UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

Each year 95% of our A level students go on to higher education, and our aim is to inspire but not force students in this direction. The collegiate atmosphere and the academic calibre of our tutors make the college an ideal stepping stone to university, and providing the best personal guidance on careers and university applications is a central aspect of the support we provide.

At whatever stage students join us, they are advised on subject choices appropriate to their aspirations and goals, and if they are unsure about their future direction we provide advice which will keep their options as open as possible. This advice is given by the Principal as a part of the admissions interview, and a further interview with our Careers and HE Lead is often arranged if additional information or guidance is required.

Our Careers and Higher Education Lead is a former principal of the college with over 20 years’ experience and our students’ university destinations are exceptional.  Over the past 5 years an average of 68% have taken up places UK’s most prestigious Russell Group universities, and the vast majority of our students take up places at their first choice university. Please click here for more information on our destinations. In recent years we have also successfully supported students who started sponsored degree apprenticeships with blue-chip companies PWC and Thales, and we place great importance on making students aware of additional possibilities that they may have been unaware of.

UCAS preparations start in Year 12 with group sessions as well as individual advice and guidance sessions with our Careers Lead. In the summer term students start to prepare for their UCAS applications and we hold a UCAS evening for parents so that they are also fully informed of what lies ahead. Each student therefore starts the summer knowing whether they need to gain work experience or extend their reading to enhance their applications, and early applicants for Oxford, Cambridge or Medicine (for which the deadline is 15 October) work with the Careers Lead over summer to complete their personal statements.

Students are therefore well-prepared for their UCAS applications by the time they enter Year 13. In this year, the Careers Lead provides individual advice and guidance to all of our university applicants, providing support through every step of the process, as well as monitoring academic progress to ensure that the necessary targets are met. Students’ subject tutors are also always on hand to provide subject-specific guidance on personal statements and interviews, as well as to provide personal insights into studying at the top universities. The recommended UCAS deadline is in January, although as a policy we aim to have all of our applications sent before Christmas.

For full details of our careers and higher education programme which is delivered over Years 12 and 13 please see pages 6-8 of our Careers Policy.

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