A Level Students Under 16 Policy

For A level, Ashbourne primarily accepts students that are 16 or over on the first day of term. In certain cases, Ashbourne will accept a student who is below 16 usually either because they are extremely able students that can cope with the rigours of an A level programme or they have completed GCSE’s (or equivalent) a year early. In some of these cases, students will undertake a 2.5 or 3-year A level programme.

In these situations, students will join the Middle School but attend A level classes. This will continue until they turn 16, when they will no longer need to adhere to the rules of Middle School. Students will change from a Middle School student to a Year 12 student on the first day of the Half Term that follows their 16th birthday.

Attending Middle School will involve the following:

1) Morning and afternoon registration at Young Street building

2) Supervised transfer between buildings between lessons

3) Supervised lunch break, unless otherwise agreed with parents

4) Attendance of PSHEE

5) Attendance of Physical Education

6) Studying in Young Street library area when not in class, between the hours of 9am to 4pm

7) Taking a minimum of 4 A levels to ensure lessons take up the majority of the 9am to 4pm schedule; the Head of Timetabling will do everything they can to ensure that the student’s schedule is full during compulsory school hours

8) Their Personal Tutor will be Ashbourne’s Head of Middle School, who will be involved in the admissions process similar to all other Middle School applicants.

Note that these students will not have a Year 12 Personal Tutor until they turn 16. Nevertheless, the Head of Year 12 will work with the Head of Middle School to ensure that things are managed correctly with these students.