Our aim is to secure the academic potential of each individual through a curriculum which provides relevant opportunities for all students.

The Sixth Form Curriculum at The Douay Martyrs Catholic School is designed to equip students with the academic portfolio, as well as the transferable skills, which will lead them to successful, fulfilling lives and careers beyond school.

Students are encouraged to be outward-looking and forward-focused; self-motivated, intellectually curious and independent; ready to grow and unafraid of taking risks.

What choices do I have to make?

The first decision you need to make is which level of study is most appropriate for you. In order to study subjects at Advanced Level (A-Level) you need to have achieved at least 5 Level 5 - 9 including Maths and English and have met the specific entry requirements of the subjects you wish to study. For a full list of subjects available to you, please download the course handbook at the bottom of the page. 

In addition to the above criteria all students must achieve a minimum GCSE average points score of 4.0.

Any students who fail to achieve a Grade 4 or above in English Language or Mathematics will be required to re-sit the GCSE level qualification as part of their 6th Form course offer. Some students may be offered the option to study 4 A-Level subjects. This can be discussed with Mr D Patel (Assistant Headteacher) on an individual basis.

A- level study is central to the academic portfolio of The Douay Martyrs Sixth Form education, with a broad range of subjects available. A- levels still form the basis of most university offers and are the "hard currency" understood by many universities and employers. A- Levels are the next step up from GCSE’s and are far more demanding and academically challenging than GCSE qualifications and are also required in order to progress into certain Higher Education (University) courses or Higher Apprenticeships.

We also offer a vocational pathway through BTEC qualifications in ICT and Applied Psychology. The Applied General Business qualification also falls within the vocational options section. This allows students a wider range of options and assessment pathways.

In almost all cases, students will choose to study three subjects. Those on the vocational programme have a wide range of possibilities within that qualification framework and in combination with one or two ‘A’ levels.

We believe that we have the broad and flexible range of options available to allow students to select a vibrant and personalised programme which will stretch and challenge them at this crucial stage of their education.

In addition, Home Language Students can be entered for A Levels in their home language. E.g. Arabic, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Urdu. Please speak to Mr D Patel and Mrs M Bart for further details.

Extended Project Qualification

Students are also encouraged to undertake the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification, beginning in Year 12 and completed in Year 13. This is a research-based project on a topic chosen by the student themselves, and is highly valued by universities and employers alike. Completing the EPQ allows the student to demonstrate intellectual independence and genuine passion for a subject far beyond the constraints of the curriculum, as well as time-management, research methods, written and verbal communication and the ability to evaluate their own good practice. We have built strong link with Universities who assist in helping pupils with their EPQ’s and also use platforms such as ‘Future Learn’.