Sixth Form

The Sixth-Form at Tanglin is built around a curriculum of examination courses which lead to qualifications at Advanced Level (A-Levels) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Both pathways are designed to allow every student the opportunity to achieve their academic and social potential. In addition, the sixth-form environment with its leadership and co-curricular opportunities, endorses high expectations and a sense of community spirit.

From September 2009, we are offering Tanglin Sixth Form students the choice to study A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

A-Levels

A-levels are based on either four or six units of approximately equal size. Half of these make up an Advanced Subsidiary (AS) course, studied in the first year of the Sixth Form. The others are known as 'A2' units and complete the full A-level course.

A-level and AS courses may be assessed either in stages or at the end of the course. Students sit AS examinations at the end of Year 12 and A2 examinations at the end of Year 13. Most A2 courses have a synoptic element designed to test candidates' ability to make connections between different aspects of the subject.

Each AS and A2 unit is awarded a number of points which are accumulated and then 'cashed-in' for an exam grade. Both AS and A-levels are graded A to E for pass grades, with U (unclassified) for fail. Students are normally expected to achieve at least a D grade pass at AS in order to move forward to an A2 course.

Students opt to study three or four subjects at AS level and then continue with all of these subjects to A2 level in Year 13.  Students are expected to start, maintain and finish with the same number of subjects they began the Sixth Form with – that is, the ‘dropping’ of subjects after the AS examinations and at the beginning of Year 13 will not be permitted. The school does not offer January AS re-sit examinations but does offer students the opportunity to re-sit AS examinations alongside their A2 units in the summer of Year 13.

In Year 11 they are asked to make provisional choices, giving their order of preference and a reserve choice. These provisional choices are used to design option blocks that best fit the combinations of subjects requested. Some combinations of subjects may not be possible and some subjects may not be available if the numbers opting do not make them viable. The minimum number for each subject may vary depending on the nature of the course.

Complementing their A-Level subject choices, students also follow a Tanglin core course. This consists of an AS-Level course: the Extended Project Qualification and a Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) program which allows students to explore and develop new skills beyond the academic curriculum. Students will also have a structured PSHCE program, which includes talks by guest speakers from both UK and global universities, basic first aid, finance and sex education. During Private Study sixth-formers are expected to develop research skills and extend their knowledge by reading around their chosen A-Level subjects.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

Tanglin Trust School will be offering the IB Diploma programme to Year 12 students from August 2009.

This pre-university qualification offers students the opportunity to specialise through an in depth study of three higher level subjects whilst maintaining flexibility and choice by also pursuing three standard level subjects. These six fields of study are chosen from world literature, foreign languages, humanities, sciences, mathematics and the arts & film.

In addition all IB Diploma students can appreciate how each of their subjects are connected and interrelated through the popular Theory of Knowledge course whilst pursuing focused research and analysis through a university styled Extended Essay project. The third component embedded in the IB Diploma core curriculum is the requirement to make meaningful connections between academic study and real world situations through experiential learning in the CAS programme.

An IB Diploma is gained by scoring 24 to 45 points calculated from a combination of coursework pieces, internally assessed tasks and a final examination in each subject at the end of the two year course in May.

For further details please contact the Senior School (including Sixth Form) on senior.school@tts.edu.sg