16+ Sixth Form entry preparation

Adam D’Souza and the Select:ed team of education experts support students applying to academically selective Sixth Forms with a structured consultancy and 16+ tutoring programme, which can begin in Year 10 or Year 11.

My over-arching aim is working with your son or daughter to find the right-fit Sixth Form. Identifying your child’s emotional and social drivers is the key to academic success.

  • When I first ever approached you (regarding Annabelle), you explained to me that the approach typically taken by "diligent, conscientious, teenage girls" to English papers needed to be deconstructed in preparation for entrance exams, and reconstructed into something much swifter, leaner, more efficient - more ruthless, almost - if they were to prosper in an entrance exam. This insight was illuminating to me as a parent, and struck me as essential: I remember so well from my time at school that knowledge was all very well, but an exam was won or lost in exam technique. So your insight resonated with me as clear as a bell, and gave me a sense that, even though we were only speaking on the phone 8.000 miles apart, there was a good chance you would be the right person to support my teen, and thereafter my second teen.

    Jason, Singapore, happy parent of two successful 16+ students

  • I’m really pleased with Finn’s progress. He looks forward to his lessons with enthusiasm. I always am impressed by your innovative approaches - which are always flexible to Finn’s needs… trying to engage him with particular parts of the curriculum that he might find difficult by using or bringing out aspects of the text that he hadn’t thought of. As well as (of course) the details of any specific learning you’re also able to bring in “big picture“ issues and a link to other areas of life including contemporary politics and national events.

    Fiona, London, happy parent of a successful 16+ student

Finding the right-fit Sixth Form for your child

Finding the right-fit Sixth Form for your son or daughter is our over-arching aim. This can be tricky when there are so many moving parts.

The school shortlisting process takes into account your son or daughter’s academic profile, character, and personal, co-curricular interests, all of which are vital parts of the jigsaw when it comes to future university applications and careers. For every child, regardless of age, emotional wellbeing is key to their academic success.

What marks out my Sixth Form entry preparation approach as exceptional is the emphasis I place on developing strong relationships, pastoral care and positive mental health, evolving throughout the journey as your son or daughter grows.

Your child will begin the process in Year 10 or Year 11 with a personal consultation with me, to discuss their aims for Sixth Form – whether A Level or IB – and beyond. I will also meet you, as parents, in confidence, since successful 16+ entrance campaigns require a careful balance between students taking responsibility for driving their own educational journey, and parents’ support.

Tailored preparation for entrance exams

Having created a shortlist of Sixth Forms that align with your son or daughter’s profile, the next step is preparing for 16+ entrance exams.

The open-ended format of academically selective Sixth Forms’ entrance assessments, more akin to university exams, is often unnerving to students used to box-ticking GCSE style questions. Tutoring for 16+ entry encompasses revision of subject-specific content and more advanced academic skills, such as planning discursive essays at speed, non-verbal reasoning, commenting on current affairs and data analysis.

As assessment dates draw closer, your son or daughter’s tutorials will also include interview practice. I have a wealth of experience supporting students applying to the most competitive British schools and I have been an A Level teacher in an academically selective Sixth Form, so I know what schools are looking for in 16+ candidates.

Students who need extra support in one or two key GCSE subjects have access to an extended network of specialist tutors through partner GCSE tutoring providers.

Former students have secured places and scholarship offers in some of the most academically competitive A Level and IB Sixth Forms…

Emotional wellbeing and pastoral care

What sets my approach apart, the greatest source of professional pride, is the quality of human relationships.

Sixth Form entry at 16+ has to be carefully balanced in terms of psychological load with maintaining momentum in core academics at school (including GCSEs), and performance in extra-curriculars. Therefore it is important to help your child build sustainable learning habits that will enable them to show off their potential in 16+ entry papers, which are often fast and furious, but also to excel in the GCSEs that are inevitably required to meet conditional offers for 16+ entry.

Every member of the Select:ed team has significant insight, gained as teacher, head, tutor or admissions lead, on the emotional needs of teenagers at this stage of their education, and the pressures facing parents evaluating this important next step for their child, pre-university. Several colleagues have pastoral leadership experience and coaching or safeguarding qualifications.