Here’s Everything You Need To Know If You’re Applying To A Church Sixth Form This Year
Following lengthy discussions between the Secretariat for Catholic Education, De La Salle College, and St Aloysius College, a new entry system has been put in place which seeks to ensure the selection process for church school Sixth Forms is as fair and transparent as possible.
Despite the postponement of the SEC May examination session, the selection process to enter Church School Sixth Forms will continue to be based on academic merit.
The entry process is as follows:
1. Since applicants have not sat for SEC or IGCSE exams in April/May 2020, the applicants’ verified school mock examination results will be considered. These are the results that the applicants’ respective schools sent to MATSEC as part of the calibration exercise being undertaken by MATSEC.
2. In the case of schools, where the mock examination in a subject/s, or part of it, was not held because of schools closure, the mark assigned by the school in the SSC&P (Secondary School Certificate and Profile) will be considered, on condition that applicants obtained an MQF level 3 in the relevant SSC&P subject.
3. Prior to applying at De La Salle College and St Aloysius College Sixth Forms, in July, applicants will need to apply for what is known as the Assessment Statement for Entry into Church Sixth Forms.
4. This statement will be issued for each applicant by the Secretariat for Catholic Education and the two Sixth Forms jointly and will:
- Include the list of subjects that the applicant sat for in his/her mock examinations at school and,
- Assign ‘bands’ to each of these subjects at paper 2A or 2B level, according to the verified mock examination results that the schools sent to MATSEC. Each subject at Paper 2A level will be assigned – band A, band B, band C or band D1, whilst each subject at Paper 2B level will be assigned band D2.
5. The bands correspond to the average percentages obtained for each grade at SEC level in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (based on MATSEC statistical reports) for each subject in every sector, that is, State, Church, Independent and Gozo schools.
6. Band A will be assigned to the top percentage of students in each school according to the average percentage of Grade 1 achieved in each subject within the school sector each school belongs to. In the same manner, Band B corresponds to Grade 2, Band C corresponds to Grade 3, and Band D1 corresponds to other grades for students who would have achieved MQF level 3.
7. Specific provisions have been made for subjects where a small number of students sat for SEC examinations as well as for VET subjects.
8. If applicants were absent for the mock examinations held in their school, no bands will be awarded for the subject/s concerned.
Following this, applicants will go through this two-phase application process:
Phase 1:
Applicants who are interested in applying at De La Salle College Sixth Form and/or at St Aloysius College Sixth Form need to obtain the Assessment Statement for Entry into Church Sixth Forms in order to apply for the 2nd phase in August.
Students are to apply for this statement by clicking on the link found at https://www.delasallemalta.org/sixthform/ or http://www.saintaloysius.edu.mt/ between 00:00 of the 6th July and 23:59 of the 10th July at a fee of €5. Late applications for this statement may also be submitted between 00:00 of the 16th July and 23:59 of the 17th July at a fee of €10.
This statement will be sent to those who apply for it before the start of Phase 2 and will then be used by the applicant when applying in Phase 2.
Phase 2:
This phase will take place in August. Applicants will fill in and submit online application forms at De la Salle College and/or St Aloysius College .
More information can be found on the website of each college.