Welcome to Sixth Form

Welcome from Secondary Principal  

Dear Parents and Students, 

A warm welcome to Wellington Academy, Al Khail Sixth Form. In choosing our school, you will find yourself in a supportive environment, that will challenge you to be the very best you can be. The sixth form transition is an exciting one, as it is an opportunity for our students to not only to progress on a personal level academically, but to develop their interpersonal skills by becoming the leaders of our student community. We believe that each student deserves the best possible support in their transition through Post 16 education and this handbook will assist in setting our students off on that journey into Year 12 and 13. It also will highlight the expectations and high standards we have of you in Sixth Form.  

As a member of our Sixth Form, your learning environment will change considerably Post 16. There is a mutual trust and respect that you will learn for both your teachers and your studies. You will find that your relationships with your teachers become more of a partnership, where you will work together to navigate towards your aspirations and goals. You need to be prepared to work independently and self-motivate, setting deadlines and targets for yourself. Resilience and perseverance will be two words that you hear over the next two years, as the step up to the Post 16 pathways, be it A Level, BTEC or blended is a challenging one.  But you will be surrounded by a team of staff that are trained to get the very best from you and guide you every step of the way.  

However, Sixth Form life is about much more than just tests and examinations. I actively encourage you to use this time to develop skills and experience opportunities outside of the classroom. The holistic programme in Sixth Form at the Academy is broad and has been designed with you in mind. We want you to get involved with sport, the arts, debating, mentoring, leadership to name just a few of these opportunities. The biggest regret you will have at the end of your time at the Academy is if you don’t step outside of the common room and engage in the wider school community and enrich your time with us. Success is measured by more than just grades, and although ultimately important, contributing to wider school life will teach you valuable skills that you will be able to take with you in the next stage of your life. Ask yourself as you start Sixth Form, what do you want your legacy to be at WEK?  

Remember, what you get out of the Sixth Form at WEK very much depends on what you put into it. Our aim is to see our students leave as happy, successful, world-ready young people who have taken full advantage of everything our wonderful school has afforded them.  

Gemma Thornley  

Secondary Principal  

Welcome from Head of Sixth Form 

Dear Parents and Students, 

I am delighted to introduce our Post 16 curriculum offer for September 2021. 

This is an exciting time for GEMS Wellington Academy - Al Khail as we prepare the way ahead for our post 16 students to aspire to become who they want to be, hence our strap line ‘Who are YOU becoming?’ At WEK, we have created an inclusive and attractive Sixth Form curriculum that we believe meets the needs of all our students and those in other schools who are looking for a broader, unique and more flexible offer than that provided elsewhere in Dubai. We do this by delivering a range of high quality, leading edge, internally recognized pathways including A Level, International A Level and International BTEC qualification.  

It is important that students opt for qualifications that provide the best chance of success and that will open the door to higher education and employment. Therefore, during the application process for our WEK Sixth Form, students will be well supported through our dedicated Careers Information and Guidance Service (CIAG). 

Our entry requirements for Year 12 will depend on one of the three curriculum pathways selected. This is explained in more detail later in this prospectus. As a general rule, the entry requirements for our A Level courses require 5 GCSEs at grade 6 or above including Maths and English. Individual subjects have their own requirements which are outlined in the supplements provided. Some courses such as Maths, English and Single Sciences require a minimum of a GCSE Grade 7 as these A Level-qualifications demand a particular academic skillset in order to achieve a successful outcome. iBTECs are a more practical, career-related international option and pathway to University and employment. The entry requirement for iBTECs at level 3 require 5 GCSEs at grade 5 and above.  

In parallel to these qualifications, we will deliver an enrichment and work-related internship programme through various external partners to ensure students are developing the broad range of skills and attributes that future employers and universities are looking for. Our Post 16 curriculum at WEK will offer the depth and academic rigour from A levels, the career-related skill development from iBTECs, whilst embracing a broad skills-based pedagogy in lessons similar to other international qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate (IB).  This is a natural progression for our WEK students given our approach to learning as exemplified through the WEK learner Profile and the extensive enrichment programme on offer.  

I hope you will find our Sixth Form page as useful at such an important time in your child’s school career. Please feel free to contact us at school for any further clarification concerning our Post 16 provision should you require it.  

Yours faithfully,  

Mr. Thomas Moriarty 

Head of Sixth Form