Study Skills

Becoming an Independent Learner

At Queensbury Academy, we understand that moving from GCSEs to sixth form brings new challenges and expectations. To succeed, it’s essential to plan your assignments, revision, and independent study carefully. Good organisation will help you meet deadlines and work towards achieving your aspirational target grades.

Independent Learning

One of the biggest changes when moving into sixth form is the level of independent study required to succeed. We recommend that students dedicate at least five hours per week of independent study for each course they are taking. This may include structured tasks such as homework, pre-reading, and other activities designed to deepen understanding and prepare for lessons.

To support this, your timetable will include non-teaching study periods, giving you dedicated time during the school day to focus on independent learning. It’s important to plan and organise these sessions effectively to make the most of your time.

Queensbury Academy offers a variety of study spaces to suit different learning styles:

Sixth Form Common Room (Central): Equipped with a limited number of computers and a wide range of desks suitable for both individual and group study.
C15: A dedicated study room with a small number of PCs and a selection of study desks.
Library: A fantastic resource with a large collection of books and subject magazines, as well as computers and study desks for quiet, focused work.
E73 (East): A row of quiet study booths, each equipped with a computer, perfect for independent, distraction-free study.

By making effective use of these spaces and your study periods, you can stay organised, manage your workload, and give yourself the best chance of success in your sixth form studies.

If you are absent for a lesson it is your responsibility as a young adult to see your teacher to catch up with the missed learning and do so in a timely manner.

Organisation

Your organisation will be monitored by your subject teachers throughout your time in sixth form. Keeping your lesson notes and independent study materials well-structured and up to date is essential for your success.

If you need extra support or guidance, Mr Yarnell, our Head of Sixth Form, is always available to help you stay on track.

It’s also important to make effective use of Bromcom to track your home learning tasks, manage deadlines, and stay organised with your studies.

In sixth form, you’ll have greater freedom and responsibility for managing your own schedule. It’s essential to stay on top of deadlines and make full use of the independent study sessions built into your timetable.

Plan your time carefully, using each study period productively to chip away at tasks rather than leaving everything until the last minute — procrastination is your biggest enemy!

Effective Note-Taking

Strong note-taking skills are essential for success at Queensbury Sixth Form. Good notes will save you time and effort later, ensuring you have all the key information ready when you need it most, whether for assignments, revision, or exams.

Active note-taking not only helps with understanding and recall but also allows you to represent ideas and concepts in different ways, making it easier to connect and synthesise information.

Everyone learns differently, so it’s important to find the note-taking style that works best for you, whether that’s mind maps, bullet points, diagrams, or digital tools.

Wider Academic Reading & Independent Research

At Queensbury Sixth Form, we place a strong focus on wider academic reading to help you deepen your knowledge and develop as an independent learner.

During tutor periods, you will take part in dedicated wider reading sessions, with resources provided to help you get started. If you have any issues accessing these materials, please speak to your tutor or Ms Capp, one of our Assistant Heads of Sixth Form.
For subject-specific reading, your teachers will provide the resources you need. Alongside this, independent research will be a vital part of your success. You will be expected to plan and carry out your own research, evaluating the reliability and credibility of sources you use.

Reading beyond your syllabus is essential to consolidate your understanding, broaden your perspective, and help you identify areas of interest you may wish to pursue after Sixth Form, whether at university, in training, or in your career.

Wider Academic Reading | Download here

Enrichment Reading Resources

Explore a range of cultural and non-subject-specific reading materials designed to broaden your knowledge, spark curiosity, and encourage deeper thinking beyond your academic studies.

Queensbury Book 1 KS5 Reading for wider perspectives | Download here

Queensbury Book 2 KS5 Reading for wider perspectives | Download here

Independent Research and Reliable Sources

At Queensbury Sixth Form, you will often be set homework tasks that involve independent research. This gives you the opportunity to explore topics in greater depth than is possible in lessons.

Many subjects have different viewpoints and interpretations, so it’s important to look at the bigger picture. This will help you evaluate theories and ideas more effectively, which in turn can lead to higher marks and a stronger understanding of your subject.

The internet is a great starting point; tools like Google Scholar and Google Books can be particularly useful. However, remember that not everything online is accurate or reliable, so you must critically evaluate your sources.

There are many other trustworthy resources you can use, including:

The Queensbury library, which holds a wide range of books, journals, and magazines.
Online newspaper archives and current news publications.
Professional journals for subject-specific research.
TED Talks, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and university lectures for wider learning

Below is a guide to some of the most common research resources, along with their strengths and limitations, to help you choose the right tools for your studies.

Resource	Pros	Cons
Academic books	Usually written by experts Can be freely accessed via a library Usually informative and reliable	Can be outdated Can be time-consuming Sometimes difficult to understand
Journal articles	Usually written by experts Often peer-reviewed, which means checked by other experts Some are open access, making them free to read Usually focused and concise	Sometimes difficult to understand Many require a paid subscription Can be very specific
Reports	Usually focused and concise Can cover a range of fields, from company and legal reports to medical and lab reports Some are open access, making them freely available	Can be difficult to find Can be very specific Sometimes difficult to understand
Newspapers	Can be both current and historical Gives an indication of what happened at a certain time and how the media responded Can usually be accessed freely via a library or the British Newspaper Archive	Can be biased Can be sensationalist Can be limited
Images	Widely available online Can help visualise something Usually easy to access Can come in a range of formats, from photographs and film stills to political cartoons and maps	Can be easily manipulated or edited Can be limited Can be protected by Copyright
Data and statistics	Reliable and factual Supports qualitative research Can come in a range of formats, like graphs and tables Some data is freely available to the public (like Census data for example)	Can be difficult to find Can be difficult to understand and digest Can easily be manipulated
Audiovisual resources (videos, podcasts etc)	Accessible Usually easy to digest and navigate Can cover a range of content, from documentaries and newsreels to music videos and movies	The origin is sometimes unclear (for example, on YouTube or social media platforms like TikTok) Can be biased Easily made by non-experts
Websites	Usually easy to access and navigate Provides content on just about anything Can cover specialist subjects reliably (for example, the National Geographic website)	Easily made by non-experts Can be biased Can be factually incorrect Constantly changing

Source link - Research Skills | Sixth Form Study Skills

Approaches to Academic Reading

cademic reading is a key part of your Level 3 studies at Queensbury Sixth Form and can sometimes feel more challenging than other types of reading. The key is to read strategically, based on your purpose.

There are three main approaches:

Skimming – quickly get a general sense of the material or identify main ideas.
Scanning – read efficiently to find specific information relevant to your questions or tasks.
Deep Reading – immerse yourself fully in the text to analyse, evaluate, and synthesise ideas in detail.

By choosing the right approach for your goal, you can save time, stay focused, and get the most out of your reading.

Developing Critical Thinking at Queensbury Academy

Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information and assess its accuracy, reliability, usefulness, and relevance. At Queensbury Academy Sixth Form, you will be encouraged to understand others’ arguments, evaluate them carefully, and present clear, well-structured justifications for your own point of view.

These skills are not only essential for success in Sixth Form but are also highly valuable for Higher Education, careers, and everyday life. Employers especially value critical thinking, as it allows you to filter information effectively and focus on what is truly useful.

Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

Curiosity about a wide range of issues
Commitment to staying well-informed
Awareness of opportunities to apply critical thinking
Confidence in one’s own reasoning abilities
Open-mindedness to different perspectives
Flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions
Awareness of likely outcomes and the ability to anticipate consequences
Understanding and respect for the opinions of others
Fair-mindedness when appraising reasoning
Honesty in recognising personal biases, prejudices, or assumptions
Prudence in forming, suspending, or revising judgments
Willingness to rethink and adjust views when reflection suggests change is needed

By practising these skills, Queensbury Sixth Form students can become thoughtful, independent learners ready to tackle complex problems both in and beyond the classroom.

Collaboration and the Queensbury CARE Values

A key part of your Sixth Form studies at Queensbury Academy is collaboration with your peers. Working together is not only a powerful way to learn but also a vital life skill valued by universities and future employers.

Through collaboration, you can share ideas, discuss problems from different perspectives, and combine your skills and expertise to tackle tasks that would be difficult to complete alone. By analysing, debating, questioning, and giving and receiving feedback, you will learn from each other and explore new ideas, developing skills that extend beyond the classroom.

This approach directly reflects our CARE values:

Cooperate effectively: Collaborating in groups teaches you to work respectfully and productively with others, preparing you for life in diverse, mutually respectful environments.
Aspire: Working together encourages you to strive for your personal best, both individually and as part of a team.
Respect: Collaboration fosters understanding of different perspectives, cultures, and beliefs.
Endeavour: Group work encourages perseverance, organisation, and practical problem-solving to achieve shared goals.

Skills Developed Through Collaboration

Effective communication
Co-operation
Leadership
Teamwork
Organisation
Delegation
Pragmatism

By embedding collaboration within your studies, you will not only enhance your learning but also embody the Queensbury CARE values, helping you thrive academically, personally, and socially.

Resources and Useful Links

Notetaking

Newcastle University – Notetaking
York University – Making Useful Notes – a tutorial
University of York – Note Taking Resources
University of Bristol – Making and Using Notes