Life at Harris Westminster Sixth Form

(Original post by ayisatt)

I am currently a study at HWSF and studying French, politics, history and English, you I might be able to give you some advice!

French/Spanish: - Languages follow the Cambridge Pre-U course and this is the first important thing to be aware of. It means that it is significantly more challenging than A-levels in that there is no set vocabulary list or a textbook to learn out of. This means we learn from 'authentic' sources - newspapers, movies, TV shows, books etc. However, having said this, it also makes it more rewarding to learn the language. It is less of a clinical experience and means you emerge having actually 'learnt' the language rather than just learning vocab bits and pieces. It is worth taking a language if you really are interested in the language, not just because having a language is impressive. Learning it will be trying at times, and challenging, but I would say it is worth it. I have heard that Spanish is marginally easier than French (as a language) and so this might alter your experience!

Politics: - Politics is an A-level subject (not Pre-U) and so follows the same structure as any other school doing A- level politics. In Year 12, you generally have one politics teacher and one government teacher as the course is called 'Government and Politics' but this is definitely a plus of HWSF as it splits the course nicely. It is an interesting course, and what with Brexit and current politics in the UK and US, there is no better time to be studying politics. Having said this, unless you are truly interested in politics, this course is not always as exciting as it sounds. Yes, we do look at current events and Brexit issues etc, but at the end of the day there is a spec to follow. The government side is a little more 'dry' as it is things like codified constitution vs uncodified constitution etc. But, these do form the foundation for all political knowledge so I guess they are important! In year 13, we also look at ideologies (which are so interesting) and US politics which some people find more engaging that UK politics.

History: - Personally my favourite! The course is A-level, but unlike other schools, not everyone in the year necessarily studies the same thing and it depends very much on your teacher. In year 12, EVERYONE does the Tudors (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward and Mary) and whilst this makes some people groan, it's really engaging, particularly when you look in depth at the Reformation, Thomas Cromwell and Cardinal Wolsey. Alongside the Tudors, you will either do: American Rev or Crusades (I did the latter) and I really enjoyed this half of the course too, being previously completely unfamiliar with the topic. In year 13, we do EITHER: Britain and Ireland (1791-1921), China (under Mao), the Vikings or the British Empire. They are all rich and diverse topics. We also do coursework which makes up 20% of the overall grade.


English Lit:- Again, another Pre-U course. In this instance, it gives you the flexibility to explore your interests within English. This is particularly true for English Coursework (known as the Personal Investigation) because you decide which four texts you choose (any four texts from any time period, as long as they are written in English), as well as the question (exploring any theme, genre, concept or character). Other than that, set texts include 'Sense and Sensibility', Edward Thomas's selected poems, 'Antony and Cleopatra' (honestly - this is so rich and engaging), and 'The Birthday Party' by Harold Pinter. The number of texts across the two years is less than that studied at A-level, and this is good because this gives you the opportunity to study each text deeply, looking not only at the text, but also at context and critical material.

Overall, I think the combination of subjects you've mentioned is great and I highly recommend them. I would say that HWSF is not by any means easy but that as long as you keep at it, work with the staff and put energy into your subjects, you will definitely reap the rewards.
Hope this info helps and good luck!

Hey how does the saturday schooling work?
Also im stressed about entrance exams helpppp!

Hi, im guessing you go to harris westminster and i would like to ask if you basically dont get in into the interview process or you failed the entrance exams, will the school let you reapply on august after gsce results day ?I think i done really bad on todays exams and i dont think i will end up having a place there just wondering if i could reapply when i get my gcse grades instead.Thanks

I’m a current yr 13 at HWSF and I have a few friends that didn’t initially apply to the school, but enrolled on results day with the rest of us so I would say yes. Hope this helps 😊

Thank You so much for replying and goodluck on this years alevels .

Hi, I just got a place at HWSF and it’s my first choice Sixth Form so I am very happy.
I understand that every student has to take 4 a levels which must be a lot of work.
Does anyone at HWSF have a part time job as well as studying as I am worried if I should take up a job due to the workload?
Is is recommended or common for students to have a job eg on the weekends?
Also, how is the work experience at HWSF?
Thank you.

Hi, I just got a place at HWSF and it’s my first choice Sixth Form so I am very happy.
I understand that every student has to take 4 a levels which must be a lot of work.
Does anyone at HWSF have a part time job as well as studying as I am worried if I should take up a job due to the workload?
Is is recommended or common for students to have a job eg on the weekends?
Also, how is the work experience at HWSF?
Thank you.

Hi! Just wondering, what kind of dishes do they do in the canteen? Does Friday finish early? Are there any parties that tutor groups throw? Also what's prom like? Lolz these are a lot of questions aha

School finishes at 4:10 on Friday, the second earliest time of the week (On thursday you finish at 3 or 4 because of sport). The food at the canteen is decent during lunch but not the best. During break its the best, they serve fried chicken, onion rings, you can also buy chocolate etc. As for prom, i wouldn't know, it may not even happen this year for year 13s. Before Xmas break, there's always extended form on the last day. You can bring in food, you can decorate your form and we usually do an Xmas quiz created specifically for the school.

hi i was wondering if year 12's can leave the premises for break and lunch tysmm x

i wouldn't recommend it - school finishes after 4 everyday and there's also saturday schools in from the end of year 12. If you do a subject at westminster, you may have to do saturdays from the start of year 12. You'll end up tiring yourself out.

You can leave for lunch but not for break.

Heya, could I enrol on results day? I forgot to apply but I did a late application. I have really good predicted grades