A-Level Taster Day

It was about A-Levels for our 5th Years and visiting pupils as they spent the day trying out A-Level subjects that interest them and talking to teachers about their possible future options. The A-Level taster event is an exciting opportunity for 5th Years and prospective Sixth Form students to explore their future choices, putting them in the driving seat of their next steps and future career paths.

A-Levels represent a significant step change from GCSE, and the offering at Truro School reflects this in the style of teaching, learning and timetable structure and the dedicated facilities available exclusively to Sixth Form students, including the Sixth Form café and newly refurbished Sixth Form Centre.

On a whistle-stop tour of some taster sessions, there was lively discussion in psychology with Mrs Stone about normative and informational social influence. Prospective geology students measured a curious set of dinosaur footprints to establish the likely scenario and collected evidence to estimate the size and possible species of dinosaurs. In the Leiths kitchen, students discussed food plating techniques and tasted some beautifully presented and delicious-looking panacotta with roasted rhubarb.

Head of Sixth Form, Ross Williamson, emphasised the importance of this event in helping students shape their academic journey; he explained the A-Level Taster Day really helps our students make informed choices about their next steps in their educational journey.

“They have been able to pick their own bespoke timetable for today and had the opportunity to try five different A-Level taster lessons and one study period. Each taster lesson was a one-off lesson or something similar to a lesson that they would do in the first couple of weeks of Sixth Form.

The key focus for the day has been supporting students in making informed decisions about what they want to study next year. They also met with one of the Sixth Form tutors to discuss their aspirations post GCSEs and ask any burning questions about Sixth Form life at Truro School.”

He said, “The day has been a great success, and the Sixth Form Centre has had a lovely buzz all day with the 5th Years clearly getting a feel for what lies ahead in their educational journey.”

This was also an opportunity for pupils to delve into subjects they may not have studied at GCSE but feel they might be interested in as part of their planned career or study paths. These subjects include A-Level Economics, Business Studies, Psychology, Geology and PE. Other supra-curricular activities include Leiths qualifications, the Football Programme with Saints Southwest, EPQ and the qualifications and activities offered as part of the prestigious Sixth Form Diploma.