will my parents be kept informed on my progress?
Parents receive a brief progress report every 6 weeks, and a detailed report once a term. Parents will be given contact details (phone number and email) for your personal tutor at the start of the year, and there will be a chance to meet teachers face to face in a parents evening midyear. Our experience is that when parents are supporting students in their studies they tend to do better, so we do our best to keep parents well informed on how things are going.

What are the A Level exam results like?
Last year most students passed their A levels (95%) and the majority gained high grades (70% A-C)

How do I apply to be an A Level student at OCVC?
Application forms can be found at the back of our Full-time Prospectus.
Once we have received your application form you will be invited to interview. The interview is an opportunity for us to find out a little more about you, and for you to get more details and information from us. If the interview is successful, you will be made an offer of a place on our A Level programme.

What GCSE Grades do I need to get on the A Level Programme at OCVC?
To study 3 AS/A Levels you need 35 points
To study 4 AS/A Levels you need 39 points

In addition most subjects have specific subject requirements, which you will be told about when you come for interview. For example to do any Science A Level you need at least a B grade in GCSE double science.

If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS level 6.0 or equivalent.

To calculate your GCSE Points Score use the following table:

Work out your points score based on your 7 best GCSE grades.

What if my predicted grades are not good enough?
If your predicted grades are not good enough for A Levels, you will need to look at alternative courses. National Diploma courses usually take students with 4 C's at GCSE (subject to interview). National Diploma courses are assessed mainly through coursework, and some students find that this suits them better.

If your predicted grades are only just got good enough for A levels, we would expect you to apply for a National Diploma course as well, so you can make an informed choice.

Who can I contact if I have any further questions about A Levels?

If you have any further questions please contact:

Language Enquiries

Tina Huyghe telephone 01865 551676 or email thuyghe@ocvc.ac.uk

Oxford

Melanie Hiney telephone 01865 551203 or email ahelms@ocvc.ac.uk

Banbury

Josette O'Donnell telephone 01865 551742/01865 551537 or email jodonnell@ocvc.ac.uk