"The broad curriculum includes a wide range of GCSE and A Level subjects as well as good provision for PSHE (personal, social and health education)."

"The quality of the curriculum is good. Students make consistently good progress and some make outstanding progress, particularly in mathematics, chemistry and English

The OFSTED Summary (OFSTED, May 2010)

In addition, we have introduced an International Business Foundation programme to our curriculum, which provides international students with an alternative access route into UK universities.

At Abbey College Birmingham you can study any of the following:

1. Two Year A Level courses

1. 18 Month A Level courses

1. One Year Intensive A Level courses

1. English as a Foreign Language for international students

1. International Foundation Programme

1. GCSE courses

1. Easter Revision

1. Private Tuition

A Levels

At Abbey College Birmingham we offer a wide range of A level courses.

Many of our students undertake the traditional two year A Level programme. However, we also offer a number of A Level subjects where completion can be one year. We can also tailor combinations of subjects: students can run a GCSE alongside A Levels, or take Upper Sixth alongside one year A Levels, for example.

Lower Sixth Students

Should choose up to 4 subjects from different blocks. Students wishing to do Further Maths at A Level should pick a one year A Level in Maths.

Upper Sixth Students

If you have studied L6 elsewhere and want to join us at U6, we will give our honest and best advice about which courses to take. Sometimes you might need to transfer examination boards. This is usually a straightforward task and we can advise you further on this matter. We have experience in successfully enabled students' transition into our upper sixth year.

One Year A Level Students

These students have usually completed a course (Biology/Chemistry) and need a higher grade. Some one year A Level courses are available to students who have not completed the A Level previously. Please ask about this when you come in and meet with us.
We are more than happy to discuss subject requirements and their suitability for chosen careers with you. Please contact the College on 0121 236 7474 or email us at enquires@abbeybirmingham.co.uk and we will endeavour to help you.

Abbey College Birmingham offers the following A Levels:

Accounting
Art & Design
Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Economics
English Language
German
History
ICT
Mathematics
Media Studies
Music
Physics
Psychology
R.E.
Sociology

International Business Foundation Programme

Name of subject:  International Foundation Programme - Business Pathway

Teaching Staff involved:  Dave Fellows, Sylvia Keatley, Tony North & Rita Sarna.

Why Study the International Foundation Programme at Abbey College Birmingham?

The International one year Foundation Programme is an intensive programme that draws on a range of disciplines, in order to offer variety and meet your areas of interest.  It will also prepare you for that sought after university course!

Subject overview

The course covers not only Business Studies, Business Law, Accounting and Economics but students also develop their ICT skills, Presentation Skills and Mathematics across a varied academic programme.

Students study core unit of Accounting, as well as two Economics units, two Business units and Business Law.  Students are examined in each unit of study and have the opportunity to take most examinations twice.  Additionally, students are examined in Mathematics, ICT and Presentational Skills and so lessons are used to prepare students thoroughly for each examination.  Students also take either a Critical thinking element, or English as a Foreign Language, depending upon their English Language skill level.

Teaching approaches

The varied programme means that there are opportunities for students to learn in a number of ways, such as using ICT resources and presentational devices.  Small classes are conducive to high level classroom discussion and students use numeracy, as well as critical thinking and debating skills.

Higher Education Opportunities

Students apply for Business related courses at university.  Different universities highlight the percentage score that they expect students to achieve at the end of the course, for access into their Business Schools.

Supportive material

Teachers create their own resources and use appropriate reading materials to support students both in and out of the classroom.

GCSEs

GCSEs are usually assessed by a combination of written examinations at the end of the course and controlled assessments completed by students during the course.

Students receive a GCSE Award for each subject taken.  The Awards are graded from A* to G.

GCSEs are a requirement for entry to the 6th form to study for the General Certificate of Education at Advanced Level (A-level).

The GCSE Programme will comprise of up to 7 academic subjects, chosen to prepare students for their A-level studies within one year.

Our courses are designed to support either gifted students who wish to progress their studies more quickly or those who need a second chance with their GCSEs to support either their sixth form or university application.

Abbey College Birmingham offers the following GCSE subjects

Art & Design
Business Studies
English Literature
German
History
OCR (ICT) Nationals
Mathematics
Media Studies
Sciences
Sport

English as a Foreign Language

Teaching staff: Ian Johnson, Jessie Venegas Garcia, Patricia Robinson

Why study English as a Foreign Language at Abbey College Birmingham?

For a variety of reasons: to help you improve your English skills alongside your other courses; to enable you to achieve the all important IELTS score for university; to improve your English before accessing AS Levels.

Subject Overview

There are a number of English as a Foreign Language courses that international students can take. Beginner students can take a full time course (up to 26 hours) that will enable the development of vocabulary, grammar, speaking and listening. Students tend to take this course prior to completing their A Level studies at Abbey College. Students will IELTS 5.5. take an English language course alongside their studies to help improve their English skills for study and to prepare them for the IELTS examination (a university requirement for English Language Skills). Students with an IELTS score of 6.5 might also wish to focus on certain aspects of the IELTS examination to improve their grade yet further, or to focus on subject specific terminology to help them with their other A Levels.

Teaching Approaches

Studying English provides a fantastic opportunity to take students out and about into the local community. There is a lot of opportunity for spoken interaction and also focused work on grammar and test preparation.

Higher Education Opportunities

All international students need to develop their English skills before accessing courses at university. The top universities some very high IELTS scores which demonstrate a strong level of English proficiency.

Supportive Material

We have a stock of course texts that help students develop grammar and prepare for tests. We also have books for reading for pleasure - which students often find more enjoyable!

Easter Revision

Make sure that you get the grades you need this summer!

Abbey College Birmingham has been running highly successful GCSE and A-Level Revision courses for many years.  With competition for university entry more intense than ever before, attendance on our courses WILL increase your chances of examination success in the summer!

The following pages give detailed information about what we are offering at Easter 2012.  We hope you find them helpful but please contact the college on 0121 236 7474 or email adminbir@abbeybirmingham.co.uk if you have any queries or wish to discuss your individual requirements.

We look forward to welcoming you to Abbey College!

Sarah Munton

Vice-Principal

Please click the following links for further information:

Easter Revision Overview
AS Level Revision Courses
AS Level Revision Timetable
A2 Level Revision Courses
A2 Level Revision Timetable
GCSE Revision Courses
GCSE Revision Timetable
Easter Revision Dates & Fees 2012
Easter Revision A-Level & GCSE Enrolment Forms

Private Tuition

At Abbey College Birmingham some of our staff provide supplementary tuition to external students. This tuition is offered at the College after 5pm on a one to one basis.

We ask that you book a block of ten sessions so that sufficient progress is made.

Due to the high demand placed on popular subjects staff availability cannot always be guaranteed.

Please contact the College on 0121 236 7474 to discuss your requirements.