Support with university applications through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) remains at the heart of the support we offer to pupils as they consider their future.

Some of the attractions of a traditional UCAS pathway include:

Pupils in each of the schools will be supported as follows as their thinking develops, leading to a full programme of mentoring during their Sixth Form years.

Year 7 Onwards

• Pupils are provided with access to a range of resources, such as the Unifrog platform, which enables pupils to produce a personal profile of interests and to search a huge range of courses relating to their current passions.
• Careers interviews and talks from Year 7 onwards introduce pupils to a wide range of career options, with a strong focus on how to use secondary education as a strong preparation for Higher Education and the jobs market.
• Pupils receive a wealth of information, including through bulletins put together by our Careers and Futures Teams.
• Pupils can request, from the beginning of their time with us, to meet with a Careers expert who can guide their thinking and signpost them towards further expert help from our subject specialist teams.

Year 9 Onwards

• Our biannual Careers Fair, which is open to Years 9 to 13, is a major event in the school calendar. Employers, admissions teams and Higher Education experts host stalls and give talks. The aim of this event is to give pupils sight of opportunities they may not have previously considered, with a chance to talk oneto-one with those in the know
• Our PSHE programme begins to integrate sessions on UCAS provision, leading to the highly detailed sessions during Sixth Form PSHE. Pupils are familiarised early on with the requirements of a UCAS application and the importance of combining curricular and cocurricular endeavour as preparation for a strong application.

Years 10 and 11 Onwards

• During the GCSE years, and as A Level choices approach, pupils hear from their subject teachers about the courses and careers that different subjects will enable. These conversations are followed up with one-to-one meetings between pupils and a member of their school’s Senior Leadership Team. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that pupils’ A Level choices are in line with any known Degree aspirations
• All pupils receive a one-to-one Careers guidance interview with an external agency, leading to feedback on areas of best fit for pupils
• In addition to the formal programme of support, pupils are now encouraged independently to set up a meeting with a member of our Careers and Futures team.
• Pupils considering applications to especially selective university courses, including those at Oxford and Cambridge, and those in Law and Medicine, begin to receive targeted mentoring. Briefing sessions are held in each of the listed areas, and specific help is given to pupils considering these pathways as they select their A Level subjects, in order to reflect the specific requirements of these elite pathways.

Sixth Form

• Pupils now regularly receive a wealth of information and guidance. Assemblies and tutor periods are now regularly devoted to talking about UCAS and other post A Level options. Specific periods are put aside during which pupils can develop their online profile, including through working on Unifrog. The PSHE programme now dedicated time specifically to Higher Education and UCAS, delivered by our highly experienced UCAS teams.
• Higher Education Evening formally launches the UCAS programme, with all of the Lower Sixth and their parents attending talks on Russell Group applications, Oxbridge applications and much more. This evening also includes all of the other areas explored in this brochure, including Global Universities, Degree Apprenticeships, Law and Medicine. If they have not already, pupils now formally register their planned courses of study and are matched with appropriate mentors and Personal Statement tutors. 
• The full, formal programme of support universities with an Admissions Test or Interview now begins. Pupils begin to receive weekly subject mentoring sessions, briefings on preparation for applications, training in pre-admissions tests, interview preparation and much more. In addition, larger events connect current pupils with those who have gone on to study at elite universities.
• During the summer of Lower Sixth, pupils meet with their Personal Statement tutor, who are assigned to them based on their relevant course expertise. Pupils are given one-to-one, dedicated support by their Tutor as they prepare a quality Personal Statement, ahead of submitting their UCAS form in the Autumn Term of Upper Sixth.
• In the summer of Lower Sixth, UCAS day gives pupils dedicated space off timetable to learn more about the UCAS form and the full UCAS process. These days include talks from experts on UCAS admissions, as well as support from school staff on the details of preparing an outstanding application. Pupils applying for courses including Medicine and Law, as well as courses at universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, receive further tailored support .
• During the Spring and Summer terms of Lower Sixth, pupils have regular conversations with their Form Tutors, who are experts in the UCAS process. This more informal process of checking in helps Tutors to signpost pupils towards subject specialist support, including from our Careers and Futures departments.

During the Autumn Term of Upper Sixth, pupils submit their UCAS Forms. Applications to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and for courses in Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry must be submitted by October 15 and pupils are supported towards this. To complete the UCAS form, pupils are required to provide: general personal details, examination results already achieved at GCSE and A levels, details of other qualifications and of subjects still to be taken, the names of up to five institutions they would like to apply to (only four for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science, with the option of applying for a related degree course) together with the courses and the personal statement. Our UCAS teams provide tuition and one-to-one guidance to ensure that these applications are completed to the highest standard.