The College

 

Sir John Deane’s College opened in September 1978 as a Sixth Form College for 16-19 year old students.  The College initially served the town of Northwich and surrounding rural areas but, for many years, it has welcomed students from across the region.  Students from our five partner 11-16 High Schools at Hartford, Leftwich, Middlewich, Rudheath and Weaverham account for about half of the annual intake, with the remainder coming from a wide range of 11-18 schools within and beyond Cheshire, from both the maintained and independent sectors.  Each year, the College is over-subscribed and, regrettably, some late applicants cannot be accommodated. 

 

We celebrated our 450th anniversary in October 2007.  Formerly Sir John Deane’s Grammar School, founded in 1557, our College has enjoyed a fine reputation for high quality education and strong academic standards across many generations of local people. We have also been fortunate in the ‘inheritance’ of our campus setting, which was a 350th anniversary gift from a famous local industrialist, Sir John Brunner.  Nevertheless, because the College is committed to further improvement even from such a strong base, we have just completed an extensive £28,000,000 new building project, intended to ensure that future generations of students here continue to be as well served by our buildings and equipment as their predecessors have been. 

 

The completion of this project means that every aspect of teaching and learning in the College is now accommodated in new, purpose-built facilities. 

 

The College continues its successful tradition of serving the local community by providing a broad range of courses, excellent teaching and a high level of personal support for each student. We offer a large number of Advanced Level courses, preparing students for Higher Education and a wide range of careers. 

 

Students’ programmes are further enriched through sporting and recreational options, General Studies, work experience, charity and community work, the creative and performing arts, etc. 

 

Typically, around 90% of our Upper Sixth students proceed to Higher Education, but a significant number of students use their Advanced qualifications to gain direct employment including management training with industrial, commercial and retail employers, whilst others continue their education at other colleges.

 

 

•We are committed to equality of opportunity for all students irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, sexual     orientation or socio-economic background. 

 

•We are student-centred in our approach, responding to individual needs and aspirations.  We seek to establish a stimulating environment in which students enjoy their studies and participate fully in College life. 

 

•Our students will gain expertise and appropriate qualifications, together with a broad range of knowledge, skills and experience to promote their personal development.    

 

•These attributes enable our students to progress, usually via Higher Education, to their chosen career and to play a full part as adult citizens in a democratic society. 

 

•We are wholly committed to providing an educational experience of the highest quality. A separate publication, the College Charter, details the commitments the College makes to each student.  Similarly, the College Charter refers to the commitment the College may reasonably expect of its students, both to their studies and to the College community.

The College is open to all students who can demonstrate a serious commitment to study, provided that there is an appropriate course for them and the College has room to accommodate them.  Given the demanding nature of our Advanced Level Course (see below), confirmation of acceptance onto courses is dependent on GCSE results (or appropriate equivalents). 

 

Full-time students are admitted to the Lower Sixth to study programmes of four Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level subjects.  In addition, students will take General Studies to Advanced Level. In the Upper Sixth, students will generally continue, in at least three of their four subjects, from AS to the full A Level qualification standard (A2). A range of additional options will be available to students should they choose to discontinue one of their original four AS Level subject choices as they enter the Upper Sixth year. 

 

 

All who apply to us will be considered carefully on their suitability for an Advanced Course and given advice on which subjects would best meet their needs and abilities if there are any issues.  In consultation with applicants, and guided by their school reports and references, the College will decide upon the appropriate entry qualifications for each applicant onto their chosen course.   Details of entry requirements will be discussed with Partner High School students when senior staff from the College visit their schools in the Autumn Term of their Year 11.   The College would normally expect you to achieve Grade B in each of the subjects you wish to study at A Level, or in a related subject. As a general guide, you should obtain six or more GCSE subjects at higher Grades (A*, A, B, C).   

 

If you attend one of the five Partner High Schools (County, Hartford, Middlewich, Rudheath and Weaverham), you will automatically be included in the following programme:
Senior College staff liaise directly with your school.  During the Autumn Term the Principal, together with the Assistant Principal (Student Services), will visit  Partner High Schools to tell Year 11 pupils about the College and to answer your questions.  If you are interested in the possibility of coming to College, you will be invited, with your parents/carers, to an Open Evening at Sir John Deane’s in September to see the campus, meet staff, learn more about the courses offered and collect an Application Pack. 

We ask Partner High School students to complete your Application Forms and return these using the pre-paid envelope provided by 25 November 2011. There is no pressure on a Partner High School student to apply earlier than Friday 25 November, nor is there any advantage to you as the College guarantees a place to all Partner High School students who apply by this date and who meet our entry requirements. You are not in competition for places with non-partner high school students. 

 

Once the College has received your Application Form and most recent school report from you and a reference for you from your school, you shall hear as promptly as possible from us whether we can make you a conditional offer dependent on your final GCSE results or if we need to explore your application further with you in an interview or advise you if your application has been unsuccessful.  

 

2. Applying from a school other than a Partner High School 

 

The College welcomes applications from students attending other schools in Cheshire and beyond, and each year well over three hundred such applications are accepted. 

 

Prior to 2011, it has been our practice that applications for entry will be dealt with strictly in the order in which we receive them, that the College reserves the right to close its lists when numbers reach a certain limit, and that after that time, applications will only be accepted provisionally until final numbers are known in September.