A sixth-form alternative in Newbury
The prospect of attending a large, traditional sixth form or college may not be encouraging, and the outcome may not be optimal for everyone.
Newbury Study Hall offers full-time A-level and GCSE programmes in a markedly different atmosphere for pupils aged sixteen and over. The experience is more akin to home schooling, but retains the guiding structures and systems of formal education.
Newbury Study Hall is small, supportive and success-driven. In a comfortable environment that is academically challenging, pupils can develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue their highest ambitions.
Who it suits
- Pupils who found large secondary schools overwhelming or unproductive and do not wish to repeat the experience at a still-larger sixth form or college
- Pupils who learn well one-to-one or in very small groups, but who have not thrived in classes of thirty
- Pupils who have been home-educated through GCSE and want a more structured setting for A-levels without moving to a full-sized college
- Pupils who left school after GCSE, took time out, and want to return to study in a setting smaller than the local colleges
- Pupils whose families would have chosen a small independent sixth form had the fees been workable
How it works
- Each term is ten weeks
- Five hours of tuition per subject per week
- Pupils may study any number of subjects
- Pupils may join at the start of any term
- Small groups of no more than eight, typically three or four
- Lessons are tutored rather than taught: see Methodology
A typical full A-level programme is three subjects at five hours per week each — fifteen hours of tuition per week — plus pupils’ own preparation between sessions.
A typical week
Pupils attend during the school day, Monday to Friday. The timetable is fitted around each cohort with lessons scheduled between 9.00am to 5.00pm. Pupils are expected to be present for all their sessions and to complete the preparation set between them.
The atmosphere is closer to a sixth-form library or a university tutorial than to a busy school. Pupils are addressed and treated as young adults preparing seriously for exams and for what comes after.
Exams
Pupils wishing to take examinations or resits do so as independent candidates at local examination centres. The school can provide guidance on entry, deadlines and choice of centre, but exam fees are paid directly by the family to the centre.
This arrangement is standard for pupils studying outside the maintained sector. It is also a meaningful financial advantage: the cost of independent-candidate exam entry is markedly lower than the full per-pupil cost of a sixth-form place.
Subjects
A-level subjects most often taken are:
- Maths and Further Maths
- Biology, Chemistry, Physics
- Other subjects may be available on request
Pupils retaking GCSEs can do so in Maths and Science, either in isolation or alongside an A-level programme. Other subjects may be possible on request.
Fees
All tuition is based on £40 per hour. A typical full A-level year is therefore:
- Three subjects × 5 hours/week × 30 weeks = 450 hours
- £40 × 450 = £18,000 per academic year
Exam-entry fees are paid separately to the chosen examination centre.
This is a substantial fee. It is also markedly less than the comparable cost of a small independent sixth form, where annual fees in the area typically range from £22,000 to £35,000 before extras. The pupil-to-tutor ratio at Newbury Study Hall is lower than at almost any independent school, and the atmosphere is distinctly more comfortable and personalised.
See Fees for full details, including programmes of one or two subjects rather than three.
Single terms and resits
Pupils not wishing to commit to a full academic year may attend for single terms — for example one term of focused work on a particular A-level — or for dedicated GCSE or A-level resit programmes.
Applications
There is no formal admissions test. Applications are by conversation: a call or visit to discuss the pupil’s background, current attainment, intended subjects and ambitions.