Downfield Sixth Form

Downfield Sixth Form is a sixth-form college, and mainly consists of Years 12 and 13 from Marling School, and SHS students. Downfield is also part of the Stroud Post 16 Consortium which includes Archway School and Stroud College. It is situated in Downfield Lane, Stroud, Gloucestershire in the UK.

History

In 1996, Marling School and its sister school Stroud High School, embarked on a process of collaboration at Sixth Form level, thereby enriching the curriculum and options available to students from both schools. The success of this collaboration led to the formation of the Downfield Sixth Form Centre in September 2000 under a joint Head of the Sixth Form. Some, however, regard the amalgamation at sixth-form level of Marling and Stroud High as controversial, and view its new approach and style as more akin to a comprehensive school than a nineteenth century grammar school.

Application/admittance

In order to apply to Downfield, there is an application form to be filled in, and entry requirements:- in previous years, to gain entrance you must achieve a minimum of five GCSEs at Grade C and preferably a grade B in subjects which you are choosing to study at A-Level, however due to the vast number of applicants applying to the ever popular 6th form, the entrance requirements have been raised to 5 GCSE's at Grade B or above, including Maths and English, and similarly a grade B or above in subjects chosen to study at AS/A2 level. Over the years, outside students have joined from Kings School, Maidenhill, Rednock, Thomas Keble, Wynstones and Wycliffe.

Facilities

Most students will be taught in Marling and SHS classrooms, by the respective teachers.

Separate

• Marling has a west and east campus, consisting of classrooms, 3 IT rooms, a library and a sports hall. Computing is also only taught by a Marling teacher.
• SHS has a junior and senior side, similar to Marling, consisting of classrooms, 3 IT rooms, a library, a sports hall, and tennis courts.

Shared

• Marling and SHS share a DT block and a Music Hall.
• There is also a main Sixth Form Block situated between the two main campuses - and consists of a social area, study area with computers, and the main reception. This is where most students will be found during their Study Periods (known by students as Free Periods, but this name is discouraged by staff).

Subjects/Higher Education

At Downfield, students are required to take 4 subjects for AS-Level, and then drop to 3 for A-Level. New subjects include Computing, Further Maths, Psychology (although this is available at GCSE in Marling). Most A-Level courses consist of 3 modules at AS, and 3 at A2. However, some courses' modules consist of submission of coursework. On average, 80% of Downfield students move on to Higher Education - taking courses as diverse as Medicine and Marketing.

Each subject has 9 lessons a fortnight, divided between the Marling and SHS teachers (or on the external campuses if necessary). This means there are approximately 12 study periods a fornight, and 2 tutor periods. Downfield also offers enrichment periods, usually equivalent to one a week, where students can branch outside of their curriculum and try new activities. Previously, enrichment activities have included Business Enterprising, Critical Thinking, General Studies, Real Science, and Photography.

Alumni

Actor William Moseley attended Downfield.

Actor Tim McInnerny (famous for his performances as Percy and Captain Darling in the sitcom Blackadder) attended Marling School.

External links

• Marling School
• Stroud High School