Sixth Form Notices

BSM Exams Information

Post 16 Curriculum Overview Booklet (on BSM website)

UK University Applications (UCAS)

Students have now received all decisions from the UK universities that they have applied to. The deadline for the students to reply to their offers is Thursday 6th June.

If they have not already done so, please ask your child to see me before the 6th June in order to confirm their Firm and Insurance choices.

UNIFROG International University Fair (Online)

Please encourage your Year 12 child to sign up for this event. They will be able to join top universities from around the world to speak to their representatives and attend live sessions to get an insight into all things university. From acing their application, to understanding student finance, and learning more about what it's like to study in different countries, this fair is a great opportunity to get all of their questions answered by the experts.

Thursday 13th June | 6:00pm - 8:30pm (OMAN TIME)

The link for them to sign up is here.

Congratulations to all Y13 Graduates!

We are delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Y13 graduates on their remarkable achievement. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have led you to this momentous occasion. For detailed information regarding the ceremony, please click here.

Revision Strategies Guide & Personalised Study Timetable

Our Revision Strategies Guide is available and intended for use across both students and parents. The booklet aims to provide tools which can support learning and preparation for examinations throughout your life.

New and just released is our bespoke study timetable tool. Students and parents can co-create a simple and organised study timetable for each week. Download, make a copy and use today!

Y13 Art & Design Exam Week

28 & 29 April and 2 May 2024 : A level Art & Design/Photography

Y13 Graduation Class 2024

Important Information: UCAS and Student Finance

UCAS APPLICATIONS

Most students will have now received conditional offers from universities that they have applied to through UCAS. Please note that it is important that students do not decline or withdraw from any offers until they have received advice and guidance about their choices. Students do not have to reply to any offers until they receive a response from all five of their choices and they have until 6th June 2024 to do so.

Students can accept up to two offers. Their first choice, or preferred choice, out of the five offers they have received, is their firm choice. Students can also accept a second choice, which is a back-up to their firm choice. Their second choice is their insurance choice and can be a conditional or unconditional offer. Once students have decided which offer to accept firmly, and which to accept as insurance, they must then decline all the other offers. Please note that it is important that your son/daughter does not reply to any offers until they have consulted with Miss Atkinson-Goffe (Head of Sixth Form).

UCAS EXTRA

The UCAS Extra option is now available if applicants have used up all five choices on their original application and have either been unsuccessful at all five choices or have declined their offers. Extra allows students to add a choice, one at a time, up to 4th July, 2024.

CLEARING

Clearing is a service that operates between 5th July 2024 and 21st October 2024. Students can take part in clearing if:

They have not received any offers;
They have declined all of their offers;
They have not responded by the due date;
Offers have not been confirmed because students have not met the conditions (e.g. not achieved the required grades)

Students’ UCAS Track will show if they are eligible for clearing. Clearing will allow students to apply for courses that are still available to commence in October 2024.

STUDENT FINANCE

From the end of March 2024, eligible students can apply for student finance. Students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan and/or Maintenance Grant. Full details and application can be made at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance.

NATIONAL INSURANCE

If your son or daughter is entitled to a National Insurance number but does not have one, I strongly encourage you to apply for one. This is vital in certain circumstances, such as wishing to work in the UK, or applying for a student loan/finance. It may also help with applications for Home Status fees. Whilst in the UK, you can contact the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500 for advice.

HOME STATUS

Some universities will ask for documentation to prove Home Status for British students. Please find our Home Status fact sheet here:

https://britishschoolmuscat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/factsheet_ss_home-status.pdf

OMANI SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

If your son/daughter is eligible to apply, it is crucial that you and your child visit the Ministry of Higher Education in order to:-

a. Make yourselves known to them

b. Ask questions and receive information about the process of applying for a scholarship - this changes every year.

Attendance Register

The school day begins at 7.30am each day for every student. If your child has a study period for period 1, they are still expected to be in school at 7.30am. Form Tutors are reminding students to be present and to sign in on the paper registers placed at the entrance to the Common Room.

We kindly ask for your support in reminding your child to be present and to sign in. If your child is late to school, they should ensure they sign in at the main Reception or the Senior School Office.

Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) on the use of AI in Assessments

Please click here for more information.

Y13 UCAS Application Deadline

The deadline for all UK university applications through UCAS is Wednesday 31st January. Miss Atkinson has told Year 13 students that she would like all applications sent by Monday 29th January, at the latest, in case there are any unforeseen circumstances or technical issues.

Summer Examination Timetables and Invoices

Students taking GCSE and A level exams this summer have been issued with their personal exam timetables. Invoices for the summer examinations will be sent out to parents by our Accounts team before February half term. Please can you carefully check the details and email our Exams Officer, Mrs Read, on exams@britishschoolmuscat.com if you have any queries about the information. The master timetable for all our exams can be found on our Exams Information webpage here.

Global Higher Education Exhibition (GEDEX 2024)

Oman Convention and Exhibition Center 4th - 6th Feb 2024

A wide range of public, private and international educational institutes from inside and outside Oman will participate in this exhibition. It will include many events such as: the International Conference on Career Guidance and Higher Education and the exhibition for technical education and vocational training.

It is an opportunity to enquire how to register at the Higher Admission Center, arrange options of programs and specializations, benefit from psychological and educational counseling services and accompanying workshops that will be provided at the Ministry of Education corner.

The Ministry of Education invites parents and students to attend. Timings are: 9:30am-1:30pm and 4:30pm-8:30pm.

Y13 Key Information on Assessment 2023-2024

Dear Parents,

We hope you are well and looking forward to the winter break coming soon. As you are aware, in December and January we traditionally hold key assessment sessions informally referred to as ‘mocks’ for our Year 11 and Year 13 students.

The details and timing of these assessments can be found on the exams information page on our BSM website.

I would like to bring to your attention the following guidance as issued by the Department for Education UK and Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) in November 2023 for students taking formal external examinations in summer 2024.

Ofqual and the DfE state:

The 2-year transition to pre-pandemic grading is now complete. Normal grading arrangements will continue for GCSEs, AS, and A levels in 2024

The UK government does not expect there to be a situation where exams do not go ahead again, but it is sensible to have contingency plans in place, even for extremely unlikely scenarios
It should be made clear to students that it is expected that external examinations and formal assessments will go ahead as planned.
Students sit ‘mock’ exams in exam conditions before their formal examinations, and that papers are retained. Centres should plan assessment opportunities to gather evidence of student performance in line with their usual assessment approaches.
Total assessment time should not normally exceed the total time students would spend taking exams for the relevant qualification.
Any internal assessment evidence collected and retained under this guidance would be used to determine grades only in the unlikely situation that exams and formal assessment could not go ahead.
Before taking any assessment, students are informed whether their performance in the assessment would be used as part of evidence to determine a grade for them if exams cannot go ahead as planned.
Centres might choose to carry out other assessments across the year that are not for the purpose of evidence collection

In the unlikely event of any cancellation of formal examinations for Summer 2024, the internal assessments taking place in December (Year 11 students) and January (Year 13 students) may be used as part of the evidence needed to determine a grade. Ofqual has also produced a helpful student guide for Summer 2024 examinations.

If any further notifications or information are shared from the DfE/Ofqual that pertain to the Summer 2024 examinations, we will communicate this upon its release.

We want to say thank you for your continued support, and should you have any questions you wish to raise, please reach out to us via email at senioroffice@britishschoolmuscat.com.

Warm regards,

Mr D Comber

Deputy Head Teacher

British School Muscat

Sixth Form ID Cards

Please read this document for full information about Sixth Form ID cards and lanyards.

WhatsApp Groups

We have created a WhatsApp group for parents to know about urgent messages or reminders. Email will continue to be the main form of communication. Please look at our BSM WhatsApp document carefully before joining and ensure you have read our WhatsApp Code of Conduct.

Click to join:

Senior School Parents Announcements Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HaGo91QvRgeHBnkCizJwmv
Year 12 Parents Group - 23/24: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJTB4O1VEJ2AGbS81D9nAq
Year 13 Parents Group - 23/24: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HHKpxvRc2zZ0OdUZQzOoDn

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