Ashford School: Information for University Admissions Tutors
Student Profile
- Ashford School is a co-educational, independent school with a Sixth Form comprising 140 students of whom a significant number are international boarders.
- Typically, around 95% of the Sixth Form progress to university.
- 17 countries are represented in the Sixth Form, and 33% of students have a first language other than English.
- In the Senior School, 14% of students live in postcodes in POLAR4 Quintile 1.
- 7% of students live in postcodes ranking in the lowest two IMD (Indices of Multiple Deprivation) deciles.
Academic Profile
- The school is not highly academically selective, and our pupils have a broad ability range:
- Based on ALIS baseline tests, 27% of the current Year 13 are in the band A of the national ability range, 27% in band B, 21% in band C and 25% in band D.
- ALIS (Advanced Level Information System) is administered by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University. CEM is an independent research group.
Qualification Provision
- Students normally study three or four subjects at A Level; around 5% of the cohort also complete an Extended Project Qualification. Pupils do not take standalone AS levels at the end of Year 12.
- The school also offers the BTEC Level 3 Diploma and BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Sport.
- Predicted grades are positive but realistic and are based on evidence from the student’s performance in internal examinations at the end of Year 12, as well as in assessments and classwork throughout the year.
- Key Stage 4 pupils are normally able to take up to ten GCSEs (some may take first language Russian or Chinese in addition).