Context for UCAS Applications
Rendcomb College is a small independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18. The Sixth Form currently has around 75 students in total across both years.
Rendcomb College dates back to 1920 when it was founded by Frederick Noel Hamilton Wills whose uncle and cousins had earlier endowed buildings at Bristol University. The school celebrated its centenary in 2020 maintaining the vision and ethos that remains true to Wills’ original values of providing an inclusive and broad-ranging education for our pupils. Pupils are awarded means-tested bursaries and can also apply for academic, art, drama, music and sport scholarships prior to joining the Sixth Form. New entrants to the Sixth Form can apply for a fully-funded ‘centenary’ scholarship.
The Sixth Form offers a range of A Levels, and BTEC Business is also available. When the A Levels were reformed, Rendcomb College made the decision to not offer AS Levels. Students are encouraged to study the equivalent of three A Levels. In exceptional cases students may take four A Levels. All students were given the opportunity at the end of the autumn term in Year 12 to choose to supplement their A Levels with an EPQ, Sports Leaders’ Qualification or Arts Award. International students often choose to take an A Level in their native language. This does not form part of the formal teaching at Rendcomb College but is offered through a tutor and taken in Year 13.
Students are usually assessed in the November and June of Year 12, these assessments took place despite the disruption of the pandemic. Teaching continued through the use of MS Teams, including live teaching, individual calls and regular formative assessment, meaning teachers were able to maintain a strong sense of students’ progress and attainment. Half termly grades are entered throughout the year, by regular assessment and testing. UCAS predictions are finalised in September of Year 13 and are based on this solid body of evidence. Students therefore have realistic and achievable predictions.