Making Choices for Future Paths: Guiding IGCSE and A Level Decisions at Alice Smith School

By Nicola Howard, Vice Principal - Learning

Choosing the right subjects for GCSEs and A Levels is a pivotal moment in a student’s academic journey. It’s a decision that can shape their future pathways, influencing university choices and career opportunities. Here at Alice Smith, we recognise the significance of this process and are dedicated to providing our Year 9 and Year 11..

A Level Subject Choices: Everything You Need to Know

By Alison Cantrill, Higher Education & Careers Leader

A Level marks a key decision point in shaping your child's future pathways. Even if they are unsure about the next steps, researching before choosing the subjects is vital, as it impacts the options available later.

What are A Level and why are they important?

A Level are Level 3 qualifications that follow GCSEs / IGCSEs..

From Alice Smith to Medical School

Soo Jeong, currently a second-year medical student in King’s College London, spent two years as a Sixth Form student at Alice Smith School. She fondly recalls her time at Alice Smith as "nothing short of wonderful."

A rich environment, incredibly supportive teachers, and an extensive enrichment programme all contributed to shaping Soo Jeong in her academic journey and beyond.

Harry Wins 1st Place at the 2023 International Photography Award!

Congratulations to Harry Ho, who graduated in the summer, on winning this prestigious competition with his photo series 'One last dance.. (1952 - 2022)'. If you attended the AD@PT show last summer you may remember seeing this work on display as part of Harry's final Photography A Level submission.

Harry told us more about his success;

"This journey has been particularly..

What are A Levels in the UK?

A Levels or Advanced Levels are the passport to university entry in the UK and are also widely accepted by universities and colleges around the world. They follow GCSE qualifications and offer a higher standard in their examinations, with fewer subjects chosen for these qualifications. Students select their subjects in year 12 and go on to take the exams in year 13; these two..

What Are GCSEs in the UK?

The General Certificate of Secondary Education, more commonly known as GCSEs, are taken by students in the UK aged 14-16 years. GCSEs are taken at the end of year 11, although studies for these exams begin in year 10 (or sometimes earlier in year 9). The work is mainly a theory-based study of a subject mixed together with practical work, depending on the nature of the subject.

85% A*-A Grades for our EPQ Students

It is always wonderful to hear of the success of our EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) students and this year is no exception. We are delighted to share that an amazing 61% of students have been awarded an A*, 85% of students achieved A*- A and 90% of students achieved A*- B. We have also just had confirmation from AQA that our results now place us in the top 5% of schools..

KLASS Students on Top of the World🌏!

We were delighted to hear that three of our students have received impressive awards from Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) one of the examinations boards we use for A Level and (I)GCSE examinations. We would like to congratulate;

• Emily Choi-Ying Chong - Top in the World for Media 🌏 (Cambridge Intl A Level)
• Juan Sebastian Beltran - Top in the World 🌏 for..

Alumna Jun Yi awarded ISTD membership

During the summer break Ms Cooper heard from Alumna Jun Yi, who graduated in 2018. Jun Yi progressed to Nottingham Trent University to study Graphic Design and wrote to share her recent success in the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student Assessment scheme and how she attributed part of success to her study of A Level Literature.

A Look at Studying A Levels in Malaysia

A Levels are an internationally recognised pre-university programme with high academic standards. They are exam-based and require in-depth knowledge of the chosen subject matter are equivalent to other pre-university programmes such as Australian Matriculation, Canadian Pre-University (CPU) and the Malaysian STPM.

Though they are known to be challenging, students with this..